How to Choose the Right Natural Dishwashing Detergent

Dishwashing detergent irritates the skin

Washing dishes every day makes the skin on my hands rough and dry. They become cracked and chapped.
There are many people who suffer from rough hands. But why does washing dishes make your hands rough?

The reason is the synthetic surfactants contained in dishwashing detergent. Oily stains on dishes cannot be removed with water alone. For this reason, surfactants are used as cleaning ingredients that mix the oil and water together to remove them.

Dishwashing detergent needs to thoroughly remove grease that has built up on frying pans and dishes, which is why it contains a high concentration of surfactants.

However, when surfactants with strong cleaning power are used, the moisture (oil and sebum) on the hands is washed away along with the oily stains from the dishes, causing the hands to become dry and rough.

There are three types of dishwashing detergent

There are various types of surfactants used in detergents. Depending on the type and amount of surfactant used, dishwashing detergents are classified into three types .

Synthetic dishwashing detergent

Of the surfactants used, more than 40% are surfactants other than pure soap.
In most cases, synthetic surfactants are used, such as:

• Sodium alkyl sulfate
• Sodium Linear Alkylbenzene Sulfonate
• Sodium alkyl ether sulfate
• Polyoxyethylene sorbitan fatty acid ester
• Polyoxyethylene alkyl ether
• Alkyltrimethylammonium salts

Kitchen soap

No synthetic surfactants are used.
Only pure soap is used as a surfactant .

Complex kitchen soap

Surfactants other than pure soap are used.
Less than 40% of the surfactants are other than pure soap.

Are certified organic detergents natural?

One thing to note here is that even if a dishwashing detergent is advertised as " natural " or " organic ," it is not possible to determine whether it is natural or synthetic. In other words, it is often the case that a detergent that looks natural at first glance is actually a synthetic detergent that uses synthetic surfactants.

The reason is that among " natural surfactants" there are synthetic ingredients that have been chemically processed. They are of natural origin. However, because they are synthesized, products that use such surfactants are called "synthetic detergents."

"But this detergent has an organic certification mark, so it's okay!"
Some people may think so. In fact, the same is true for products that have an organic certification mark. When you look at the label on the back, you may find that it is actually a synthetic detergent.

How to choose natural cleaners

So, if you want to avoid synthetic detergents that can be harsh on your skin, how should you choose a detergent?

The answer is simple: just grab your detergent and follow the two steps below to find out.

1. Look at the label on the back of the detergent
2. Check that "Kitchen soap" is written under "Product name."

If the product name says "synthetic dishwashing detergent," then it contains synthetic surfactants. Even if the packaging says "natural" or "organic," there's no room for deception on the back.

If you want to choose something as natural as possible, it's best to choose something that says "kitchen soap."