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Sodium Lauryl Sulphate: SLS

Written By Admin
Dated: August 30, 2007

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Sodium Lauryl Sulphate: SLS

Sodium lauryl sulphate, or SLS, is a chemical agent with many practical applications. It is used as a degreaser for car engines, and is also an active ingredient in car washes. It causes the products in which it is used to “foam up” and lather, and dissolves grease and oil. SLS and its close cousin Sodium laureth sulphate (SLES), known as sufactants, are also used in toothpaste, shampoo, bubble baths, soaps, and many detergents, among other things.

SLS and SLES can cause scalp and skin irritations, dried out skin, irritated eyes, and swelling of the hands, face and arms among other irritations and skin problems, and can dry out and damage hair follicles. So why are these chemicals placed in things like shaving cream and mascara? The answer is that it is cheap and effective at doing what it is supposed to, and consumers rarely pay enough attention to what goes into their hair or onto their faces to object.

In addition to SLS and SLES, ammonium lauryl sulphates and ammonium laureth sulphates are used for the same purposes. These chemicals (known as ALS and ALES respectively) are prone to the same dangerous potential side effects such as irritation of the skin and eyes, damage to hair, and irritation to the digestive tract should they be swallowed.

Cosmetics and beauty supply companies put out information stating the safe and gentle nature of these chemicals, and will not readily admit that the chemicals that they expose us to on a daily basis could possibly present a danger to us. While it is possible that we overestimate the dangerous effects of these chemicals on our bodies, it is a fact that the absorbed ALS in our bodies mimics the hormone oestrogen. It does not seem like too much of a stretch to link these mimicked hormones in our bodies to PMS and menopause related issues as well as female cancers being on the rise, nor to dropping male fertility, all areas where oestrogen levels play an important role.

These chemical sufactants are exposed to us many times a day. The exposure begins when we brush our teeth and use mouthwash, follows us unto the shower in the forms of shampoos, soaps, and shaving cream, and then out again in the forms of skin creams, face creams, and sunscreen. We even keep the chemicals close to our skin all day as we wear clothing that has been washed in the chemicals.

The alternative to being exposed to these chemicals is a healthy dose of label reading and an adherence to natural, organic products that will not damage our skin or bodies. Follow this up with letters of protest to your former favorite brands, and we may eventually be able to enact a change for the better.