What's in Your Bubble Bath?

Sinking into a warm and luxurious bubble bath after a long and strenuous day feels like pure bliss, doesn't it? Well, until you discover what’s lurking beneath those bubbles.

Did you know there are more than 85,000 chemicals in use in today’s marketplace? And most of these chemicals have not been tested for long-term human health impact! Eek. At Rocky, if we’re not sure that something is safe over the long-haul, then we won’t use it. Especially when there areamazing natural ingredients offered by our planet that can keep us bubbly, clean, and smelling delightful!

To make it easy for you to identify these culprits hiding in your precious bubble bath, we’ve made you a handy little list below. When reading labels, you can keep an eye out for these top 3 offenders and look for gentler more environmentally friendly ingredients that are abundantly found in nature.

1. Sodium laureth sulphate (SLS)

Most of the soap products on the market today contain an ingredient known as Sodium Laureth Sulphate, sometimes just called SLS, which is used as an abrasive cleaner and to create a rich lather. When rinsed off, the product will have cleaned your body really well, but will have taken moisture from the top layers of skin. In people with sensitive skin (prone to dermatitis, acne, eczema, psoriasis and chemical sensitivity), the drying property of these types of detergents can cause flare-ups of skin conditions or may worsen existing conditions.

In her book Beauty Bible, Paula Begoun (AKA. The Cosmetics Cop) writes, “In scientific studies, when they want to establish whether or not an ingredient is problematic for skin, they compare its effect to the results of SLS. In amounts of 2% to 5%, it can cause allergic or sensitizing reactions in lots of people.”

For this reason, SLS has been on the radar of organizations like the Environmental Working Group, and the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has also encouraged manufacturers to remove this contaminant, it is not currently required by federal law.

2. Fragrance

The average North American uses between 17 and 21 scented products per day, exposing themselves to a "chemical soup" with unknown health effects. According to the US Food and Drug Administration, fragrances used in bubble bath and other cosmetic products cause 30% of all allergic reactions, and 70% of all asthmatics develop respiratory symptoms when exposed to perfumes.

3. Phthalates

Some fragrance ingredients are not perfuming agents themselves, but actually work to enhance the performance of perfuming agents found in bubble baths. For example, diethyl phthalate or DEP, is widely used in cosmetic fragrances as a cheap and versatile way to make scent linger. According to David Suzuki, DEP exposure from cosmetic fragrance can have a negative impact on our health, including interference with hormone function and contributing to obesity and insulin resistance. Phthalates are also a toxic substance for both wildlife and the environment.

Now you can enjoy a bubble bath with rich, long-lasting bubbles. Bask in the beautiful scent of essential oils. And not worry one bit about any ingredients doing you harm.