WORLD JOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES

Tasneem et al. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

SJIF Impact Factor 7.421

Volume 7, Issue 5, 282-292 Review Article ISSN 2278 – 4357

HAZARDOUS EFFECTS OF SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE AND

SODIUM LAURETH SULFATE, AN OVERVIEW

Tasneem Ara*1, Ghulam Nabi Laway2, Abdul Samieh Deva3, Barina Deva3, Nitish
Bhatia4 and Rifat Arifa Khan1

1
Drug Testing Lab Dalgate Srinagar Kashmir 190001.
2
Scientist At Laway Orchads, Hawanad Chawalgam Kulgam Kashmir.
3
Deva Polyclinic Shirpora Anantnag Kashmir.
4
Khalsa College of Pharmacy, Amritsar, Punjab.

Article Received on ABSTRACT

27 Feb. 2018,
Surfactants or surface active agents are a special class of versatile
Revised on 20 March 2018,
Accepted on 09 April 2018, amphiphlic compounds that possess spatially distinct polar
DOI: 10.20959/wjpps20185-11456 (hydrophilic head) and non-polar (hydrophobic tail) group. Surfactants
play a vital role in various drug delivery. In order to formulate
*Corresponding Author formulations of substances that are poorly soluble in water,
Dr. Tasneem Ara
pharmaceutically acceptable surfactants are usually used to increase
Drug testing Lab Dalgate
solubility. They show interesting phenomenon in solution by
Srinagar Kashmir 190001.
modifying the interfacial and bulk solvent properties. In view of its
amphiphilic nature and distinctive capability of lowering the interfacial tension, surfactant
finds applications in almost every aspects of our daily life directly or otherwise in household
detergents and personal care products, in industrial process as in pharmaceuticals, food
processing, oil recovery and in nanotechnologies, etc. Detergents, a term often used
interchangeably with surfactants especially the anionic ones, refer to a combination of
synthetic surfactants with other substances - organic or inorganic formulated to enhance
functional performance specially as cleaning agents. Colloids and surface science have
emerged as a versatile interdisciplinary subject, which have made inroads, inter alia, into the
study of mimetic chemistry that play a vital role in understanding a variety of functions in the
living cells and also the intricate life processes. This article gives an insight into the potential
hazards of the so called anionic surfactants viz; sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium laureth
sulfate.

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KEYWORDS: Surfactants, sodium laurly sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, Anionic

surfactants.

INTRODUCTION: Surfactants are wetting agents that lower the surface tension of a liquid,
allowing easier spreading, and can also lower the interfacial tension between two liquids. The
term surfactant was coined by Antara Products in 1950.[1] Surfactants are usually organic
compounds that are amphipathic; as they contain both Surfactants form a unique class of
chemical compounds. The nature and physical properties of surfactants emphasize their
ability to radically alter surface and interfacial properties and to self-associate and solubilize
themselves in micelles. These properties provide the means to apply surfactants in wettability
modification, detergency, and the displacement of liquid phases through porous media on one
hand, and to stabilize dispersions (including foams, froths and emulsions), or to destabilize
dispersions (again including foams and emulsions) on the other hand. These in turn lead to a
vast array of practical application areas which are illustrated in terms of mineral and
petroleum processing, biological systems, health and personal care products, foods, and crop
protection. Hydrophobic groups ("tails") and hydrophilic groups ("heads"). Therefore, they
are soluble in both organic solvents and water. Surfactants are indicated by the presence of
both polar and non polar region. A surfactant molecule is formed by two parts with different
affinities for the solvents. One of them has affinity for water (polar solvents) and the other for
oil(non-polar solvents). A little quantity of surfactant molecules rests upon the water-air
interface and decreases the water surface tension value (the force per unit area needed to
make available surface). When water, oil and a surfactant are mixed, the surfactant rests at
the water-oil interface. These systems depending on their stability are called emulsions or
microemulsions (thermodynamically stable). Although, the properties for an emulsion and a
micro emulsion are different, both obey the same principle. They try to form enough interface
for preventing the polar non-polar solvent contact. In the field of pharmaceutical sciences, the
surfactants are used as emulsifiers, wetting agents, solubilizers etc. Those surfactants are
mostly derived from petroleum but some may be from natural fats or sugars.[2]

Surfactants play an important role as cleaning, wetting, dispersing, emulsifying, foaming and
anti-foaming agents in many practical applications and products, including:
Detergents
Fabric softeners
Emulsions

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Tasneem et al. World Journal of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences

Soaps
Paints
Adhesives
Inks
Anti-fogs
Ski waxes, snowboard wax
Deinking of recycled papers, in flotation, washing and enzymatic processes
Laxatives
Agrochemical formulations
o Herbicides (some)
o Insecticides
Biocides (sanitizers)
Cosmetics:
o Shampoos
o Hair conditioners (after shampoo)
o Toothpastes
Spermicides (nonoxynol-9)
Firefighting
Pipelines, liquid drag reducing agent
Alkali Surfactant Polymers (used to mobilize oil in oil wells)[3,6]
Ferrofluids
Leak Detectors
Natural Insecticide against flying insects such as Honey Bees
Plasticizer in Nanocellulose[3,9]

As sated, Surfactants are molecules that contain a hydrophilic or “water-loving” end, and a
hydrophobic, or “water-fearing”. Surfactants come in four different types: Anionic, nonionic,
cationic and amphoteric.

ANIONIC SURFACTANTS
They carry a negative charge when ionized. It provide a lot of the lather and detergency in the
shampoo. The most commonly used anionics are sodium laureth sulphate and sodium lauryl
sulphate. Anionic surfactants work best to remove dirt, clay, and some oily stains. These
surfactants work following ionization. When added to water, the anionic surfactants ionize

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and have a negative charge. The negatively charged surfactants bind to positively charged
particles like clay. Anionic surfactants are effective in removing particulate soils.[4] Nonionic
surfactants are particularly efficient at removing oily soils from synthetic fabrics but they are
not as efficient at removing particulate soils as anionic surfactants. In general, anionic
surfactants tend to generate higher foam levels than other classes of surfactants. Examples of
anionic surfactant groups include sulfonic acid salts, alcohol sulfates, alkylbenzene
sulfonates, phosphoric acid esters, and carboxylic acid salts. Many anionic surfactants can
also act as hydrotropes, which serve to raise the cloud point of nonionic surfactants.

Sodium dodecyl sulfate

SDS is in the family of organosulfate compounds and has the formula, CH3(CH2)11SO4Na. It
consists of a 12-carbon tail attached to a sulfate group, that is, it is the sodium salt of a 12-
carbon alcohol that has been esterified to sulfuric acid. An alternative description is that it is
an alkyl group with a pendant, terminal sulfate group attached. As a result of its hydrocarbon
tail, and its anionic "head group", it has amphiphilic properties that allow it to form micelles,
and so act as a detergent. Sodium dodecyl sulfate, synonymously sodium lauryl sulfate (or
laurilsulfate; SDS or SLS, respectively), is a synthetic organic compound with the formula
CH3 (CH2)11SO4Na. It is an anionic surfactant used in many cleaning and hygiene products.
The sodium salt is of an organosulfate class of organics. It consists of a 12-carbon tail
attached to a sulfate group, that is, it is the sodium salt of dodecyl hydrogen sulfate, the ester
of dodecyl alcohol and sulfuric acid. Its hydrocarbon tail combined with a polar "head group"
give the compound amphiphilic properties and so make it useful as a detergent. Also derived
as a component of mixtures produced from inexpensive coconut and palm oils, SDS is a
common component of many domestic cleaning, personal hygiene and cosmetic,
pharmaceutical, and food products, as well as of industrial and commercial cleaning and
product formulations.[5]

Figure1. structure of SLS, Adopted from,

http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/SLS/SLSh.htm
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, as stated earlier is an anionic surfactant, is prepared by the sulfation
of commercially available lauryl alcohol form coconut our, with either sulfur trioxide or

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chlorosulfonic acid. The product of the reaction is then neutralized with aqueous sodium
hydroxide. The abbreviated symbol for Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is used around the world in
clinical studies as a skin irritant. SLS is the universal standard, by which a measured
percentage is evaluated to promote a given level of irritation and reaction. By this SLS
standard level or irritation, it is then possible to evaluate the healing or modifying
characteristics of any ingredient or formula used on the SLS irritated skin. Carcinogenic
nitrates can form in the manufacturing of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or by its inter reaction with
other nitrogen bearing ingredients within a formulation utilizing this ingredient. Tests show
permanent eye damage in young animals from skin contact in non eye areas. Studies at
Georgia Medical College indicated Sodium Lauryl Sulfate kept young eyes from developing
properly by possibly denaturing the proteins and not allowing for proper structural formation.
This damage was permanent. Other studies have indicated that Sodium Lauryl Sulfate enters
and maintains residual levels in the heart, the liver, the lungs and the brain from skin contact.
This poses question of it being a serious potential health threat to its use in shampoos,
cleansers, and tooth pastes. Still other research has indicated SLS may be damaging to the
immune system, especially within the skin. Skin layers may separate and inflame due to its
protein denaturing properties.[6]

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is commonly used in many soaps, shampoos, detergents,
toothpastes and other products that we expect to "foam up". The said chemical is very
effective foaming agent, chemically known as surfactants. SLS is also known as" Sulfuric
acid monododecyl ester sodium salt", however there are over150 different names by which it
is known.. National Institutes of Health "Household Products Directory" of chemical
ingredients lists over 80 products that contain sodium lauryl sulfate. Some soaps have
concentrations of up to 30%, which are reportedly called "highly irritating and dangerous.
Shampoos are among the most frequently reported products to the FDA. Reports include eye
irritation, scalp irritation, tangled hair, swelling of the hands, face and arms and split and
fuzzy hair. The main cause of these problems is sodium lauryl sulfate. This very dangerous
chemical viz sodium lauryl sulfate is used in our soaps and shampoos due to its cheapness.
The sodium lauryl sulfate found in our soaps is in a car wash or even a garage, where it is
used to degrease car engines. In the same way as it dissolves the grease on car engines,
sodium lauryl sulfate also dissolves the oils on our skin, which can cause a drying effect. It is
also well documented that it denatures skin proteins, which causes not only irritation, but also
allows environmental contaminants easier access to the lower, sensitive layers of the skin.

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And most worryingly, SLS is also absorbed into the body from skin application. Once it has
been absorbed, one of the main effects of sodium lauryl sulfate is to mimic the activity of the
hormone Oestrogen. This has many health implications and may be responsible for a variety
of health problems from PMS and Menopausal symptoms to dropping male fertility and
increasing female cancers such as breast cancer, where oestrogen levels are known to be
involved. Studies have indicated that Sodium Lauryl Sulfate enters and maintains residual
levels in the heart, the liver, the lungs and the brain from skin contact. This poses question of
it being a serious potential health threat to its use in shampoos, cleansers, and tooth pastes. In
absorption, metabolism and excretion studies Sodium Lauryl Sulfate had a degenerative
effect on the cell membranes because of its protein denaturing properties. High levels of skin
penetration may occur at even low use concentration. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate had an LD 50
(Lethal Dose for 50% of the animals tested) of 0.8 to 110 g/kg in rats. A formulation
containing 15% caused depression, labored breathing, diarrhea and death in 4 out of 20
animals. In acute ocular tests, 10% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate caused corneal damage to the
rabbits’ eyes if not irrigated or irrigation was delayed. A Draize test of a product containing
5.1% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate caused mild irritation and products containing 21% were
severely irritated with no rinse and mildly irritated when rinsed. Acute animal skin irritation
studies of 0.5% to 10% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate cause slight to moderate irritation.
Applications of 10% to 30% caused skin corrosion and severe irritation. Solutions above 20%
were highly irritating and dangerous. One percent and 5% Sodium Lauryl Sulfate produced a
significant number of comedones when applied.it also causes chromosomal aberrations or
clastogenic effects. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate was tested for human skin irritation in
concentrations ranging from 0.1% to 10%. Open patches were less irritating than closed
patches, and irritation increased directly with concentration. For prolonged contact with skin,
concentration should not exceed 1%.[7]

Products commonly found to contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

 Soaps
 Shampoos
 Tooth paste
 Dish soap
 Laundry detergent
 Children’s soaps / Body wash / Bubble-baths
 Stain Remover

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 Carpet Cleaner
 Shave cream
 Make-up, especially Mascara
 Mouthwash
 Moisture lotion / Sun Screen

Sodium laureth sulfate

Its chemical formula is CH3(CH2)11(OCH2CH2)nOSO3Na. Sometimes the number represented
by n is specified in the name, for example laureth-2 sulfate. The product is heterogeneous in
the number of ethoxyl groups, where n is the mean. It is common for commercial products for
n= 3.

Figure 2: structure of SLES,

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sodium_laureth_sulfate_structure.png

It is a higher foaming and slightly less irritating modification of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate can
he manufactured by ethoxylation of the surfactant. The modified compound becomes know
as Sodium Lauryl Ether Sulfate. The cosmetic name is Sodium Laureth Sulfate with an
abbreviated symbol of SLES. Just like Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), its close relative Sodium
Laureth Sulfate (SLES) is also commonly used in many soaps, shampoos, detergents,
toothpastes and other products that we expect to "foam up". Both chemicals are very effective
foaming agents, chemically known as surfactants. Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), an
accepted contraction of sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES), is also an anionic detergent and
surfactant found in many personal care products (soaps, shampoos, toothpaste etc.). SLES is
an inexpensive and very effective foaming agent. SLES, sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS),
ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS), and sodium pareth sulfate are surfactants that are used in
many cosmetic products for their cleaning and emulsifying properties. They behave similarly
to soap. SLES is commonly contaminated with dioxane, a known carcinogen. Although
SLES is some what less irritating than Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, it cannot be metabolized by the
liver and its effects are therefore much longer-lasting. A report published in the Journal of
The American College of Toxicology in 1983 showed that concentrations as low as 0.5%

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could cause irritation and concentrations of 10-30% caused skin corrosion and severe
irritation. Far from giving "healthy shining hair" and "beautiful skin", soaps and shampoos
containing sodium laureth sulfate can lead to direct damage to the hair follicle, skin damage,
permanent eye damage in children and even liver toxicity. National Institutes of Health
"Household Products Directory" of chemical ingredients lists over 80 products that contain
SLS and SLES. Shampoos are among the most frequently reported products to the FDA.
Reports include eye irritation, scalp irritation, tangled hair, swelling of the hands, face and
arms and split and fuzzy hair. This is highly characteristic of sodium laureth sulfate and
almost definitely directly related to its use. Sodium laureth sulfate is also absorbed into the
body from skin application. The use of sodium laureth sulfate in children products is
particularly worrying. It is known that, whether it gets in the eyes or not, skin application
does lead to measurable concentrations in the eyes of children. This is known to affect eye
development, and the damage caused in this manner is irreversible. Thus both SLS and SLES
are known to have many effects that can potentially be detrimental to health. Among the
possible dangers are the following
 Skin irritation / skin corrosion
 Hormone Imbalance
 Eye irritation / eye deformities in children
 Protein Denaturing
 Carcenogenicity (potential to cause cancer)[7]

Thus potential implications of SLS and SLES on Human Health can be summed up as
follows[10,11]
1. Skin Irritation
Despite being the number one active ingredient in virtually all soaps, shampoos and
cleansers, it has been found to cause skin irritation. clinical studies of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
as a skin irritatant has been shown to occur at concentrations of 0.5%, which is 1/60th the
concentration found in some hand soaps. Not only does SLS irritate the skin, it is also
absorbed through the skin (high levels of skin penetration may occur at even low
concentration).

2. Hormone Imbalance
In the last 100 years or so, many new health problems have come to light. These include PMS
/ PMT, the so-called "menopausal symptoms" which never used to exist, and more recently a

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massive drop in male fertility which threatens our continued existence eswpecialy in many
western countries. SLS is most likely a major contributor to all of these problems due to its
oestrogen mimicking activity.Oestrogen is a hormone found quite normally in both men and
women. Like all other hormones, it's circulating levels are rigidly controlled by the glands of
the body due to the potent effect of its presence on virtually all cells). Once in the body, the
SLS molecule attaches to oestrogen receptors, mimicking the effects of the hormone in
various body systems. The result is hormonal chaos. The body can no longer control its own
oestrogen levels and therefore loses control of many normal endocrine (hormonal) functions.
In men, whose oestrogen levels are normally extremely low, this massive increase causes
breast enlargement, reduction of male hormone levels and a massive drop in both sperm
count and sperm motility (ability of the sperm to fertilise an ovum). Gender confusion may
also be related to SLS levels, either in the male himself or in his mother during pregancy.In
women, the reproductive system, which is totally controlled by oestrogen and progesterone,
goes haywire. Rapidly shifting oestrogen levels and their effect on progesterone levels mean
that the body is totally confused, leading to menstrual problems, menopausal symptoms and
potentially infertility.

3. Eye Irritation / eye deformities in children

The potential effects of SLS on the eye are much more worrying. In animal studies, 10% SLS
caused acute corneal damage. However, it is not just direct eye contact that is the problem.
According to the American College of Toxicology, "tests show permanent eye damage in
young animals from skin contact in non-eye areas". In other words, because SLS is absorbed
through the skin, it can cause permanent eye damage without ever directly coming into
contact with your eyes.

4. Protein Denaturing
Our cells are made from protein. The development of those cells is strictly regulated by the
reproductive processes that are continually at work removing damaged and old cells and
replacing them with healthy new ones. Virtually every cell in the body is replaced at least
every 7 years.SLS exerts its effects on proteins by forming a chemical bridge between the fat-
soluble and water-soluble parts of the protein molecule. This disrupts the hydrophobic forces
needed to maintain the protein structure and the molecule collapses, rendering it useless. This
effect is usually irriversible.The result of this is two-fold. Firstly, existing proteins are
damaged, leading to an increase in the amount of healing required by the body. Secondly,

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new proteins can be damaged and cells disrupted while they are under construction. This can
lead to the early stages of skin cancer. In the skin, this process can be so severe, that skin
layers may separate and inflame due to its (SLS's) protein denaturing properties.

5. Carcenogenicity (Cancer-causing)
Quite apart from it's potential to cause pre-cancerous conditions by denaturing proteins, the
oestrogen mimicking effects of SLS also offers massive potential to cause cancer. It is known
that many cancers, Clearly, by disrupting normal oestrogen levels and by causing similar
effects at a cellular level as endogenous oestrogen, SLS exhibits massive potential to both
cause and worsen cancerous states. The incidence of breast cancer has increased several-fold
in the last 50 years, both in women and in men. Currently, according to the American Cancer
Society, men account for approximately 1% of all breast cancer cases. The other way by
which SLS can potentially cause cancer is through formation of carcinogenic nitrates.
Carcinogenic nitrates can form in the manufacturing of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate or by its inter-
reaction with other nitrogen bearing ingredients within a formulation utilizing this ingredient
(many shampoos contain nitrate compounds). A single shampooing can produce more cancer-
causing nitrates in the body.SLS is a known mutagen - it is capable of damaging the genetic
material found every cell in our body. As mutagenicity has been strongly linked to cancer,
this is a major concern.[8]

CONCLUSION
Surfactant plays a pivotal role either in Pharma and non pharma field. An exhaustive study of
its role and mechanism towards medical field would reveal a wide range of its potential in
therapeutic usage. Narrowing the research on each and every surfactant would certainly
benefit the field of medical science towards a better cure for various ailments.Altough
surfactants find a versatile role in different fields. But due to hazardous effects of surfactants
in general and of anionic surfactants (SLS, SLES) in particular. Their use should be limited
so as to avoid their undesirable effects viz; Skin irritation/skin corrosion, Hormone
Imbalance, Eye irritation / eye deformities in children, Protein Denaturing Carcinogenicity
(potential to cause cancer). so it is concluded here that we should shift to natural system like
herbal,SLS,SLES free products etc; Further studies need to be done in order to explore the
possible hazards of the so called surfactants and introduction of some eco-friendly/natural
products. so one should be care full while selecting such products for use in day to day life as
these so called shampoos, tooth pastes, skin products not only contain the hazardous

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surfactants but also harmful chemicals like preservatives, coloring agents and flavoring
agents. So an emphasis should be given on SLS/SLES free products.

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10. Journal of the American college of toxicology, 1983; 2(7). A Final Report on the Safety
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