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Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) and Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLES) are found in loads of personal care, beauty, and cleaning products. But there are both environmental and human health concerns associated with SLS and SLES: why, then, do eco-conscious brands continue to include such surfactants in their product offerings?

On today’s show I’m answering a listener’s question about the well-known “green” brand, Seventh Generation. Why does their laundry detergent list SLS as its first ingredient? Is Seventh Generation really eco-conscious, and how does Unilever play into the equation?

 

Here’s a preview:

[1:30] Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is in nearly everything. Here’s why

[3:30] The connection between SLS and palm oil

[4:20] Seventh Generation and Unilever: The problems with mega-corporations

[8:30] Human health concerns associated with SLS and SLES

[12:00] 3 considerations when purchasing health, beauty, and cleaning products

 

Resources mentioned:

 

 

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Seventh Generation markets itself as an eco-conscious brand and, while many Seventh Generation products are indeed more eco-friendly than their conventional counterparts, savvy consumers wonder whether Unilever - the mega-corp that owns Seventh Generation - amplifies its green claims. On this episode of the Sustainable Minimalists podcast: 5 things to consider before buying Seventh Generation products.

 

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate is found in loads of personal care, beauty, and cleaning products. But there are both environmental and human health concerns associated with SLS: why, then, do eco-conscious brands continue to include such surfactants in their product offerings? On this episode of the Sustainable Minimalists podcast: 5 things to consider before buying a product with SLS.

 

 

One thought on “Sodium Lauryl Sulfate”

  1. Thank you for this episode! I have bought Seventh Generation Free and Clear for years and actually wanted to suggest this topic. Now I’ll have to look into the alternatives you mentioned. Thanks for doing the research.

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The Shopping Conspiracy

Women have been targeted for decades with the message that shopping is recreation. It’s a way to relax and unwind, sure, but recreational shopping also contributes to the climate crisis, supports the worst of shareholder capitalism, and creates an awful lot of unnecessary waste.

Enter Buy Now: The Shopping Conspiracy, a hard-hitting new Netflix documentary that forces viewers to look at our waste-related woes. On today’s show producer Flora Bagenal offers a behind-the-scenes look at the documentary’s creation; she also answers your pressing, post-viewing questions.

A note from Stephanie: This episode was recorded before the Los Angeles wildfires. If you're able, please consider donating to one of these organizations. 

 

Here’s a preview:

[7:00] People find it hard to look at waste, and yet the film makes us look. A behind-the-scenes examination all those hard-hitting images

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[26:00] Corporate execs must show growth, and corporations are on a treadmill of extracting more and more $$ by pushing unnecessary and redundant products. Is not buying an effective act of resistance?

[30:00] Mindset shifts! Quality is a climate issue, and once you press ‘Buy Now’ you become responsible for the item’s end of life

[36:00] Exactly how to Use. Your. Rage!

 

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