What’s in Your Soap? SLS Edition
SLS, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, gets a bad wrap, and mainly for some good reasons! But are all SLS’s bad? What are they and why do we even use them? Let’s break it down.
SLS is a surfactant. That just means it’s a detergent or foaming agent, which is needed to clean things! Surfactants are also used as emulsifiers. When you have a product that contains oils and water, an emulsifier is needed to keep them from separating. All of your creams and lotions will have an emulsifier. Things like dish soap, shampoo and body wash will also use emulsifiers.
Not to be confusing but Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS), sodium lauryl sulfate (SLES), and sodium lauryl sulfoacetate (SLSa) sound like they are all similar ingredients, but SLS & SLES are not the same as SLSa and I think this is where people get confused. Let's talk specifically about SLS and SLES for a minute. SLS and SLES are both well documented, harsh, skin irritants that can irritate your eyes, skin, respiratory system, strip away natural oils, are linked to organ toxicity, hormone disruption, neurotoxicity & even cancer.
SLSa is actually derived from coconuts and palm oils. SLSa has larger molecules that don't penetrate the skin like SLS and SLEs making it a safer option for your skin, especially if you are using it on your face or have sensitive skin. One word of caution about SLSa, if you are using this as an ingredients, it is very, very fine and easily becomes airborne (with a POOF!) and it can irritate your lungs if you breath in the powder. It is recommended to wear a mask if you are working with it or any other fine powders that can easily become airborne.
Do you need SLSa if you don't use SLS or SLES? In soap, actually you don’t. You can make soap that foams and cleans easily with oils and lye. There are many more options to create body butters, creams, lotions, body wash and shampoo and more that do not require SLS, SLES or SLSA. When it comes to bath bombs and bath truffles though, SLSa really is the star of the show. You can opt not to use it here, but it is what gives you that luxurious fluffy, bubbly bath bomb. And I think it is important to note that a very little bit goes a very long way.
So, is SLSa a sulfate? No, its not. You will find SLSa in many sulfate free products like bath bombs & shampoo's. It is considered a very safe and non-irritating replacement for SLS or SLEs. Should you be worried when you see SLSa on an ingredient label? No, it is a common ingredient that has proven to be safe for use on the skin. SLSa is indicated for sensitive skin, but if you have a reaction, then please do discontinue use. Negative reactions to SLSa are rare, but, like all ingredients, they can occur.
At Halo Aynie’s Botanical, we choose not to include sulfates in our products. We do use SLSa in our bath bombs and truffles.
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