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Are Surfactants Toxic? The Dangers & Alternatives

You've probably heard about surfactants if you are into DIY, non-toxic cleaning and personal care products...

Awareness and concern about the ecological impacts of surfactants have, in general, superseded human health concerns. The environmental risks of synthetic surfactants are enormous. Yet, many scientists, experts, and chemical, cosmetic, agricultural, and cleaning companies continue to tout toxic synthetic surfactants as safe, effective, and essential. This is unconscionable and another example of regulatory agencies asleep at the wheel regarding their documented toxicity to humans and the environment.

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Featured

 What is a Surfactant?

Synthetic and petrochemical surfactants are modern chemicals; most are created under very energy-intensive conditions with high usage of fossil fuels (more air water pollution - yuck). The manufacturing process of these new ingredients change the natural vegetable oil composition into new molecules that are typically not found in nature. Even very low concentrations of synthetic surfactants in surface water can be highly toxic to all forms of aquatic life.

Articles of Interest

A Beginner’s Guide to Working with Natural Surfactants

There are many types of surfactants and they are used for many different purposes, but they all share one quality: they help increase the wetting properties of a liquid. Surfactants can be found almost everywhere. You can find them in everything from detergents and shampoos to toothpaste and even conditioners.

An Easy Guide to Understanding How Surfactants Work

The hydrophilic head of each surfactant is electrically charged. The charge can be negative, positive, or neutral. Depending on the charge of the hydrophilic head, the surfactant is classified as anionic, nonionic, cationic or amphoteric.

Environmental risks and toxicity of surfactants: overview of analysis, assessment, and remediation techniques

This comprehensive review has revealed the enormous ecotoxicity and human health implications of surfactants in the environment. The non-degradability, persistence, and toxicity of some surfactants and their transformed products have extreme environmental consequences.

The Good, Bad and Bubbly Of Surfactants In Skincare

Do you know what is the most common ingredient in your skincare? Surfactants! From your cleansers to moisturisers and your makeup products, surfactants are present in most of your cosmetics and personal care products.

Resources

5 Effective Natural Surfactants for Household Products

Surfactants are an essential constituent of non-toxic and conventional cleaning products. Surfactants serve many functions, including reducing the surface tension of water and helping water mix with other ingredients to form a homogenized and effective cleaner. Unfortunately, many synthetic surfactants, like those found in commercial cleaning products, can have detrimental health impacts on humans and the environment. This is why choosing non-toxic cleaning products with safe surfactants is vital.

Chemical Safety Facts

Surfactants make it possible for soap to mix with water by lowering the water surface tension. Beyond soaps and detergents, surfactants are used in lubricants, inks, anti-fogging liquids, herbicides, adhesives, emulsifiers and fabric softeners. The Human and Environmental Risk Assessment Initiative (HERA) has conducted risk assessments for several widely used surfactants and found that these chemicals do not have a negative impact on the environment in their current uses.