ALBANY, N.Y. — The State of New York is studying whether there should be warning labels on shampoo packaging to make consumers aware of the possible effects of products that contain sodium lauryl sulfate and/or cocamide DEA, both foaming agents. Assemblyman Anthony Seminario (D., Queens) is sponsoring legislation that would require mass market firms that manufacture and sell shampoo to list ingredients including SLS and cocamide DEA, which some studies suggest lead to skin irritation and an increased risk of cancer.
In an interview, Seminario said, “Bubble baths with the same chemicals, which are known as ‘foaming chemicals,’ are required to have warning labels.”
The proposed warning labels would read: “Caution — Use only as directed. Excessive use or prolonged exposure may cause irritation to skin. Discontinue use if rash, redness or itching occurs. Consult your physician if irritation persists. Keep out of reach of children.”
Kathleen Desio, a spokeswoman for the Cosmetic, Toiletry and Fragrance Association, which represents beauty manufacturers such as Procter & Gamble, said warning labels are “completely unnecessary.”
“Both sodium lauryl sulfate and cocamide DEA have been thoroughly reviewed and determined to be safe as used in shampoo and cosmetics by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review, an independent, nonprofit scientific organization,” she said.
The CIR is a panel of seven voting medical and scientific experts, as well as nonvoting members who represent the Food and Drug Administration, the Consumer Federation of America and the cosmetics industry. It tests and assesses the safety of ingredients used in consumer products on a regular basis, returning to rereview these chemicals when new questions are raised.
It first addressed consumer concerns about SLS in the early Eighties, when it recommended that the concentration of SLS not exceed 1 percent in products intended for prolonged contact with the skin. It determined that SLS was “safe in formulations designed for discontinuous, brief use followed by thorough rinsing from the surface of the skin.” A 2002 study confirmed the earlier findings.
Cocamide DEA, when reviewed by the CIR in 1996, was determined to be safe as used in rinse-off products, and safe in leave-on products in which the concentration of the ingredient was less than 10 percent.
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While some have questioned whether shampoos containing SLS have a carcinogenic effect on the scalp. Desio said studies by CTFA scientists do not support this claim.
The legislation, which is currently in the Consumer Affairs and Protection Committee, is being co-sponsored by Michael Benjamin (D., Bronx), Aurelia Greene (D., Bronx), Kenneth Zebrowski (D., Rockland), Thomas DiNapoli (D., Nassau), Barbara Clark (D., Queens), Diane Gordon (D., Kings), Joan Millman (D., Kings), William Boyland Jr. (D., Kings), Nettie Mayersohn (D., Queens), Jimmy Meng (D., Queens), Harvey Weisenberg (D., Nassau) and Keith Wright (D., New York).