Sodium Lauryl Sulfate – SLS – Bad Bad Bad

 I like to say I abide by the “everything in moderation” approach. Knowing that in a modern day environment it would be impossible to avoid 100% of the toxins we are surrounded by. But after one of my last blogs on avoiding toxins I started to do a little more research on the products in my own bathroom. My husbands shampoo/conditioner,  body wash and face wash, my shampoo, body wash, toothpaste and face wash… all had Sodium Laureth Sulfate or Sodium Lauryl Sulfate as one of the top ingredients.  I don’t know about you, but there’s not much more to my repertoire of skin products and I wouldn’t call it moderation if all of them have a substance we should be avoiding.

“So why is a dangerous chemical like sodium lauryl sulfate used in our soaps and shampoos?

The answer is simple – it is cheap. The sodium lauryl sulfate 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, sodium lauryl sulfate 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.

Perhaps most worryingly, SLS is also absorbed into the body from skin application. Once it has been absorbed, one of the main effects of sodium lauryl sulfate is to mimic the activity of the hormone Oestrogen. This has many health implications and may be responsible for a variety of health problems from PMS and Menopausal symptoms to dropping male fertility and increasing female cancers such as breast cancer, where Oestrogen levels are known to be involved.” Natural Health Information Centre Link

Some say that Sodium Laureth Sulphate or SLES is the gentler version of SLS but read how it’s made below and it’ll make you think twice.

“Ethoxylation: Ethoxylation is the process that makes degreasing agents such as Sodium Lauryl Sulphate (SLS) less abrasive and gives them enhanced foaming properties. When SLS is ethoxylated, it forms Sodium Laureth Sulphate (SLES), a compound used in many shampoos, toothpastes, bath gels, bubble baths, and industrial degreasants. The problem is, the extremely harmful compound 1,4-dioxane may be created during the ethoxylation process, contaminating the product. 1,4-dioxane was one of the principal components of the chemical defoliant Agent Orange, used to great effect by the Americans during the Vietnam War to strip off the jungle canopy to reveal their enemy. 1,4-dioxane is a hormonal disrupter believed to be the chief agent implicated in the host of cancers suffered by Vietnam military personnel after the war. It is also an oestrogen mimic thought to increase the chances of breast cancer and endometrial cancer, stress related illnesses and lower sperm counts.

Studies on SLS have shown that: (Judi Vance, Beauty To Die For, Promotion Publishing, 1998)

1. “Shampoos with SLS could retard healing and keep children’s eyes from developing properly. Children under six years old are especially vulnerable to improper eye development. (Summary of Report of Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. conference.”
2. “Sodium Lauryl Sulphate can cause cataracts in adults and delays the healing of wounds in the surface of the cornea.”
3. “Sodium Lauryl Sulphate has a low molecular weight and so is easily absorbed by the body. It builds up in the heart, liver and brain and can cause major problems in these areas.”
4. “Sodium Lauryl Sulphate causes skin to flake and to separate and causes roughness on the skin.”
5. “Sodium Lauryl Sulphate causes dysfunction of the biological systems of the skin.”
6. “Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is such a caustic cleanser that it actually corrodes the hair follicle and impairs the ability to grow hair.”
7. “Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is routinely used in clinical studies deliberately to irritate the skin so that the effects of other substances can be tested.” (Study cited by the Wall St Journal, 1st November 1998)”

~Health Report Link

There are many other chemicals found in our bathroom products we should stay away from, but SLS is enough for me to make a change. We switched to Burts Bees this past weekend and I love it! My skin has never felt better- it is so soft! I am in love with their eye cream with Royal Jelly. I was seriously skeptical of switching shampoo and conditioner as I am a bit particular about my hair care products, but it is great! So, I use Burts Bees Shampoo, Conditioner, Body Wash, Face Wash, Hand and Body Lotion, Face and Eye Cream along with chap stick.  I also use Tom’s of Maine Deodorant which I am liking so far. Now, I just need to find a better make-up…

Any other good organic brands we should know about?