Sodium Lauryl Sulphate

I've heard so much about it. I received email 3 years ago from a good friend telling me of its dangers and that it can cause cancer. I've heard about it from a close relative who knows of a friend selling products free of sodium lauryl sulphate (SLS) but that cost a bomb. Is it really true? Or is it a hoax?

If you go through the list of ingredients in your shampoos and shower gels, you'll probably find it sodium lauryl sulphate as one of the ingredients. It is also found in toothpastes.

I'm not a chemist. I studied Chemistry but my knowledge of SLS is nil. What I know is what I've found out from books and the internet. The books I have read say nothing negative about SLS. Only that it is a detergent. It can cause dermatitis in sensitive skins.

What I've found on the internet is far more interesting.

According to the website of the Malaysian Dental Association it is a detergent and has foaming properties. 'It inhibits the growth of many Gram-positive bacteria while being ineffective against most Gram-negative strains'. The site states that it is not carcinogenic according to the International Agency for Research in Cancer, until enough studies can prove otherwise.

There is a really interesting discussion on SLS where some really scared individuals talk about all sorts of dangers of SLS. If even half of these are true, then why is it so widely used, even by reputable companies? Those that say SLS is harmless say the SLS scare is due to a brilliant marketing ploy by a company, Neways, that happens to be selling products that are free of SLS at high prices.

There may be some truth in the SLS scare. Friends of the Earth has an article on cleaners.

This is a summary of What greenfeet has to say aboutSodium Lauryl Sulfate. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is a wetting agent. Its possible side effects include eye irritation, scalp irritation, swelling of hands, feet and mouth. The biggest problem is that SLS reacts with the detergent triethanolamine to form nitrosamines which can cause cancer. There lies the danger. Not so much in SLS itself as what could happen when it interacts with other chemicals in the product.

Personally, I would rather be safe than sorry. Bathing with soap instead of shower gels, using products free of SLS as far as possible wouldn't hurt. I still use toothpaste with SLS and some of my favourite products contain SLS. I just use less of it than I used to.

Using soaps instead of detergents would be better for your skin anyway. The soap making technology has improved and the hand made soap today are gentler than they used to be.