Safe and natural cleaning products are essential to good health and a safe environment. Aside from personal care products, they also include cleaning products like a dishwashing liquid. As a product that is used to clean dishes and utensils, it plays an important role in making sure that toxins and other harmful ingredients will not be absorbed into your body. Furthermore, improper disposal of plastic bottles with dishwashing liquid will cause environmental problems as they find their way into bodies of water.
It is a must to assess the safety of a dishwashing liquid. Inspect and read labels to know their ingredients to ensure that they are free from toxins that could harm you and your family. However, most consumers do not know the right ingredients to choose for a cleaning product. So to get you started, here is a guide to help you when buying a safe and natural dishwashing liquid.
Non-Toxic Dishwashing Liquid Guide
1. Ingredients To Avoid.
Some ingredients may cause some level of concern in dishwashing products. If you wear gloves and rinse your dishes thoroughly, the level of concern about some ingredients can get lower.
- Ingredients with high to medium concern are colorants, fragrance, ethoxylated ingredients, formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, benzisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, methylchloroisothiazolinone, and octylisothiazolinone.
- Ingredients with low concern include no preservatives, phenoxyethanol, cocamidopropyl betaine, cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine, and essential oils.
2. Natural Dishwashing Liquid Has No Colorants.
You will not find colorants in natural dishwashing liquid selections. Colorants may have residues of heavy metals. These color additives come from petroleum or minerals that are found on the earth’s crust. Heavy metals are a natural part of the planet’s crust since they are in the soil, water, and air. Thus, colorants used in some dish soap may have amounts of heavy metals.
Similarly, colorants may have residues of petroleum-based carcinogenic contaminants like PAHs and benzo[a]pyrene which may cause genetic defects, cancer, allergic skin reaction, and may injure the fetus. It is also very dangerous to aquatic life.
3. Safe Dishwashing Liquid Does Not Have Fragrance.
The fragrance is a mixture of several ingredients. Aside from the scent-releasing chemicals, there are other supporting ingredients like preservatives, antioxidants, colors, solvents, diluents, and fixatives. Some of these ingredients contain chemicals that may cause allergic reactions, endocrine disruption, and cancer, among others.
4. Ethoxylated Ingredients Are Absent in Natural Dishwashing Liquid.
Ethoxylated ingredients can be identified by looking for the following in the list of ingredients:
- Polysorbate (Polysorbate-80)
- PEG and a number (PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil)
- “-eth” ending with or without a number (Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Laureth-7)
Ethoxylated ingredients are produced from ethoxylation, a process that comprises the reaction of carcinogenic ethylene oxide with other ingredients to create them less harsh on the skin. A by-product of this reaction is carcinogenic 1,4-dioxane which is a contaminant.
5. Natural Dishwashing Liquid Contains No Formaldehyde-Releasing Preservatives.
These preservatives may release little amounts of formaldehyde into a product:
- Methenamine
- Quaternium-15
- Diazolidinyl Urea
- DMDM Hydantoin
- Imidazolidinyl Urea
- Sodium Hydroxylmethylglycinate
- 2-Bromo-2-Nitropropane-1,3-Diol
Formaldehyde is dangerous because it causes severe skin burns, eye damage, allergic skin reactions, and cancer. The hazards caused by formaldehyde contradict the objective of using natural dishwashing liquid.
6. Safe Dishwashing Liquid Has No “Zolinone” Preservatives.
Wear gloves and rinse your dishes thoroughly if you are using a liquid dishwashing detergent that contains some of these preservatives. A liquid product must have preservatives to keep it from having mold and bacteria so be sure to have the necessary information on it to distinguish between buying toxic and natural dishwashing liquid.
- Benzisothiazolinone - a skin sensitizer that may cause skin irritation, allergic skin reactions, and eye damage, and is harmful to aquatic life.
- Octylisothiazolinone - may cause serious allergic skin reaction and eye damage. It is toxic when inhaled and can damage marine life.
- Methylisothiazolinone (MI) – just like the other skin sensitizers, MI can cause eye damage, severe skin burns, and allergic skin reactions. Aside from being fatal when inhaled, it is toxic if swallowed and extremely dangerous to aquatic life.
- Methylchloroisothiazolinone (MCI) – can cause respiratory irritation, severe skin burns, eye damage, and allergic skin reaction. It is also lethal if inhaled or swallowed and toxic to marine life like the other “zolinone” preservatives.
7. Natural Dishwashing Liquid With No Preservatives Is Not Good.
There is a danger of bacterial contamination when a natural dishwashing liquid has no preservatives. Bacteria can be dangerous to people who have weak or developing immune systems. You may ask the manufacturer if you happen to see no preservatives printed on a product label. Inquire how bacteria and mold growth are prevented in their products.
Natural dishwashing liquid must have a preservation system. Preservatives are essential in liquid products since they protect them from mold and bacteria.
8. Phenoxyethanol Poses Low Concern In Dishwashing Detergents.
Phenoxyethanol is produced from a reaction between carcinogenic ethylene oxide and highly corrosive phenol and may contain their residues. Wear gloves and rinse your dishes properly if you are using dishwashing liquids that contain phenoxyethanol.
9. Dishwashing Liquids with “Amidopropyl” Ingredients Are Okay.
Dishwashing liquids containing these ingredients are okay as long as you wear gloves and rinse your dishes well.
Amidopropyl ingredients that are found in dishwashing liquids are cocamidopropyl betaine, lauramidopropyl betaine, cocamidopropylamine oxide, and cocamidopropyl hydroxysultaine. The main concern with them is about their manufacturing process and the potential contaminants such as 3,3-dimethylaminopropylamine (DMAPA) and amidopropyl dimethylamine (amidoamine).
10. Natural Dishwashing Liquid With Essential Oils May Trigger Allergic Reactions.
It is okay to use dishwashing products with essential oils if you have no allergy to them. However, stay away from them if you are sensitive to essential oils and scents as they can cause skin sensitivity and irritations.
ALSO READ: Top Reasons to Choose Non-Toxic Household Products
One way to evaluate if a dishwashing liquid is safe to use is to read its ingredient label. A guide can be used to help consumers who do not know the correct ingredients to choose for a cleaning product. The best natural dishwashing liquid uses less harmful ingredients that can affect health, marine life, and the environment. It must not contain colorants, fragrances, ethoxylated ingredients, or harsh preservatives. If using non-toxic products cannot be prevented, wear gloves and rinse your dishes thoroughly to prevent residues.
Best Lab is a trusted brand that offers FDA-approved personal and home care products. Its Tea Tree dishwashing liquid is made with natural antibacterial from lactic acid and tea tree oil to ensure your safety while keeping your utensils at home clean and well-preserved. Bestlab’s Dishwashing Liquid is formulated with natural and effective ingredients that make it a powerful grease cleanser without compromising your safety. This dishwashing liquid in the Philippines poses no health concerns since the product only contains natural actives plus non-toxic and moisturizing ingredients.