Sodium Lauryl Sulphate

[Eviltree]

I've been doing some Googling on this stuff, and the results are somewhat scary,

Link

Studies on SLS have shown that:" (Judi Vance, Beauty To Die For, Promotion Publishing, 1998)

"Shampoos with SLS could retard healing and keep children's eyes from developing properly. Children under six years old are especially vulnerable to improper eye development. (Summary of Report of Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. conference."

"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate can cause cataracts in adults and delays the healing of wounds in the surface of the cornea."

"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate has a low molecular weight and so is easily absorbed by the body. It builds up in the heart, liver and brain and can cause major problems in these areas."

"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate causes skin to flake and to separate and causes roughness on the skin."

"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate causes dysfunction of the biological systems of the skin."

"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is such a caustic cleanser that it actually corrodes the hair follicle and impairs the ability to grow hair."

"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is routinely used in clinical studies deliberately to irritate the skin so that the effects of other substances can be tested." (Study cited by the Wall St Journal, 1st November 1998)


None of that sounds good. Anyone have any comments?

[shakran]

Look who published the study. Promotion Publishing. Think maybe they're trying to sell something? BTW, certain "organic" shampoos offered by the various pyramid marketing schemes out there don't have SLS, and they love to quote this study extensively to try to sell the stuff. Too bad it doesn't lather and therefore doesn't work.


Now let's look at what this study omitted. Two little words. "Prolonged exposure."

Unless you're in the habit of wandering around for 3 hours with suds in your hair, I don't think you have much to worry about. Prolonged exposure to just about anything can hurt you. We shoudl outlaw water because prolonged exposure causes wrinkling and reduced resistance to cuts. Prolonged exposure to the sun causes cancer, premature wrinkling, and dry, cracked, leathery skin. Doesn't mean the sun and the water are dangerous when you get normal exposure.

This is really nothing to worry about.

Oh, btw, these tests are done using SLS in its pure form, not mixed in with other stuff. BTW, ultra pure water can kill you. It's only the crap mixed into water (minerals, etc) that prevent you from getting sick from drinking it. So even if pure SLS is dangerous, mixing it with other crap can, and probably does, change its properties.

[irseg]

"Shampoos with SLS could retard healing and keep children's eyes from developing properly. Children under six years old are especially vulnerable to improper eye development. (Summary of Report of Research to Prevent Blindness, Inc. conference."

Is this if it's put directly into a child's eye? I can think of any number of chemicals that wouldn't be good, either.

"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate can cause cataracts in adults and delays the healing of wounds in the surface of the cornea."

Don't rub shampoo into your eyes, and you won't have a problem. Guess what? Drano is nasty stuff to eat. Fortunately, it isn't a food. Just like shampoo is not Visine.

"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate has a low molecular weight and so is easily absorbed by the body. It builds up in the heart, liver and brain and can cause major problems in these areas."

What kinds of "major problems"? Considering pretty much all shampoos contain SLS and most everyone uses them on a daily basis, I'm sure there are THOUSANDS of documented cases to back this up, right? And if it is so easily absorbed into the body, why would it not be flushed out just as easily?

"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate causes skin to flake and to separate and causes roughness on the skin."

Umm yeah, that's because it removes oils from your skin which dries it out. Why don't they just say "SLS causes dry skin"? Oh, because it's bullshit propaganda and it sounds a lot scarier the way they say it.

"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate causes dysfunction of the biological systems of the skin."

Your skin secretes oils, which SLS washes away. That's a sysfunction of it's biological system all right, just an utterly meaningless one.

"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is such a caustic cleanser that it actually corrodes the hair follicle and impairs the ability to grow hair."

I'm sure it is, in pure form. You wouldn't want to drink pure acetic acid, but in diluted form (a.k.a. "vinegar"), it's absolutely harmless.

"Sodium Lauryl Sulphate is routinely used in clinical studies deliberately to irritate the skin so that the effects of other substances can be tested." (Study cited by the Wall St Journal, 1st November 1998)

See above.

In summary, what a load of bullshit.

[VitaminH]

Originally posted by shakran
This is really nothing to worry about.

*Nods*

Believe it or not, in pharmacy school we've had to look at this stuff to. Cosmetics companies hire pharmacists for our ability to 'compound' things, and technically cosmetics all fit into one category of topical dosage form or another. There's a lot more than you think. With everything I've learned, it's safe, as shakran said as long as it's not prolonged exposure. You'd really be suprised by how many things you're exposed to on a daily basis are harmful with 'prolonged exposure'. SLS has been in shampoos for a long ass time with no adverse effects shown yet.

[Cynthetiq]

what prompted you to look for this substance?

All you mention is your alarmist look, but not how you stumbled across it and just how prevalent it really is, and neither does the website nor do I find corroborating evidence.

[tehblaed]

Apparently this company is using old-fashioned scare tactics to put out a study by a pseudo-research firm and make people buy their product, which obviously doesn't contain any SLS.

Crazy.

[irseg]

If you think SLS is bad, check this out!

www.dhmo.org

Speaking of SLS, I wouldn't mind having one of these.. which probably means I've had about enough to drink for tonight.

[MSD]

I'd be more worried about the study that found repeated application of pyrithione zinc can contribute to developing Alzheimers. I don't worry about that much, so this is way down below worrying about blowing up a gas station with my cell phone

[iamnormal]

What does Sodium Lauryl Sulphate do for you?