Direct translation
Shocking! Mainland Chinese female boss exposes excessive amounts of this ingredient in shower gel
Reporter : Hong Yu / Editor : Zhu Xinrui / https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2025/11/18/a104039423.html / Image : Many people frequently use shower gel to clean their bodies in daily life. (Shutterstock)
There are various brands and types of shower gels and body washes on the market, with a wide variety, ranging from moisturizing and antibacterial to exfoliating, each product boasting its unique formula and ingredients. Recently, a mainland Chinese factory owner revealed the dark side of this industry, pointing out the ingredients contained in shower gels on the market.
In the video, the female shop owner bluntly stated, "How many manufacturers of shower gel have a conscience? You think that the slippery feeling on your skin from shower gel is due to its moisturizing effect. Actually, it contains a ton of lauryl alcohol."
"This is the same stuff we used to use to make dish soap. Adding it to dish soap, a bottle only sells for 3.9 yuan (RMB). But adding it to shower gel, a bottle can sell for 39 or 49 yuan. Some manufacturers are even more shameless than us, selling it for 70 or 80 yuan, even over 100 yuan. With that kind of profit margin, who would still sell dish soap? And it's all just to make you feel slippery; they add a ton of this stuff," she said.
She stated, "In many ingredient lists, it's listed second only to water. Adding so much of it can really irritate your skin. I'm telling you, you still won't get it clean, and this stuff stays on your skin for a long time; the irritation is truly immense."
She gave the example of those common shower gels that add flower petals. Just to add a few petals, they add preservatives; two of them contained preservatives.
She stated that most shower gels are actually just soapy water with a high soap base. Their only function is cleansing, unlike the claims made on the market about mite removal or whitening. "I'm telling you, those are absolutely... I'm telling you, they're all a scam."
Public information shows that lauryl alcohol, also known as dodecyl alcohol or lauryl alcohol, is an oily liquid or solid with a pungent odor. It is mainly used in the manufacture of surfactants, fragrances, detergents, cosmetics, lubricants, and emulsifiers. In personal care products, it is often used as a raw material for thickeners, emollients, and foaming agents.
Shower gel and body wash are essentially the same – both are personal care products used to cleanse the body. However, there are subtle differences in texture and suitability. Shower gel has a thinner texture and is suitable for summer or oily skin, while body wash has a thicker texture and is more suitable for winter or dry skin.
A mainland blogger, "Xiejiu Tianya," once wrote on Baidu that many people feel that body wash has a much better cleansing effect and longer-lasting fragrance than soap, which is indeed true. But have you ever paid attention to the ingredient list on the product label?
If you look closely, you'll find that many body washes that are generally considered to have powerful effects actually contain a substance called "sodium lauryl ether sulfonate." This is a chemical component synthesized from lauryl alcohol and sodium polyether sulfonate, mainly used in some skincare products. However, lauryl alcohol itself has a certain range of high-carbon chains, making this ingredient relatively expensive. Therefore, many manufacturers have started to use oleic acid as a substitute in cosmetics to save costs.
The article states that while these ingredients can give the skin a lubricating feeling, making it smooth and supple, their primary function is not to cleanse the skin, but rather to create a sense of dependency. Because they are not present in the body like fats, some manufacturers intentionally enhance this "slippery" sensation, making consumers feel they can't live without them.
As a result, even if people feel their skin is clean after showering, a lingering slippery feeling leads them to believe they haven't washed properly. Consequently, they switch to a different shower gel the next time, believing the new scent will provide an even stronger feeling of refreshment. This way, manufacturers profit from selling shower gels while creating a dependency on their products.
From an equipment and environmental protection perspective, sodium lauryl ether sulfate is not a widely used and desirable ingredient. It can cause irritation, and some people with sensitive skin may experience allergic reactions, redness, or itching after use.
The article suggests that soap, synthesized from natural oils, can absorb skin dirt and combine it with fatty acids to form washable substances that can be rinsed away. Therefore, soap is actually no less effective at cleaning than expensive shower gels! So, if you're concerned about your budget, consider using soap directly in the shower. Compared to shower gel, it's not only more affordable but also free of unnecessary additives and gentler on the skin—a win-win situation!
Some netizens commented, "That's why I never use shower gel." "Shower gel leaves a sticky residue on my skin." "I only use soap; I don't like the slippery feeling of shower gel. I haven't used it for at least 20 years."
"I used to use shower gel, but I really disliked that slippery feeling after washing. It took forever to rinse off, and I always felt unclean. Later, I switched back to soap, and that slippery feeling disappeared. It rinsed off easily and felt very refreshing, so I've been using soap ever since."
"Don't even mention shower gel; many cosmetics are essentially just glycerin. It feels really slippery after using it, but that's just glycerin. Claims about removing blemishes and whitening are all nonsense. If they actually worked, they'd be toxic."
Someone asked, "Just a quick question, is facial cleanser a scam?" "Is a water purifier a scam?"
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