Sulfates

WHAT ARE SULFATES AND DO P&G BEAUTY & GROOMING SHAMPOOS CONTAIN SULFATES?

A surfactant is the primary ingredient in soaps or shampoos that provides the cleaning benefit. Sulfate-based surfactants (sodium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate) are often used as part of shampoos. Sulfate-based surfactants are effective cleaners that have been used widely for decades by all major cosmetic companies. 

ARE SULFATES HARSH? IT'S A MATTER OF STRENGTH!

You may have read emails or articles saying that sulfate-based surfactants are harsh (for instance, that they're used to clean garage floors, etc.), but it's important to know that these statements are taken out of context. In fact, many ingredients are used for multiple purposes, but at different strengths which make them suitable for that particular use.  For instance, in its pure, undiluted form cinnamon can burn your mouth or skin, yet it is safely used at much lower levels every day in common foods and candy. 

With surfactants, the same properties that make an ingredient useful for cleaning hair also make it useful for cleaning clothes or floors, but not at the same strength. P&G shampoos are formulated with mixtures of different surfactants to successfully balance mildness to skin and hair with effective cleaning performance. The surfactant levels are used at diluted levels that are safe for their intended use in a shampoo. 

ARE SULFATE-FREE SHAMPOOS MILDER?

Claims that formulas without sulfates are safer or milder than sulfate-containing formulas can be misleading. Consumers use carefully formulated products, not single ingredients, and what matters is the performance of the complete formula. P&G shampoos are formulated with mixtures of different surfactants to successfully balance mildness to skin and hair with effective cleaning performance.  All hair care products have been thoroughly evaluated and proven to be mild and safe for their intended use.

SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE AND CANCER RUMORS

• You may have seen or received an email stating that sodium lauryl sulfate, or other "sulfates" (sulfate-containing surfactants) cause cancer. This is a myth that has been circulating the internet for over a decade with absolutely no merit or scientific data support. The safety of sodium lauryl sulfate, ammonium lauryl sulfate, sodium laureth sulfate and ammonium laureth sulfate were all re-reviewed by the US Cosmetic Ingredient Review Expert Panel in 2002, who thoroughly considered more than 250 new scientific studies on these ingredients, and none of the studies suggested that SLS could cause cancer.

      This rumor has been thoroughly debunked by numerous organizations such as:

• The American Cancer Society, http://www.cancer.org/docroot/MED/content/MED_6_1x_Shampoo.asp?sitearea=MED
• Snopes.com, http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/shampoo.asp
• The US Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel, http://cosmeticsinfo.org/HBI/20 and http://cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient_details.php?ingredient_id=519

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