Q: Why is it said that SLS and many other man-made
chemical surfactants found in conventional shampoos are neither ideal or
safe for use in personal care products ?
A: Yes, you heard this correctly. According to
the Cosmetic Ingredients
Review (CIR), what you heard is exactly this. Read it
for yourself here:By the way, Sodium Lauryl
Sulfate is the stuff used in car washes, garage floor cleaners, engine
degreasers - and in about 90% of products that foam.
http://www.cir-safety.org/staff_files/alerts.pdf
it says: "Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate are irritants
in patch testing at concentrations of 2 percent and greater, and that
irritation increases with ingredient concentration. In some cosmetic
formulations, however, that irritant property is attenuated. The longer
these ingredients stay in contact with the skin, the greater the
likelihood of irritation, which may or may not be evident to the user.
Although Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is not carcinogenic in experimental
animals, it has been shown that it causes severe epidermal changes to the
area of the skin of mice to which it was applied. This study indicates a
need for tumor-enhancing activity assays.
Autoradiographic studies of rat skin treated with radiolabelled Sodium
Lauryl Sulfate found heavy deposition of the detergent on the skin surface
and in the hair follicles; damage to the hair follicle could result from
such deposition. Further, it has been reported that 1 percent and 5
percent Sodium Lauryl Sulfate produced significant number of comedones
when applied to the pinna of albino rabbits. These two problems - possible
hair loss and comedone formation - along with proven irritancy, should be
considered in the formulation of cosmetic products".
Make your own conclusion. Consider that
a conventional daily shampoo contains 15% to 20% SLS.
Our dish-washing detergent contains 30% to 40% SLS. |