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Dr Joel Wallach, DVM ND

Thursday, May 19, 2011

FDA Doesn’t Regulate Shampoos & Conditioners – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Part 1 of Series: FDA Doesn’t Regulate Shampoos & Conditioners – Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

It’s surprising, isn’t it? Most people assume the FDA is watching over the ingredients in the products we put on our skin. Read on and you’ll see why that assumption doesn’t hold up.

As a pharmacist, I’m launching a series of posts to highlight some of the unsettling facts about the ingredients found in everyday personal‑care products. Think about this: drug manufacturers now create more and more medications designed to be absorbed through the skin. If the skin can absorb beneficial medications, it can also absorb harmful chemicals. That alone should make us take a closer look at what we’re putting on our bodies. After watching the special report from Fox News, the concerns become even more obvious.

Each post in this series will focus on a different ingredient. When I began studying how nutrition affects health, I quickly discovered how little oversight exists in the personal‑care industry. One of the biggest shocks was learning that the FDA does not regulate most cosmetics and personal‑care products. Many of us assumed they were monitoring these items for toxins and harmful ingredients, but they were never given the authority to do so.

Since 1894, this industry has essentially regulated itself through an organization originally called the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association—now known as the Personal Care Products Council. It represents more than 600 manufacturers and distributors. In other words, the companies producing these products are the same ones responsible for “voluntary regulation.” It’s not hard to see the problem with that arrangement.

Even more alarming is the fact that other regions—such as the EU, Canada, and Japan—have far stricter safety standards and ban many more chemicals than the United States. It leaves consumers here feeling like test subjects.

So what should you watch for in your shampoos, conditioners, lotions, and other products? There are resources available to help you evaluate safety, and one ingredient worth examining closely is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is commonly used to create the lather in shampoos and soaps. It’s also used as a degreasing agent in car washes and garages. Because it enhances penetration, it can help other ingredients—including potentially harmful ones—enter the bloodstream. According to the Environmental Working Group (EWG), research has linked SLS to:

  • Skin and eye irritation
  • Developmental and reproductive toxicity
  • Endocrine disruption
  • Ecotoxicological, biochemical, or cellular changes
  • Neurotoxicity
  • Possible mutations and cancer

The EWG’s PubMed library contains more than 15,000 studies documenting concerns related to SLS. You can explore them at www.ewg.org.

SLS also appears under many different names, including sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium laurel sulfate, sodium dodecylsulfate, sulfuric acid, sodium salt sulfuric acid, A12‑00356, Akyposal SDS, Aquarex ME, and Aquarex methyl. Check your labels carefully.

Remember, your skin is not a protective barrier against these chemicals. Medical patches have proven for years that substances applied to the skin can enter the body. In some cases, the toxins in your shampoo or conditioner may be more harmful than what’s in your food.

Keith Abell, RPh MI

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