Sodium laureth sulfate also appears on labels under the names sodium lauryl ether sulfate, sodium lauryl ether sulphate, sodium polyoxyethylene dodecylsulfate, SLES, and sodium lauryl sulphate. Given that the list of ingredients on personal care products, such as shampoo, is nearly impenetrable without a degree in organic chemistry, learning to identify safe chemicals helps you make good decisions for your family.
Uses
Sodium laureth sulfate is a surfactant, a substance that reduces the surface tension in a liquid. Without surfactants, water would bead up on the surface of items you were trying to clean. Toothpaste, shampoo and other personal care products that form lather all contain either sodium laureth sulfate or its chemical cousin, sodium laurel sulfate. The concentration of these chemicals in such products ranges from 1 to 50 percent by volume.
Minor Skin Irritant
The final report on the safety of sodium laurel sulfate appeared in the "International Journal of Toxicology" and the "Journal of the American College of Toxicology" in 1983. Researchers daubed the skin of rabbits with various concentrations of sodium laureth sulfate and reexamined the animals after they had been in continuous contact with the chemical for 24- and 48-hour periods. No irritation was shown when a 5.6 percent sodium laureth sulfate was used. Mild redness occurred at high concentrations.
This study concluded that sodium laureth sulfate is not likely to be irritating as long as you rinse your skin after using it.
Additional Research
The potential for sodium laureth sulfate to cause irritation was reexamined by Cosmetic Ingredient Review scientists who published their findings in 2010 in the "International Journal of Toxicology." Cosmetic Ingredient Review is a group of scientists who study the safety of ingredients used in cosmetics and publish their findings in peer-reviewed scientific journals. The researchers noted that sodium laureth sulfate and its chemical cousins "have not evoked adverse responses in any toxicological testing." They concluded that products with sodium laureth sulfate "are not regularly seen to be irritating because of the formulations in which they are used."
Related Chemicals
Sodium laurel sulfate is almost identical to sodium laureth sulfate. These two compounds often are used interchangeably. Many personal care products contain both chemicals. The FDA certifies that sodium laurel sulfate is "generally recognized as safe." This GRAS certification also applies to the use of sodium laurel sulfate in various foods, such as marshmallows and egg whites.
References
- "International Journal of Toxicology"; Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Laureth Sulfate; American College of Toxicology; 1983
- Melaleuca; The Truth Behind Ingredient Myths; 2003,
- "International Journal of Toxicology"; Final Report of the Amended Safety Assessment of Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Related Salts of Sulfated Ethoxylated Alcohols; V. C Robinson, et al.; July 2010
- FDA: Listing of Food Additive Status Part II
- "Journal of the American College of Toxicology"; Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Laureth Sulfate; 1983
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