The Skinny on: Sodium Lauryl Sulphate

This is the first in a series of posts which are extracts from my 'The Skinny' newsletters over the years:

Sodium Lauryl Sulphate, or SLS as it’s commonly known, is a surfactant that began its career as an industrial degreaser. It has powerful wetting and foaming properties and is extremely cheap.

It’s availability and low price made it a popular choice for the personal care industry. It is now found in shampoos, body washes and toothpastes.

Recent research suggested that SLS is not as safe as manufacturers lead consumers to believe. Studies showed that due to its low molecular weight, it could be easily absorbed into the skin. Other studies suggested that it could build up in the heart, liver and brain and cause major problems in these organs. Also of concern was comments that SLS caused improper eye development in young children.

Companies such as Neways and Amway made the most of these claims and introduced products that were SLS free. Statements were made of the  dangers of SLS in our products.

I have yet to be convinced of any of these claims. Many of the studies used massive amounts of concentrated product to try to prove it was irritating and dangerous. Huge amounts of concentrated soap can be irritating and dangerous!

Nevertheless, I choose not to use SLS, or ALS (Ammonium Lauryl Sulphate) or any of their derivatives such as SLeS (Sodium Laureth Sulphate). These are cheap and harsh surfactants that I don’t believe are the best option for use in my products.

I use a variety of very gentle coconut and sugar based surfactants such as Cocobetaine, Polyglucose and Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate (SCI).

I also use other products to make the formula even more mild, such as Almond Glycerides and Glucose Cocoate.

Check the labels of even the highest price shampoos and you’ll find SLS is a major ingredient.

Why then is the product so expensive when the main ingredient is one of the cheapest available?

The answer is simple. The major brands have enormous marketing and advertising budgets that need endless funds. These advertising campaigns are simply to try to gain a larger market share. The actual ingredients make up the lowest cost in their production costs.

I keep my prices low because my margins are low.

My ingredients are the major component of my production costs, not packaging or advertising.

Read the label and choose the gentler alternatives.