Are Sulfates in Shampoo and Skincare Products Dangerous?
You may have noticed a ‘sulfate-free’ or ‘SLS free’ label printed on
shampoos and other personal care items sold in stores, and you may have
even heard that you should buy sulfate-free products, but is it actually
true? The short answer is “It depends”, and sulfates can, in fact, be
harmful to some people, and they definitely have their drawbacks. In
this article, we’ll explain what sulfates do, which products contain
them and who should avoid sulfates in personal care items.
What are Sulfates?
Sulfates are a group of synthetic, vegetable or petroleum-based
compounds that are added to many cosmetics as cleansing agents. Products
like shampoo, hair dyes, bath bombs facial cleansers, body wash, hand
soap, and even toothpaste contain sulfates.
Apart from being used in cosmetics, sulfates are also a common
ingredient in dish soap and other cleaners. Over 60% of all toothpastes
and over 70% of body wash, soaps, and shampoos contain these detergents,
making sulfates the most popular detergent used in personal care
products, so the average consumer is very likely to be exposed to these
compounds on a regular basis.
In fact, if you were to pick up your hand soap, toothpaste or shampoo
right now and look at its ingredient list, you’d very likely find some
kind of sulfate in it. The most popular sulfates include sodium lauryl
sulfate (SLS), ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS), and sodium laureth sulfate
(SLES), though others exist as well.
What these products do in all of these personal care items and cleaners
is simple: when they come in contact with water, they foam up, and the
resultant foam helps clean and dissolve all the dirt and oil that built
up on the skin, hair or teeth throughout the day. Detergents are
necessary in any products that are supposed to clean your body, and
sulfates are the most effective and among the cheapest known agents that
can do so.
Why do Sulfates have such a bad reputation?
Several claims regarding the safety of sulfates for human health and the
environment have been made, some of which are true, while others have
been proven to be false.
By far the main known problem of sulfates in personal care formulations
is linked to their effectiveness. As we mentioned above, sulfates are by
far the most powerful detergents used in personal care products, so
powerful, in fact, that people with compromised or sensitive skin, hair,
and mouths often experience irritation, dryness and worsening of
certain symptoms when they’re using sulfates.
For one, sulfates have been known to worsen or cause mouth sores,
promote skin dryness and eczema flareups, as well as cause a dry and
itchy scalp or brittle, dry hair. This is mainly because sulfates are so
effective at degreasing the hair and skin that they are essentially
stripping the surface of its natural moisture and drying it out.
Apart from causing dryness, sulfates are also known to irritate the skin
for many people, particularly the more delicate skin of the face. While
most people who are not suffering from dry skin conditions, such as
eczema or psoriasis, can tolerate sulfates on the body, many people find
that using face washes that contain sulfates causes redness and can
even cause acne.
Pimples around the perimeter of the hairline or perioral dermatitis
(sores and pimples around the mouth) are also a common side effect of
using shampoos and toothpastes containing sulfates.
There has also been much speculation regarding the carcinogenicity and
adverse environmental effects of sulfates, and as a result, studies have
been conducted to research the possible issue. The studies suggest that
sulfates have no observed carcinogenic or toxic effect on humans,
they're completely biodegradable and don’t pose a danger to aquatic life
and the environment.
Who should avoid sulfates?
While sulfates are considered safe for use in products, which is why they keep showing up in personal care products and weren't banned from use in cosmetics to begin with, they may not be the best choice for certain people, as they can irritate and sensitize the hair, skin, eye area and mouth.
The following people would probably benefit from avoiding sulfates in
personal care products:
People with skin or scalp conditions may experience the exacerbation of
their symptoms after using body care, hair care or skin care products
containing sulfates. Sulfates may dry out the skin and scalp even
further, causing redness, itching, flaking and cracking of the skin. The
only exceptions are people with extremely oily scalps and dandruff, who
may actually benefit from sulfate shampoos.
People with sensitive skin, too, should be careful with products
containing sulfates, as they are more prone to developing dermatitis,
redness, and acne from products containing sulfates.
People with dry or damaged hair typically don’t like sulfate-containing
shampoos because they further dry out their hair, promoting other
issues, such as frizz or split ends. This includes people who have dyed
their hair multiple times or those who heat style their hair constantly.
Even if you choose to use sulfates, make sure to always rinse out the
shampoo or any other product containing the sulfate thoroughly, as not
doing so may cause irritation.
The Bottom Line
Sulfates are surfactant detergents used in most personal care items, as well as some dish detergents and other cleaning products. The concentration of sulfates in personal care products varies between 1% in facial washes to 20% and more in certain shampoos.
Although sulfates are safe to use overall and are not a threat to human
health, they may be too harsh to use for people with sensitive or dry
skin or scalp and can exacerbate certain skin and scalp conditions.
Sulfate-free alternatives are widely available, and people who
experience the drying or sensitizing effects of these cleansing agents
can opt for those.