Ingredient Watch: Ammonia
Ammonia is formed as a result of the putrefaction of animal and plant matter. It is widely used today in the production of nitric acid, ammonium salts, sulfates, nitrate, carbonate, chloride, and in synthesizing hundreds of compounds which can be found in many beauty care products and cosmetics. Ammonia is widely used as a building block for the synthesis of many pharmacauticals, in plastics, in personal care products like toothpastes and soaps, and in hair products such as shampoos, dyes and permanent solutions.
This liquid is very toxic and should be avoided in products you purchase and use. Inhaling ammonia can be fatal and contact with skin causes serious reactions.
Because ammonia is used to manufacture chemicals which are then given a different name, it’s difficult to know what ingredients to avoid in regards to ammonia. The most widely used chemicals that contain ammonia have ‘nitro-’ , ‘nitroso-’ (compounds that are created with ammonia), and ’sulfate’, or ’sulfite’ (ammonium salts) in the chemical names. Some examples of these are nitrite, nitrate, sodium alkyl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, and sodium lauryl sulfate.
For natural makeup and skin care, avoid using products with ammonia and ammonium chemicals as much as possible. For best results, use natural products that don’t contain synthetic chemicals and compounds in their ingredients.