Both Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) and its close relative Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) are chemicals heavily used in many cosmetics, personal care and skin-care products such as soaps, moisturiser, sunscreen cream, mouth wash, shave creams, shampoos, bubble baths, toothpastes and other products for cleaning applications like washing detergents, laundry detergents, carpet shampoos and stain remover. The difference in applications is that SLS is a more powerful surfactant (wetting agent) and detergent commonly used in both industrial cleaning products and, in lesser concentrations, personal care products.
The “foam up” effect we get from bubbles in our baths is the byproduct of both chemicals. Sure we love to have ”healthy shining hair” and “beautiful skin”, as promised by the giant manufacturers including Vo5, Palmolive, Paul Mitchell and L’Oreal, which use this SLES to make the products. Most people are not aware of its damage on the hair follicle and skin. There are many reports filed on eye irritation, scalp irritation, tangled hair, swelling of the hands, face and arms, and split fuzzy hair. This is nothing compared to dangers lurking behind….
Why is it so dangerous?
There are health claims that SLES found in our soaps is exactly the same as you would find in a car wash or even a garage, where it is used to degrease car engines. In the same way as it dissolves the grease on car engines, SLES also dissolves the oils on your skin, which can cause a drying effect. It is also well-documented that it denatures skin proteins, which causes not only irritation, but also allows environmental contaminants easier access to the lower sensitive layers of the skin.
Whilst SLES appears to be natural because it can be derived from coconut oil, it is the manufacturing process that warrants close examination. Ethoxylation is a process that uses ethylene oxide (a known carcinogen), to manufacture ‘milder’ surfactants like SLES, which may be contaminated with 1,4- Dioxane (dioxane) – an unwanted by product of the manufacturing process. Under Proposition 65, 1,4-dioxane is classified in the U.S. state of California to cause cancer. The FDA encourages manufacturers to remove 1,4-dioxane, though it is not required by federal law.
Exposure to large amounts of dioxane can cause kidney and liver damage as evidenced by accidental worker exposure resulting in adverse nervous system effects and several deaths. Two studies reported an increase in liver cancer of 50% and 64% in workers employed in workplaces where dioxane is present at tolerable limit. As SLES cannot be metabolised by the liver and its effects are therefore much longer-lasting, much more precious energy is used getting rid of it. In the worst scenario, liver toxicity can occur.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the presence of dioxane, even as a trace contaminant in all consumer products is cause for concern that requires close monitoring. Studies carried out have demonstrated that dioxane readily penetrates animal and human skin during use of contaminated shampoos and other personal care products. Other studies have indicated that SLES enters the skin and maintains residual levels in the vital organs like the heart, liver, lungs and brain.
Researchers are most worried that once SLES is being absorbed, it mimics the activity of the hormone oestrogen which is responsible for a variety of health problems such as menopausal symptoms in women and declining male fertility in men. High oestrogen levels are known to be associated with breast cancer as well. To-date, laboratory studies have shown that such exposure over a lifetime causes cancer in animals and similarly can cause cancer in humans.
Parents should be concerned about giving such products to their children. It seemed that even skin application leads to measurable concentrations in their eyes affecting the visual development. In experimental, acute eye tests, a solution of 10% SLES caused corneal damage to the eyes if not irrigated or irrigation was delayed. Extensive damage can be irreversible and permanent.
Why is this chemical still being used?
The answer is simple – it is CHEAP.
Other comments
+ Do not be taken in just because a product is labeled as “natural” is free from SLES. You will be surprised to see most common brands of “Natural” or “Herbal” shampoos and cleansers using harmful chemicals as their main active ingredient.
+ With the rate of contracting cancer going up, is time to examine what has gone terribly wrong lies in the amount of toxins we are sucking in each day without realising it. Scorecard, the internet’s most popular resource for information about pollution problems and toxic chemicals, lists dioxane as a recognised carcinogen affecting all major body organs.
+ Though most personal care products are used only for brief moments, the accumulative effects from daily use for most people can pose a real danger. Before more research and evidence are out, is wiser for health-conscious individuals not to use too many SLES products, especially on the younger ones.
Why is it so dangerous?
There are health claims that SLES found in our soaps is exactly the same as you would find in a car wash or even a garage, where it is used to degrease car engines. In the same way as it dissolves the grease on car engines, SLES also dissolves the oils on your skin, which can cause a drying effect. It is also well-documented that it denatures skin proteins, which causes not only irritation, but also allows environmental contaminants easier access to the lower sensitive layers of the skin.
Exposure to large amounts of dioxane can cause kidney and liver damage as evidenced by accidental worker exposure resulting in adverse nervous system effects and several deaths. Two studies reported an increase in liver cancer of 50% and 64% in workers employed in workplaces where dioxane is present at tolerable limit. As SLES cannot be metabolised by the liver and its effects are therefore much longer-lasting, much more precious energy is used getting rid of it. In the worst scenario, liver toxicity can occur.
According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, the presence of dioxane, even as a trace contaminant in all consumer products is cause for concern that requires close monitoring. Studies carried out have demonstrated that dioxane readily penetrates animal and human skin during use of contaminated shampoos and other personal care products. Other studies have indicated that SLES enters the skin and maintains residual levels in the vital organs like the heart, liver, lungs and brain.
Researchers are most worried that once SLES is being absorbed, it mimics the activity of the hormone oestrogen which is responsible for a variety of health problems such as menopausal symptoms in women and declining male fertility in men. High oestrogen levels are known to be associated with breast cancer as well. To-date, laboratory studies have shown that such exposure over a lifetime causes cancer in animals and similarly can cause cancer in humans.
Parents should be concerned about giving such products to their children. It seemed that even skin application leads to measurable concentrations in their eyes affecting the visual development. In experimental, acute eye tests, a solution of 10% SLES caused corneal damage to the eyes if not irrigated or irrigation was delayed. Extensive damage can be irreversible and permanent.
Why is this chemical still being used?
The answer is simple – it is CHEAP.
Other comments
+ Do not be taken in just because a product is labeled as “natural” is free from SLES. You will be surprised to see most common brands of “Natural” or “Herbal” shampoos and cleansers using harmful chemicals as their main active ingredient.
+ With the rate of contracting cancer going up, is time to examine what has gone terribly wrong lies in the amount of toxins we are sucking in each day without realising it. Scorecard, the internet’s most popular resource for information about pollution problems and toxic chemicals, lists dioxane as a recognised carcinogen affecting all major body organs.
+ Though most personal care products are used only for brief moments, the accumulative effects from daily use for most people can pose a real danger. Before more research and evidence are out, is wiser for health-conscious individuals not to use too many SLES products, especially on the younger ones.
Hot tips
To remove ring around the collar or spotty under the armpit area of the clothing, brush some shampoo, shaving cream or lotion on the dirty spot for about five minutes then wash off the stain.
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