Sodium Lauryl Sulfate - SLS

The bad news about a cleaning agent call SLS - sodium lauryl sulfate has been circulated in email since in the 90s, then again another bad news about its cousin SLES - sodium laureth sulfate.

What is SLS

Sodium lauryl sulfate is a salt from the sulfonification of fatty acid (lauric acid). It is a strong cleaning agent. It usually in almost 100% solid form. Because its active almost 100%, so very little is used in most toiletry formulation like toothpaste and men's shaving foam, and some others shampoo, to act as foam boaster and cleaning agent.

What is SLES

Because SLS is quite an irritant, then the manufacturers produce another version which is claimed to be less irritating, so they ethoxylated SLS to become SLES, which is usually 70% active, since it is 30% less active compare to SLS, therefore less foam, and less irritating?But the shampoo makers have to pay more and use more to compromise. Therefore, consumers pay more for it.

Now,the surfactant companies say SLES is irritant too, then they come out another so call mild surfactant, and it is around 30% active, and for that 30% active, which is much expensive!!!

Can you see chronological of such controversy? Another hidden agenda we might not see is the patent expired. Once the patent expire everyone can produce it, so there will be a price war, so in order to suppress less technology countries to produce it, so the big multi company sabotage the expired patent version.

Following are the scary bad news you can find in internet:-

1) Strong irritant

2) Eyes irritant

3) Hormone imbalance

4) Carcinogenic

In respond to 1 and 2, because something is irritating therefore bad? Tiny drop of your kitchen vinegar will irritant your nose and eyes, yet some beauty book recommend to rinse your hair for extra shine. Another very irritating kitchen product, salt - our grand ma told us to cure mouth ulcer.

3) Hormone imbalance?? Some of the essential oil like lavender, which commonly found in shampoo and cream, known to cause hormone imbalance, it will cause young boy grow breast!!

Source: Lavender and tea tree oil may cause boy to grow breast

Lavender make boy grow "man boobs"


4) Carcinogen - most scary impact. SLS in toothpaste and shaving foam has been using many years around the globe. How many people got mouth cancer or facial cancer for that matters?