Sodium Lauryl Sulphate

[freeztar]

I've read mixed claims regarding this widely used chemical.

 

Some sources claim that it is cancerous, others claim that it is benign. Hopefully the collective group here can reach some sort of consensus either way. ;)

 

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate

[pamela]

we touched on this lightly in the cancer cure thread last week. I am of the thinking that it could very well be cancer causing as we are exposed to this on a daily basis.Being a key ingredient in shampoos and soap, our skin is subjected to it. I did notice an ad on TV today, stating that a new hair coloring product is free from sodium lauryl sulphate. This may be a trend as more studies are conducted

 

http://hypography.com/forums/medical-science/18879-cancer-causes.html

[freeztar]

Yeah, I got the idea for this thread subject from the cancer causes thread.

I felt that this subject deserves its own thread. ;)

 

I've also noticed products claiming no SLS.

 

When I was 19 (12 years ago) I was working at a local Health Food store. In my free time, I would pick a book from the shelves and read some of it. One of the books was focused on common cancer agents. It listed many chemicals that are commonly used in both food and cosmetic items. For some reason, SLS stuck with me. The book (wish I could remember the title) made it out to be the worst chemical that people are regularly exposed to. For a few years after, I avoided it like the plague, carefully reading every label to make sure that the product did not contain SLS.

 

Then, one day while researching, I found other claims that suggested no ill effects from SLS. Ever since then, I've taken the default position of skepticism. I'm hoping that someone knows of some recent research that can lay these claims to rest, one way or another.

[pamela]

there are primarily two that are being used as a surfactant, these are sodium lauryl sulphate and sodium laureth sulphate

 

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) or sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS or NaDS) (C12H25SO4Na) is an anionic surfactant that is used in industrial products including engine degreasers, floor cleaners, and car wash soaps; as well as in household products such as toothpastes, shampoos, shaving foams, some dissolvable aspirins, fiber therapy caplets, and bubble baths for its thickening effect and its ability to create a lather

Sodium laureth sulfate, or sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), is a detergent and surfactant found in many personal care products (soaps, shampoos, toothpaste etc.). It is an inexpensive and very effective foaming agent made by mixing sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester, and sodium salt.

 

Its chemical formula is CH3(CH2)10CH2(OCH2CH2)nOSO3Na. Sometimes the number represented by "n" is specified in the name, for example laureth-2 sulfate. The commercial product is heterogeneous, both in the length of the alkyl chain (12 being the mode of the number of carbon atoms), and in the number of ethoxyl groups, where n is the mean. n=3 is common in commercial products. SLES can be derived from ethoxylation of dodecyl alcohol used to make SDS.

 

Sodium lauryl sulfate (also known as sodium dodecyl sulfate or SLS) and ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) are commonly used alternatives to SLES in consumer products.

I went to the store today and looked at the ingredients listed on all shampoos and body washes. The most common was SLS and i only found one brand that used the ammonium lauryl sulphate. I have searched extensively on the web attempting to find some new information, but have not as of yet. Although there are many all natural websites that give the horrors, but insufficient supporting data. I will continue to explore and see what i can find. In the meantime, i will go to my local health food store and purchase what is available. I am curious to see what, if any, effect it has on my hair and skin when eliminating the SLE. No way to know about its carcinogenic value, but it may determine healthier skin and hair.

Sodium laureth sulfate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Sodium lauryl sulfate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[Moontanman]

I am highly allergic to SLS, it breaks out my scalp and skin badly I avoid it when ever possible.

[pamela]

from moon

I am highly allergic to SLS, it breaks out my scalp and skin badly I avoid it when ever possible.

must be an expensive alternative-

It strips the oils from the skin, what do you mean by breaking out? and specifically, what is your allergic response or is it a reactionary response and not a true allergy?

[Moontanman]

must be an expensive alternative-

It strips the oils from the skin, what do you mean by breaking out? and specifically, what is your allergic response or is it a reactionary response and not a true allergy?

 

Not expensive at all I simply use Ivory bar soap, the effects of SLS is worse on my scalp, it causes sores and extremely large flakes of skin to come off my scalp. It also effects my pubic area as a rash and eventually becomes raw if I continue to use it. Tide detergent also causes the same effect. Ivory soap doesn't bother me at all but it's less than ideal as a shampoo.

[pamela]

hmmn sounds like it could be contact dermatitis

Unfortunately TIDE does not list what type of surfactant is used, but i would surmise it is SLES or SLS.

I did not check out bar soap but i do know that Ivory shampoo contained the offender. Be careful with your household cleaning products as well, you might want to consider gloves

[Moontanman]

Most bar soaps contain SLS or something similar but Ivory is just soap, no scents or anything else added. I've never noticed any hand problems mostly just my scalp and pubic area, under arms. tide is a very bad offender as is Irish Spring bar soap. It has been a long time since I had a problem because I use only Ivory soap. some shampoos seem to be worse than others possibly scent agents make it worse.

[pamela]

posted by me

I am curious to see what, if any, effect it has on my hair and skin when eliminating the SLS. No way to know about its carcinogenic value, but it may determine healthier skin and hair.

well, it's been a little over 3 weeks now since i abandoned the SLS products. I have been using liquid castille soap for hair, body and face. Well, my hair has gone dread;), actually really curly and thick now as opposed to fine and strait. My skin is balanced, usually dry this time of year and requires lotion, but not now after eliminating the offending agent. I have even been using it on my face to the horror of most women my age, but again, no lotion or moisturizer needed. ( even those wrinkles are not as pronounced:D)

My assessment? the active ingredient used to scrape the sludge off your garage floor should not be used on your person. It strips the oils from your hair and body. I haven't found any new info yet on carcinogenic factor, but will keep on looking

[Essay]

Pamela, I hope I'm not too late, but please don't continue to use the castile soap on your hair. It is a very harsh soap that is (imho) slowly damaging your hair. The damage manifests itself as that curling that you describe, I think.

 

I shouldn't rush in with all these proclamations, but let me say that I've been making my own shampoo for about 15 years now, and have studied hair and hair care from a biochemist's point of view (finally using my degree!); so I have a philosophy and many opinions on this subject.

 

...and as for carcinogenesis, c'mon.... SLS is about as dangerous as aspirin....

Acetyl salicylic acid is a chemical name that sounds dangerous, but it's just aspirin.

Sodium laurel sulfate is the chemical name for shampoo-a mild detergent.

Potassium oleate is the chemical name for castile soap (I think); but whatever the fatty acid--oleic, lauric, linoic, or linoleic--it is still a soap! You're washing your hair with soap, not shampoo! And some manufacturers use tallow, coconut, or olive oils to make castile soap also; so watch out, don't get potassium tallowate!

Castile soap is liquid because it uses a potassium salt instead of a sodium salt-as shampoos and regular soaps do, but it is still soap even though it's liquid.

 

...this is from a google search about making castile soap:

"Your liquid castile soap recipe will include vegetable oil and potassium hydroxide, and the usual fragrance and essential oils."

 

Potassium hydroxide is like drain cleaner! Don't get any onya!

Well I'm just being silly. They use drain cleaner to make all the soaps and shampoos and detergents; so that's no big deal either. It just sounds scary because it's chemistry, and the basic ingredients can be dangerous.

 

But drain cleaner and vegetable oils (or tallow) and salts (either potassium or sodium) are not gonna be carcinogenic--even if you mix them together to make shampoo.

 

So don't avoid the SLS shampoos because you think they might be carcinogenic.

I'd worry about all the frickin' additives that they put in shampoos to make them magically new and improved.

That complex crap is carcinogenic (more than likely) and can cause all sorts of skin reactions, so that's a good reason to find a good simple shampoo.

 

Just try and find a shampoo without added "protein" and you'll be on the right track.

Try to keep it to simple or natural ingredients that you understand (and you understand SLS now) so SLS shampoos should be on a list of acceptible options.

===

 

I could go on for hours about the physics and biomechanics of hair care and hair washing, but I'll save that for later.

You may (for a brief time) like the look of that fuller, wavy hair; but I bet it doesn't feel right, and that it gets dirty and tangled more easily than before. Am I right?

 

~ :)

 

p.s. It sounds as if you have a nice neutral castile soap with lots of essential oils, and maybe more. That is fine for the skin; but please reconsider the castile decision for your hair. It's going to continue getting more "curly and thick" until it starts breaking more easily--leading to other problems. "IMHO"

 

Ultimately I think it's the additives, not the cleansing agent that can be problematic.

[freeztar]

Essay, I have to question a few things.

 

Acetyl salisylic acid is a chemical name that sounds dangerous, but it's just aspirin.

Sodium laurel sulfate is the chemical name for shampoo-a mild detergent.

 

I don't think there's a problem here with "scary chemical names".

 

It's not good enough, imho, to declare:

 

drain cleaner and vegetable oils (or tallow) and salts (either potassium or sodium) are not gonna be carcinogenic--even if you mix them together to make shampoo.

 

How do you know this? Can you provide a reference?

 

Ultimately I think it's the additives, not the cleansing agent that can be problematic.

From my understanding, some cosmetic additives have been proven to be carcinogenic. Can we really dismiss some or all of the cleansing agents from carcinogenic scrutiny?

[Essay]

I don't think there's a problem here with "scary chemical names".

Yes, I can't help but think that "Castile" just sounds so very benign when compared to Sodium Laurate. It's just an example of how I easily start ranting about "public perception of science" like the classic aspirin example, but as you say "here" that shouldn't be a problem.

===

 

"Lauric acid is a medium chain fatty acid which is abundant in coconut oil and is considered responsible for many of its health benefits...."

Coconut Oil - Healthiest on Earth

...and please don't think that I agree with the "healthiest" comment; this is just to show it is a vegetable oil....

...just to clarify that SLS, like castile soap, is a mixture of salt, vegitable oils, and (for the detergents) sulfate.

...so it's probably drain cleaner, vegetable oil, and sulfuric acid that are the basic ingredients....

===

 

But yes, as I said several times, "IMHO" based on (a degree in chemistry with a minor in biochemistry and) years of experience, I have developed a philosophy and many opinions on these matters.

 

I think you'll probably agree that separately, although some are dangerous--caustic, the basic ingredients haven't ever been associated with cancer. Now I agree that when mixed and reacted, products can rise to a new level--affecting things differently than the basic ingredients, but....

 

But we're not forming any cyclic or aromatic products here (the kind that often are associated with cancers), no DNA analogs or adducts, nor is any mixture with lots of free radicals formed. It's a simple, pure product, not unlike many of the natural chemicals formed by plants and animals (think saponin and lanolin maybe?). It's not gonna be absorbed through the skin--being a large molecule.

 

This isn't quite like trying to prove (or is it disprove?) a negative, but isn't there one scientific source about the (even suspected) carcinogenicity of SLS? I suppose I didn't check because to me it intuitively (see above) didn't seem like an actual possibility. Wiki doesn't mention anything... and you'd think if it was out there, somebody would have....

===

 

I should add that I've only had [castile] experience with Dr. Bronner's (for many years), so maybe other castile soaps are not as harsh, but any soap on the hair tends to dry, warp, and embrittle the hair, more than mild detergents (shampoos).

THOUGH....

As my myspace page has said for several years now:

I believe how you wash your hair is more important than what you wash it with.

...or words to that effect.

 

~ :)

[pamela]

thanks Essay, it is dr bronners that i have been using. I can purchase a good natural shampoo at the health store. Send me a pm if there is something that you could recommend.As far as my skin though, there is a notable difference as to being healthy and I don't feel that residue after using soaps or body washes. I have not made an assumption as to it being cancer causing or not. I just don't want to find out years from now, that it does. I would rather look to alternatives for a healthier body.There are just too many things on the market especially in food items, that are terrible for your health. I want to feel and look good as i age and try to avoid those things that may put me in an early grave