Sodium Laurel Sulfate (SLS)
It's cheap...It foams a lot...It thickens with salt.
SLS, more commonly known as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, (a common foaming ingredient found in everything from shampoo, body wash, bubble bath and toothpaste) is the culprit in thousands of complaints to the FDA. According to Ruth Winters, author of “A Consumer’s Dictionary of Cosmetic Ingredients” the FDA has received reports from consumers that include reactions to SLS such as eye and scalp irritation, tangled hair, swelling of hands, face and arms, and split and fuzzy hair.
But this isn’t the worst of it. SLS is a wetting agent, or surfactant, whose purpose is to reduce the surface tension of the water thus allowing the shampoo to spread easier and penetrate more easily. It is a cheap ingredient and mixed with Sodium Stearate, usually composes approximately fifty percent of a shampoos ingredients. About forty percent is water and the other 10 percent is preservatives, fragrance and color. Many shampoos that claim to have herbal extracts usually include them in the water content - which is fine. However, with all the other chemicals, the risks far outweigh the benefit these herbs provide.
Judi Vance, a pioneer in the fight to educate consumers about the chemicals contained in most personal care products and author of “Beauty to Die For” has done exhaustive research on SLS. Here are some of the results of her findings: There are four categories of detergents. They include Anionic, Nonionic, Cationic and Amphoteric. Amphoteric and Anionic are the types found in most shampoos, conditioners and lotions. Anionic are the cheapest and foam the best while Amphoteric are the mildest group and are used in shampoos for their conditioning abilities. Their sibling, the Nonionic group, are used in spray-on oven cleaners. But here is where the problem lies.
A study citied in the Wall Street Journal (November 1, 1988) linked SLS to cataracts and nitrate absorption (nitrates are carcinogens-or cancer causing substances). Apparently, this absorption occurs when the SLS becomes contaminated with NDELA (N-nitrosodiethanolamine) during processing. This contamination comes about as a result of SLS coming into contact with any number of chemicals including TEA (triethanolamine) which is a commonly used ingredient in shampoos as a detergent. The equation looks like this: SLS + TEA = NDELA (a nitrosamines and a recognized carcinogen). What bothers us is that while many companies claim that SLS is a safe ingredient (the jury is still out on this) the problem is what we refer to as the “chemical cocktail”. When these ingredients come into contact with one another, some will bond forming cancer causing nitrosamines. This is where the danger lies.
To be realistic, there is no way that the FDA could possibly test all the combinations of chemicals available. So, while some chemicals may be mild or classified as safe independently, once you combine them, dangerous things can happen. Just because SLS supposedly comes from coconuts doesn’t mean the molecular structure isn’t potentially damaging. There is a lot of information available on SLS - it is very controversial these days. The presence of the “chemical cocktail” is a very real and ticking time bomb.
Read labels and choose alternatives. Many companies have developed products that foam just as or nearly as well as many large scale commercial products. And just because a product claims to be natural (they can say the product is natural if it contains SLS since it’s derived from coconuts) doesn’t mean it’s safe. Read labels, research and ask questions. Other names for sulfates include sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate. If you see sulfate in the ingredients, don't use it!
Industrial Use, Personal Care Product, Harsh Floor Cleaners, Engine Degreasers, Car Wash Detergents, Laundry Detergents, Toothpaste, Shampoos, Body Gels, Bubble Baths, Facial Cleansers, Baby Wipes, Baby Shampoos & Bubble Baths
SLS can damage the immune system; causing separation of skin layers and inflammation of skin.
-Journal of the American College of Toxicology; Vol. 2, No. 7, 1983
SLS penetrates into the skin and into the eyes, and is also held in the brain, heart and liver. A single drop stays in the brain and body for a few days - Doctor's worry: Is your baby safe?
-By David L. Kern, New health and longevity
SLS denatures proteins of eye tissues - impairing eye development permanently.
-Dr. Keith Green, PHD, D.Sc., Medical College of Georgia
SLS is a mutagen. It is capable of changing the information in genetic material found in cells. SLS has been used in studies to induce mutagen in bacteria.
-Higuchi, Araya and Higuchi, school of medicine, Tohoku University: Sendai 980 Japan
SLS is a potent carcinogen when contaminated with a nitrosamines.
-FDA Report 1978
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