TABLE OF CONTENTS
What Is Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate?
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate or SLS is a surfactant. The word “surfactant” is a contraction of the words “Surface Active Agents.” Surfactants are materials that lower the surface tension between two liquids or a liquid and a solid.
Surfactants are compounds that allow certain liquids to mix or a liquid and a solid mix. For Instance, oil and water don’t naturally mix. But add some SLS and they can.
SLS is widely known for its foam-boosting and cleaning characteristics, the reason why it is present in a wide range of personal care products, from toothpaste to body washes. It is especially beneficial to chemically-damaged hair since it can revive it to its former state without using harsh chemicals.
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate also possesses the ability to improve the suppleness and appearance of the skin. It is a milder alternative to lauryl sulfoacetate because it can effectively clean both the skin and hair without stripping them off of their natural oils. It is also a modified fatty acid which makes it more soluble and more translucent in appearance compared to its parent fatty acids including oleic acid, citric acid, myristic acid, and lauric acid. Often, fatty and amino acid derived using coconut oil and fruit sugars [1].
SLS is derived from coconut oil
Other known ingredients that also originate from coconut oil are sodium lauroyl isethionate, sodium myristoyl sarcosinate, cocoyl glycinate, cocoyl glutamate, sodium cocoyl glutamate, sodium cocoyl isethionate, sodium cocoyl sarcosinate, and sodium cocoyl, sodium cocoyl glycinate, and cocamidopropyl betaine. Trisodium citrate derives from citric acid [2].
Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose is used as a thickening, emulsifying, and stabilizing agent [3]. There is a process of preparing alkali metal N-fatty acidcyl amino acids, especially sodium N-acyl sarcosinates. The method of the invention eliminates the use of phosphorus trichloride or thionyl chloride and carboxylic acid chlorides. Instead, it involves reacting the alkali metal N-acyl amino acid directly with a fatty acid at elevated temperatures with constant removal of water generated in the reaction [4]. L-Lysine, HCL (l-lysine hcl) is often the compound added through the micellization process to create this surfactant [5]. Of course, when preparing these surfactants, one must wear a self-contained breathing apparatus [6].
The modification of the sodium lauroyl sarcosinate nitrogen atom is what gives it its emulsifying characteristics. It is a type of lauroyl sarcosine that has stronger acid levels yet transforms as a sodium salt in the neutral pH range that is similar to those of fatty acid soaps. That is also what makes it more soluble in water and less influenced by water hardness when compared to traditional bath soaps [7].
According to the United States FDA (Food and Drug Administration), sodium lauroyl sarcosinate is approved as an indirect food additive. It is also accepted by the CIR or Cosmetic Ingredient Review to be used in manufacturing both leave-on and rinse-off skin products such as body scrubs, moisturizers, shampoos, hair conditioners and face washes at 5% or fewer concentrations [8].
Origins Of Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Also known as sarkosyl, the sodium lauroyl sarcosinate is an ionic surfactant. It is derived from sarcosine, also known as N-methylamino acetic acid or N-methylglycine, which is an essential amino acid present in plants. It is existent in the body tissues and muscles of animals and humans, as well as a common factor in the transition of choline to glycine [9].
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate also originates from sodium lauroyl sarcosine which is the result of the process of breaking down caffeine or creatine. When mixed in water with equal parts of sorbitan monolaurate or S20, it produces micelle-like aggregates that are responsible for permeating small molecules to the skin. Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate. Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate salt of lauroyl sarcosine (produced by the breakdown of creatine or caffeine), a modified fatty acid. As a modified fatty acid, it is thought to be more soluble, and have increased crystallinity and acidity compared to its original fatty acid composition [10].
Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate was first introduced to the world as a special ingredient called Gardol. Gardol, a toothpaste manufactured by Colgate Dental Cream during the 1950s, was sold in the US through the mid-1960s, as well as in France in the mid-1970s. Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate is currently present Arm & Hammer toothpaste as a preventive dentifrice [11].
Sodium Lauryl Sulfoacetate (SLSA) – is sometimes used as an alternative to Sodium Lauryl Sulfate. This product is derived from coconut and palm oils, and is 100% of natural origin.
Is Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate Safe For Baby?
Parents nowadays only want what’s best for their babies, and that means using only products that include gentle ingredients. That is one of the reasons why sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, along with sodium cocoyl, propylene glycol, and Cocamidopropyl betaine, are slowly gaining popularity. These ingredients are biodegradable, sustainable, and renewable making them a favorite ingredient in liquid detergent [12].
Sodium lauryl sarcosinate is safe for your baby because it is not only mild making it perfect for fragile skin, making it ideal for the end-user application and our planet. The fact that it originates from coconut oil is the reason why it present in many baby skin care products. The Handbook of Green Chemicals, as well as the Whole Foods Premium Body Care, declares it to be safe for the skin – two stamps of approval that help validate the credibility of organic ingredients [13].
Is sodium lauroyl sarcosinate safe for baby? The answer is – YES! It is safe for babies because it boosts not only the appearance of skin and hair but also gives them back their natural sheen and elasticity without further damage. Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate does so by helping water in mixing dirt with the body’s natural oils so they can be wholly and safely rinsed away. It is non-toxic and does not have irritating, mutagenic, or sensitizing effects on the baby’s skin [14].
According to the European Chemicals Agency, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate does not irritate skin, making it safe for use in babies. The potential for skin irritation was tested in an In Vitro Skin Corrosion Human Skin Model Test. Twenty (20) milligrams of the ingredient was applied to reconstructed human epidermis for periods of 3, 60, and 240 minutes. The evaluation concludes that the surfactant was non-corrosive to human skin unlike its other counterparts in the propyl group.
Sodium lauroyl sarcosinate is classified as foaming, cleansing, emulsifying, and conditioning surfactant. It is currently present in personal care products for men, women, and infants ranging from creams, skin care, hair care, lotions, gels, bath washes, and oral care. It is also used in manufacturing mild detergent and cleaning products.
However, sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, along with lauryl sulfoacetate, should not be mistaken with sodium lauryl sulfate. Both ingredients are surfactants, but that is their only similarity. For starters, sodium lauryl sulfate and sodium chloride are known to the skin care manufacturing industry for their negative impacts on the skin and hair. Sodium lauryl sulfate is also cheaper than sodium lauroyl sarcosinate, but it can dry and irritate baby’s skin. It is also known to be cancerous.
Is sodium lauroyl sarcosinate safe for baby? Yes, because aqueous solutions that contain this ingredient contain bigger molecules that are capable of passing through the skin. One of the main reasons why it is a present invention in an array of baby products is because it is a gentle and nurturing cleanser. It eliminates dead skin cells, dirt, and bacteria on the skin without drying them of their natural oils. As a bonus, it also creates rich and frothy foam – something that all infants are sure to love.
Is Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate Safe For Baby References:
[1] Science Direct; Preparation and characterization of sodium lauroyl sarcosinate adsorbed on cetylpyridinium-montmorillonite as a possible antibacterial agent, Saadet Yapara, Mustafa Ateş, Günseli Özdemira, August 25, 2017.
[2] US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health; Final report on the safety assessment of Cocoyl Sarcosine, Lauroyl Sarcosine, Myristoyl Sarcosine, Oleoyl Sarcosine, Stearoyl Sarcosine, Sodium Cocoyl Sarcosinate, Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Sodium Myristoyl Sarcosinate, Ammonium Cocoyl Sarcosinate, and Ammonium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Lanigan RS, 2001.
[3] Sidley Chem; Cellulose Gum (Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose or CMC).
[4] Google Patents; Preparation of alkali metal acyl amino acids.
[5] Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research 2016, 8(10): 49-55. Effect of Additives on the Aggregation Behavior of Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosine in Aqueous Solution, Ruan R Henriques, Ana Lucia Shiguihara, Kenia S Freitas, Jorge Amin Jr., 2016.
[6] Northwest Missouri; Sigma-Aldrich, Safty Data Sheet, January 22, 2014.
[7] Cosmetic Ingredient Review; Amended Safety Assessment of Sarcosine and Sarcosinate, March 07, 2016.
[8] U.S. Food & Drug Administration; CFR – Code of Federal Regulations Title 21, April 01, 2018.
[9] J. Soc.Cosmetic Chemists. Some properties of N-acyl sarcosinate lipid vesicles. Wallach, D.F.H; R. Mathur; G.J.M. Redziniak; J.F. Tranchant, 1992.
[10] Eur. J. Pharm Sci. Karande, P; A.Jain; A. Arora; M.J.Ho; S. Mitragotri. (2007). Synergistic effects of chemical enhancers on skin permeability: a case study of sodium lauroyl sarcosinate and sorbitan monolaurate.
[11] Clinical Test Confirms Colgate a Leader in Reducing New Cavities! Read what happened when Colgate with Gardol was clinically tested against the most widely accepted fluoride dentifrice, March 20, 1963.
[12] US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health; Human and Environmental Toxicity of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): Evidence for Safe Use in Household Cleaning Products, Cara AM Bondi, Julia L Marks, Lauren B Wroblewski, Heidi S Raatikainen, Shannon R Lenox, Kay E Gebhardt, November 17, 2015.
[13] ResearchGate; Surface Active and Foam Properties of Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Mild Anionic Surfactant of Natural Origin, Anastasia Pontryagina; Reinhard Miller; Mikhail Y. Pletnev, October 2015.
[14] Cosmetics Info; Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate, Is Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate Safe For Baby.
