What about Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Sodium Laureth Sulfate and things like that?
This is a very controversial area. Some people are trying to avoid Sodium Lauryl Sulfate and similar surfactants (sudsing agents) because they’ve been told these are harmful chemicals that can cause a whole host of health problems. There are a lot of urban legends floating around about what these chemicals can do to you (everything from causing cancer to kidney damage). Most of these rumors are not based on any scientific fact. First of all, you should know what Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is. It is a foaming agent used in shampoos, detergents, toothpastes, etc. It is naturally derived from coconut oil (a natural ingredient). You will find it and its derivatives on ingredients labels under many different names. Pure lauryl sulfate is a coarse powder, and a very good detergent. All soaps and detergents can irritate the eyes, and coarse powders can irritate the skin. Therefore, rubbing pure lauryl sulfate on your skin would not be a good idea. In its pure form, it is an irritant. However, sodi
