Are All Synthetic Surfactants Toxic?
No! But many of the synthetic surfactants found in detergent personal care products are under scrutiny for their toxicity to humans. These include common surfactants and emulsifiers like cocomidopropyl betaine, sodium laureth sulfate, cocamide DEA, TEA (Triethanolamine), and ethoxylated alcohols like ceteareth-12 alcohol, many of which are responsible for releasing carcinogenic formaldehyde and 1,4 Dioxane. On the other hand, decyl glucoside may sound scary, but is a gentle surfactant produced from a reaction between glucose from cornstarch and a fatty alcohol from coconuts. How can you not be confused?! What Else is in Detergents? Detergents usually also contain thickening agents like Polyethylene glycol (PEG) that make the detergent feel thick, even with the addition of up to 90% water. This group has some of the highest toxicity ratings and carry serious concerns about organ system toxicity and carcinogenic cell mutation. And to help detergent shampoos “moisturize” many contain hume
