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Nutrition Hot Topics - Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate,
Propylene Glycol Misinformation vs. Scientific Findings
Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), and
propylene glycol (PG) are safe ingredients often used in shampoos, toothpaste and other personal care products. Sodium lauryl
sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate are mild cleansing agents. Propylene glycol helps retain moisture. Extensive clinical testing
and literally millions of applications by the public at large support a long history of safety and efficacy for these ingredients.
Consumers should note that tests or reports cited in literature touting the danger or harm of these ingredients are taken
out of context and do not reflect real life use. When safety studies are performed, for example, one facet of study is "exaggerated
use." This is a test in which compounds are concentrated at many times their strength as used in consumer products. While
exaggerated use tests are necessary to assess the safety parameters of the product, they are only one part of a comprehensive
safety study. Such singular studies do not indicate the actual-use safety of a product, and to cite such data is, at best,
misleading. Sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth sulfate do not cause hair loss, inflame lymph nodes, or cause cancer
or blindness in humans at the concentrations used in personal care products. Similarly, propylene glycol does not cause deafness
or tissue and bone degradation in humans. To the contrary, the scientific and clinical studies on these ingredients support
their safety and efficacy.Scientific Findings Supporting the safety of Sodium Laureth Sulfate, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Propylene
Glycol in Personal Care and Cosmetic ProductsThe safety of sodium laureth sulfate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and propylene glycol
is well-established in scientific literature and in use data contained in the files of personal care manufacturers. Perhaps
the most important findings are those contained in the reports of the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) on the safety of these
ingredients when incorporated into personal care products. These reports are published in the Journal of the American College
of Toxicology. The Expert Panel of the CIR, composed of eminent scientists and medical practitioners, reviewed all available
information on the safety testing conducted on these materials, as well as data on products containing these materials. Through
an open process of public hearings, modeled after the FDA's scientific review of the safety and effectiveness of over-the-counter
drugs, the Expert Panel of the CIR conducted a safety assessment for each of these ingredients. Based upon its review of this
information, they determined that these ingredients are safe as currently used in cosmetic and personal care products. Their
published conclusions are:"It is recognized that Sodium and Ammonium Laureth Sulfate may induce eye and skin irritation. However,
on the basis of available information, the Panel concludes that Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Ammonium Laureth Sulfate are safe
as presently used in cosmetic products." --Final Report on Safety Assessment of Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Ammonium Laureth
Sulfate, Journal of the American College of Toxicology, Volume 2, Number 5, 1983, pp. 127-181. "Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate appear to be safe in formulations designed for discontinuous, brief use followed by thorough rinsing
from the surface of the skin. In products intended for prolonged contact with skin, concentrations should not exceed 1%."
--Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate, Journal of the American College
of Toxicology, Volume 2, Number 7, 1983, pp. 1-34. "On the basis of the data included in this report, the CIR Panel concludes
that Propylene Glycol and Polypropylene Glycols are safe for use in cosmetic products at concentrations up to 50.0%. --Final
Report on the Safety Assessment of Propylene Glycol and Polypropylene Glycols, Journal of the American College of Toxicology,
Volume 13, Number 6, December, 1994, pp. 437-491. Important Note:The scientific conclusions take into account safety and toxicological
studies conducted on the raw materials at concentrations far exceeding actual use in personal care products, as well as at
concentrations appropriate for use in personal care products. Irritation levels were found at highly exaggerated use levels
or, at lower concentrations, if left unrinsed, for an extended period of time. Literature that poses the danger of Sodium
Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Propylene Glycol has been extracted out of context and conveys misleading and inaccurate
information. (This is true of the citations provided by one manufacturer, using such scare tactics, that referenced only the
toxicological findings of the CIR for exaggerated usage of the raw ingredient, and not the final conclusions, as cited above,
in actual product formulations. In fact, it is interesting to note that the substituted ingredient, Dodecylbenzene Sulfonic
Acid (DDBSA), used by this manufacturer for "safety" considerations, had no report for safety conducted to date by the Expert
Panel of the CIR.) SummaryThe use of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate and Propylene Glycol has been thoroughly
investigated by a panel of experts in the fields of toxicology and medicine. These experts have determined the conditions
under which many of the materials used in personal care and cosmetic products should be used. The personal care products manufactured
for and distributed by Shaklee comply with the recommendations of this expert panel. Therefore, despite the misleading information,
consumers can be assured that Shaklee's personal care and cosmetic products are safe when used according to label instructions.
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Information from Shaklee Sciences
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