Interestingly, products containing SLS include warnings. For example, a typical toothpaste label may read: “Keep out of reach of children under 6 years of age. In case of accidental ingestion, seek professional assistance or contact a Poison Control Center immediately.” I shudder to think how many times I swallowed my toothpaste as a child, in order to achieve “breath freshness”!

Why is this a concern? According to a study by K. Green, Ph.D., D.Sc. [1], it is because SLS uptake is greater in younger mammals (including children), because of the rapid growth and development that is occurring in these tissues. Also, the tissues of young eyes may be more susceptible to alteration by SLS.

Children’s eye development occurs mostly during their first few years.

	SLS permanently denatures the proteins of eye tissues (and changes the amounts of intracellular protein), in turn impairing development.
	SLS extends the healing time for the cornea surface to 10 days…far beyond the norm of 2 days.
	SLS accumulates in the eye tissues, and is retained for up to 5 days.

[1] Green, Dr. Keith. Detergent Penetration into Young and Adult Eyes. Department of Ophthalmology Medical College of GA, Augusta GA

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