Shampoo Containing “SLS” is a Cancer Hazard-
Fiction!
Summary of eRumor:
This email warns that a substance called “Sodium Laureth Sulfate” in many shampoos causes cancer. The email claims that in the 1980’s one person in 8,000 got cancer while today the figure is one in three.
The Truth:
According to the American Cancer Society, sodium Laureth Sulfate is not a carcinogen. It is used in many cleaning products because of its wetting and detergent properties. It is also found in some toothpastes and mouthwashes. Also, according to the ACA, the cancer rates in the 1980’s were not one in 8,000, but about one in three. The cancer rates for women are about the same now and for men are one in two although the survivability rates have improved since the 1980’s. Additionally, the person from the University of Pennsylvania named at the end of the email says she’s not the author of the story and knows nothing about it.