What are the health risks of SLS?
Overall, the health and safety concerns for SLS are minimal. But there are some details you should know: 1 SLS is a safe compound for consumer personal care products and not a known carcinogen, says the NIH 2 Stomatitis or mouth sore sufferers that use SLS toothpaste will develop more irritation, says the NIH, while toothpaste without SLS will reduce the pain 3 If you extract its separate elements or change its chemical composition, it's possible SLS could become toxic 4 Ultimately though, when adequately formulated and qualified, SLS is safe and not dangerous
How is SLS made?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it's created by: Combining sulfur trioxide with plant or petroleum-based lauryl alcohol. That product forms hydrogen la uryl sulfate. Hydrogen lauryl sulfate is then neutralized with sodium carbonate to yield — sodium lauryl ...
What is sodium lauryl sulfate used for?
How Is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate Used In Toothpaste. One of the most common products SLS can be found in is toothpaste. It not only helps remove food debris and particles, but it allows for your toothpaste to create the foam that forms as you brush, according to Chemical Safety Facts.
What is SLS in texting?
SLS. It's not a distress call at sea. Nor is it an abbreviation your kids use while texting their friends. Nope. It's sodium lauryl sulfate and it's in many things you use every single day. From cleaners to cosmetics to toothpaste — it's a very common ingredient used to create foam for deeper cleaning. Have you ever wondered why you have ...
Is sodium lauryl sulfate a surfactant?
Here's a little breakdown of sodium lauryl sulfate and its connection to toothpaste. SLS is a cleaning agent and surfactant found in many consumer products, according to Chemical Safety Facts. Because of it's cleaning power, SLS is prevalent in toothpaste. It not only cleans but also helps remove food debris stuck in your mouth and teeth.
Is SLS a carcinogen?
And the American Cancer Society does not include SLS as a known carcinogen.
Is sodium lauryl sulfate natural or synthetic?
What's really interesting is that it can be made naturally or synthetically. Thus, it can be found in both synthetic and natural products.
How is SLS made?
Getting back to chemistry, SLS is synthesized in the lab by treating lauryl alcohol with sulfur trioxide gas or chlorosulfuric acid. Lauryl alcohol can come from petroleum, but it can also come from coconut oil.
Why do they put ethylene oxide in SLES?
To make SLES less irritating, manufacturers put it through a process called “ethoxylation.” (That’s why the “eth” in the name-any name that has “eth” has likely been ethoxylated.) Essentially, this means that they add ethylene oxide to the mixture to modify the chemical compound.
What is sodium lauryl sulfate?
To put it simply, sodium lauryl sulfate and similar chemicals are surfactants-cleaning ingredients. If you want to get chemical about it, they’re the result of mixing lauryl alcohol with sulfuric acid, and then adding sodium carbonate.
Does sodium lauryl sulfate cause hair follicle damage?
They also said that the detergent tended to deposit heavily on the surface of hair follicles, and that, “damage to the hair follicle could result from such deposition.”.
Is sodium lauryl sulfate a good cleaning product?
The difference is in how they’re processed. Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a good cleaning product, but is a skin irritant. It can cause damage to the skin barrier /outer layer of skin by disrupting the function of skin proteins and causing itchy, cracked, and dry skin.
How to find the best personal care products?
The key is not to think you have to become an expert at every chemical ever used in personal care products. Instead, find brands you trust. Find brands that have been conscious about safety from the beginning. Find brands that believe in using real natural ingredients that support skin barrier repair and protection. Buy from them, and forget about it!
Is SLS safe for skin?
The researchers concluded that SLS “appears to be safe in formulations designed for dis continuous, brief use followed by thorough rinsing from the surface of the skin. In products intended for prolonged contact with skin, concentrations should not exceed 1 percent.”.
Who should avoid SLS?
Sensitive skin groups who have experienced skin irritation from surfactants or other chemicals from soaps and detergents may want to avoid SLS, and opt for a more mild alternative. While it is possible for sodium lauryl sulfate to irritate skin, it is also very unusual.
Why is SLS controversial?
So whether it's from petroleum or from plants, SLS has become a controversial ingredient in home and personal products mostly due to supply chain issues and where it’s sourced.
What is sodium laureth sulfate?
Sodium laureth sulfate (or sodium laureth ether sulfate) is also a surfactant used in many cleaning, laundry, and beauty products. It’s parent chemical is SLS. Through the process of ethoxylation, SLS becomes SLES, which is actually a less potent and less harsh chemical than SLS.
What is SLS made of?
Some SLS is made from petroleum, but most green or eco companies use a plant-derived sodium lauryl sulfate. And, in fact, plant-based sodium lauryl sulfate is not priced that differently than a petroleum-based SLS. So they are relatively the same costs, and chemically (and performance-wise) are exactly alike.
What generation is SLS?
Seventh Generation also has scientific data on the use of SLS in its products and will send documentation to anyone who asks for it. Request a copy here.
Is sodium lauryl sulfate an anionic surfactant?
Clem Choy: Sodium lauryl sulfate is an anionic surfactant, which means it is negatively charged and great at removing oily substances as it is a foaming agent, hence why they’re found in cleaning and laundry products. It is very versatile, very inexpensive, and can be derived from plants.
Can SLS cause skin irritation?
While rare, it is possible for SLS to irritate the skin. Most people have no problem with SLS. Think about how many times you wash your hands during the day or the kind of dish soap you use; chances are SLS is in there and doesn’t cause any issues. Should you experience some irritation, look for more milder, SLS-free product options.
What products are SLS free?
According to Mother Nature Network, a related product known as sodium coco sulfate, which is also a coconut derivative, may be less irritating than SLS or SLES.
What is SLS in shampoo?
Sodium lauryl sulfate allows shampoos and other body products to foam. A common ingredient in personal care products, sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS, is an additive that allows cleansing products to foam. According to the Environmental Working Group's Skin Deep Cosmetic Safety Database, SLS is a "moderate hazard" that has been linked to cancer, ...
What is SLS in aquarex?
SLS may also be listed as sodium dodecyl sulfate, sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester, sodium salt, sodium salt sulfuric acid, sodium dodecyl sulfate, aquarex me or aquarex methyl, reports the EWG.
Which is more irritating, SLS or SLES?
Related chemicals include sodium laureth sulfate , or SLES, which has a higher foaming ability and is slightly less irritating than SLS, according to Mercola.com. Ammonium lauryl sulfate, or ALS, is similar to SLS and poses similar risks.
Does SLS accumulate over time?
However, studies involving the long-term cumulative effects of continued SLS exposure are lacking. Since your body lacks the enzymes needed to break down certain chemicals, allowing them to accumulate over time, consumer advocacy groups such as the EWG advise using SLS-containing products with caution. Advertisement.
Who is the author of sodium lauryl sulfate?
Dangers of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. By Karen Eisenbraun. ABOUT THE AUTHOR. Karen Eisenbraun. Karen Eisenbraun has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Knox College and has been writing professionally since 2004. She is the content director for several health-related websites and a certified holistic nutrition consultant.
Can you feed SLS to animals?
According to Mercola.com, most studies conducted on SLS involve feeding pure SLS to animals or applying it directly to their eyes. Exposure of this sort is not ordinarily experienced through normal cosmetic use. However, studies involving the long-term cumulative effects of continued SLS exposure are lacking.
What is SLS toothpaste?
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a common detergent used in toothpaste. It was featured in a famous Internet hoax nearly 20 years ago. Colgate toothpaste contains SLS, which was supposedly proven to cause cancer, but at least buying Colgate rather than Crest, manufactured by Procter & Gamble, didn’t support Satan—or so claimed another famous hoax that alleged that “a large portion of the profits of Procter and Gamble products goes to support the Satanic Church.”
Does Tom's toothpaste contain SLS?
At least some Tom’s Toothpaste formulations contain SLS; I just checked the ingredients online. It’s important to read the ingredient list.
Does SLS cause canker sores?
No wonder SLS might make canker sores worse. If you go back to the original American Cancer Society source debunking SLS as being cancer-causing, the response was that SLS is not a known carcinogen—it’s just a known irritant.
Does SLS dry out mucous membranes?
Agreed! SLS is known to dry out mucous membranes as it reduces saliva quantity. Another effect is then to decrease your salivary secretory IgA...which is your first line immune defense against bacteria entering your upper respiratory tract. Bad stuff. I avoid any toothpaste with it.
Does SLS affect mucus?
The researchers thought the SLS was adversely affecting the protective mucus layer that lines the mouth. You always have to be cautious about published abstracts, though. You should always make sure that researchers actually go on to publish their findings in a peer-reviewed medical journal.
Can you get SLS from eating chocolate?
I haven't noticed SLS in the toothpastes I used in a while, but I still get canker sores usually when eating too many sweets or acidic foods, including chocolate.
What is SLS in cleaning products?
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is a surfactant that can have a variety of uses, but in cleaning products, it is often used to break water tension and attract dirt and grime away from the material it is intended to clean. We use SLS that is derived from coconut or palm kernel oil from renewable carbon plant-derived materials.
How are SLS and SCS similar?
SLS and SCS are very similar ingredients. Both SLS and SCS contain the same sodium and the same sulfate - where they differ is SLS has a slightly shorter chemical chain length than SCS. What does that mean? Think of it like a chain of box cars on a train. SLS would be a train with 12 box cars, followed by an additional train with 14 box cars. SCS would have the same, a 12 box car train, followed by the 14 box car train just like SLS, but then an additional 16 car train follows. Therefore, SCS contains SLS within it, and then a little more.
How many cars are in a SLS train?
Think of it like a chain of box cars on a train. SLS would be a train with 12 box cars, followed by an additional train with 14 box cars. SCS would have the same, a 12 box car train, followed by the 14 box car train just like SLS, but then an additional 16 car train follows.
Is sodium lauryl sulfate safe?
There’s been a lot of discussion lately about sodium lauryl sulfate, aka SLS, and it’s use in home cleaning and personal care products. Here at Seventh Generation, we stand behind rigorous scientific research that supports that it is a safe and effective ingredient to use in home cleaning products. Here’s why: