Does Seventh Generation Use Sodium Laureth Sulfate?

SLS sensitive

I can not use seventh generation laundry and dish soap. I am very sensitive to SLS. I can not even use shampoos because most of them are too irritating to me.
It took a while to figure out which product or food was causing me problems. I use Dr Bronners soap for hand

washing and for washing hair. I just bought Dr Bronners Sal Suds, they claim that Coco-Betaine will buffer irritation causes by SLS. I don't if it's true so I will have to try it for a few weeks to see if its true or not.

It's What's Available

I use Seventh Generation laundry soap, because that is what is available, and I'm hoping it is better than other products. SLS and SLES are VERY bad things. Read the book "Our Stolen Future". SLS has the same connector shape to form estrogen, which causes a host of problems in humans and wildlife. All of the women in my family have had to have hysterectomies very early, because of this. The problem is the level of these chemicals you are using on a daily basis - different soaps (hand, hair, body, laundry), make up, lotion, hair/skin products, etc. It may be safe to use one of these products once per week, if you don't use anything else, but who does that? If I use hand soap once this week, that means I can't wash my hair, or put lotion on my skin? What? After I was told of my tumors and cysts, I stopped using make up, and shopping became a nightmare. Sure, I could make my own, but time has been an issue (excuse, I know). I switched to all-natural/organic products (whenever possible), and became a vegetarian (not vegan). Now, I am healthy, and living life again. Hopefully, Seventh Generation will change their outlook on SLS and SLES, and stop using them. I would pay more for a safer product, wouldn't you?

Make our own sometimes

I have used the dish soap for a long time, thinking that it is very mild compared to other products on the market.

I have also started making some of my owner cleaners with simple ingredients.

I appreciate companies disclosing and explaining all of the ingredients in the products, so we can make informed decisions about what to use.

http://FlourSackMama.blogspot.com

Reply for hlporter

For more information, please review this article link that I am providing to you: http://www.seventhgeneration.com/learn/ask-science-man/question-sorland7

It is totally understood why you would want to make your own. Let me know if you have any further questions, Sue from Consumer Insights.

SLS/SLES response to ARWinterfield

Scienceman and I (Sue)checked out the link. Thank you so much for providing it. There are many anti-SLS websites on the internet which largely aim to promote AND SELL SLS-free products, and it is important to research the topic yourself using many scientifically valid sources (like academic journals) and make an informed decision based on that. Please let me know if you would like to discuss any specific points in the link you provided.

Another good reason to use

Another good reason to use Planet.

SLS/SLES

You might want to check this out scienceman.

Yes, and we've taken steps to assure our products are safe

First, what is sodium lauryl ether sulfate? The term "lauryl" refers to a chain of twelve carbon atoms. This chain can be found in nature as part of fatty oils and fatty acids in plants and animals. Coconut oil is a good example of a vegetable oil containing the lauryl group.

Soaps have been made from coconut oil for centuries. The chemical name for these soaps is sodium laurate. Soaps don't work well in hard water, so chemists replaced the carbon-based acid in sodium laurate with a sulfur-based acid. The new substance is called sodium lauryl sulfate.

Both sodium laurate (indeed, all soaps) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) are called anionic surfactants. Anionic surfactants are generally irritating.

A milder anionic surfactant can be formed by adding hydrophilic (water loving) groups to the SLS. This is done with a substance called ethylene oxide, which is made by "cracking" petroleum to form ethylene, then adding oxygen. The new surfactant is called sodium lauryl ether sulfate (SLES) or sodium laureth sulfate. SLES is much less irritating than either sodium laurate or SLS.

Neither sodium laurate, SLS, nor SLES is known to cause cancer, nor are they known to be teratogens or reproductive toxins. They are irritants, and the inflammation they may cause almost always clears in a few hours. This is also true of soaps.

Are SLS and SLES "perfect" chemicals? No. As mentioned SLS is irritating. SLES is irritating, too, but less so.

Are there other anionic surfactants that natural cleaning companies use? Sometimes these companies say, "No SLS" but they use ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) instead. Since the cation (ammonium, potassium, or sodium) has little effect on the toxicity or the irritancy this is a deception, not an alternative. Certainly SLS and SLES are superior to the conventional alternatives such as linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS).

I hope this helps answer your question.