Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, also known as SLS, is a natural foaming agent that is derived from the lauric acid in coconut oil.  Because of it's proven safety, good foaming action, and versatility it is found in many different products such as shampoos, toothpastes, shaving cream, and lotions. SLS is used in nearly all toothpastes because there is simply no good substitute for it. It is effective at a mere 1% concentration. Low foaming toothpastes using SLS substitutes have very limited popularity in the market place. SLS has been safely used by billions of people around the world for over six decades now. There is no better proof of safety than this. The FDA approved it for human use sixty years ago.

There have been Internet scare stories circulated saying SLS is neither safe nor natural. These are completely without merit, and totally un-based scientifically. Please do not get your scientific information from these un-cited and unscientific articles.  Most all the natural toothpaste manufacturers, and all the major regular toothpaste manufacturers, have been using this with a complete record of safety since the 1950s.

Most companies believe this is the best choice for foaming action.  Countless toothpastes  use SLS  such as Aquafresh, Nature's Gate, Thursday Plantation, Arm & Hammer, Colgate, Crest, Gleem, Mentadent, Tom's of Maine, Desert Essence, Vicco Ayurvedic,  Sensodyne, Close Up, Pepsodent, Rembrandt, and Ultra Brite. Puritan's Pride is the largest natural supplement company in the world and uses SLS in their toothpaste line.  Kingfisher is the most popular natural toothpaste in Europe and uses SLS. India has the most sophisticated and varied natural toothpastes on earth. Pearl-32 is the leading brand and uses SLS with Ayurvedic herbs, especially neem (miswak). SLS is found in every type of toothpaste including regular toothpaste, toothpaste for sensitive teeth, all natural toothpaste, childrens toothpaste, and whitening toothpaste.  It's virtually in 99% of all the toothpaste on the market.

Cape Fear Naturals offers all natural toothpaste in a variety of types such as 1% Beta Glucan, 0.5% CoQ10, Peppermint, Real Strawberry, Tea Tree Oil, and Zesty Lemon ranging in price from $4.95 to $5.95.  There will be more exotic and unique flavors coming in the near future.  Soon we'll have neem, Zesty Lime, Pink Grapefruit, and Zesty Orange. People of all ages enjoy these unique natural flavors especially children.

The FDA has found SLS to be safe for toothpaste, shampoos and various lotions and creams. A mere 1% concentration of SLS in toothpaste has been proven repeatedly worldwide to be safe and effective. Toothpaste was never meant to be swallowed or consumed like food. Toothpaste only comes in contact with the gums for seconds at a time and then quickly and completely rinsed out. 

Some companies who sell SLS-free toothpaste have tried to claim that people with recurrent aphthous ulcers (canker sores) should not use toothpaste with SLS as they have chronic open sores in their mouths. In fact, such people should stop brushing their teeth completely until they are cured. Mechanical brushing with anything just irritates and opens these sores. They should rinse their mouths out with herbal mouthwash several times a day and brush their tongues to remove the deposits there.  St Bartholomew’s Hospital in London (Oral Dis. v 5, 1999) did a double blind crossover study with 47 real people aged 10 to 62 with canker sores. The concluded, "None of the parameters measured was significantly affected by the use of the SLS-free dentifrice as compared with the SLS dentifrice." The University of Oslo (Eur. J. Oral Sci. v 104, 1996) tried to claim canker sores had a slight relation to toothpaste with SLS, but admitted in their study, "The model used is not directly relevant to normal tooth brushing with toothpaste…" Unbelievable.

June 2009, Volume 2,4, copyrighted