What do the Clean, Low, Watch and Swap levels mean?

They are cut from a continuous concern level the app computes from the sourced claims that the chosen evidence lens shows: each claim counts its concern class, tier weight, confidence and dose relevance, combined worst-first with a decay so one serious finding outweighs many small ones, then scaled by how much of the substance reaches you in this use. Clean is below 0.35, Low below 1.1, Watch below 2.0 and Swap above that, on a 0 to 3 scale.

Is Sodium Laureth Sulfate safe on skin (rinsed off)?

Q: Is sodium laureth sulfate safe on skin (rinsed off)?

Under the app's default Cautious lens, sodium laureth sulfate on skin (rinsed off) rates Watch: worth watching; the app would list a cleaner alternative type. 3 sourced concerns count (irritant · allergen, consensus tier; oxidation by-products, consensus tier; environmental, emerging tier). This is research with sources, not medical advice.

Personal care1 use researched3 sourced claims

Where it turns up: common cleansing agent in shampoos. Detox My Life researched sodium laureth sulfate under one use, because the same substance means something different in each use. Every claim below carries its evidence tier, how sure the research is that it applies here, and the sources it cites. The level is computed by the app's own deterministic engine, so the page says exactly what the app would.

Level by use and lens

Use	Mainstream	Cautious (default)	Based	Concerns · favour · fringe
On skin, rinsed off	Watch	Watch	Watch	3 · 0

Mainstream shows consensus claims only; Cautious adds emerging research; Based adds fringe claims, labelled as such. The last column counts, under Cautious, the sourced concerns, the findings in its favour and the fringe claims Based would add.

Safer swaps: the app's swap catalog covers the products this turns up in: Conventional shampoo, Conventional body wash. Alternatives are always types, never brands.

On skin, rinsed off Watch

Under the default Cautious lens sodium laureth sulfate on skin (rinsed off) rates Watch: worth watching; the app would list a cleaner alternative type. Mainstream (consensus only) rates it Watch; Based (adds the fringe) rates it Watch. Researched 2026-09-03.

Sourced concerns (3)

ConsensusIrritant · allergenconfidence 90%

Sodium laureth sulfate can cause mild skin and eye irritation, particularly at higher concentrations or with prolonged contact.

Why here: While SLES is milder than SLS due to ethoxylation, its surfactant properties can still strip natural lipids from the skin, leading to irritation, especially in sensitive individuals, even in rinse-off products.
What would have to be true: Dermal exposure in rinse-off products, especially if not thoroughly rinsed or in high concentrations (e.g., above 30% for SLES, or 10% for SLS in rinse-off products for sensitive skin).
The other side: In properly formulated rinse-off products, SLES is generally well-tolerated and considered safe by regulatory bodies like the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel, FDA, and SCCS.

Sources the engine cites (no regulator, review or study among them):

5 web articles (greenagrochem.com, polymerchem.org, pciplindia.com, …), linked in the app.

ConsensusOxidation by-productsconfidence 90%

Sodium laureth sulfate may contain trace amounts of 1,4-dioxane, a byproduct of its manufacturing process (ethoxylation), which is classified as a possible human carcinogen (IARC Group 2B).

Why here: 1,4-dioxane is a manufacturing impurity that can remain in the final SLES ingredient and thus in rinse-off products.
What would have to be true: Dermal exposure from rinse-off products containing SLES, with regulatory limits in place to minimize exposure (e.g., New York State limits 1,4-dioxane to 1 ppm in personal care products from December 31, 2023).
The other side: Regulatory bodies like the FDA, European Commission, and Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety (SCCS) require SLES to be purified to minimize 1,4-dioxane levels, ensuring they are kept well below safety thresholds in commercial products.

Sources the engine cites (no regulator, review or study among them):

2 web articles (greenagrochem.com, polymerchem.org), linked in the app.

EmergingEnvironmentalconfidence 80%

Sodium laureth sulfate exhibits low to moderate toxicity to aquatic life and can disrupt aquatic ecosystems if released in large quantities, despite being generally biodegradable.

Why here: SLES from rinse-off products enters wastewater systems and can eventually reach natural water bodies.
What would have to be true: Aquatic organisms exposed to SLES in water bodies at concentrations ranging from 0.004–3509 mg/L.
The other side: SLES is generally considered biodegradable under aerobic conditions, and its degradation rate varies depending on environmental conditions, reducing its persistence in ecosystems.

Sources the engine cites (no regulator, review or study among them):

2 web articles (greenagrochem.com, polymerchem.org), linked in the app.

Not researched here

The engine has no dossier for sodium laureth sulfate when cooked with heat, in cold food, as a finishing ingredient, in heated food packaging or other uses. The app researches an ingredient for the use it infers from your product, so a scan fills these in; this page only shows what has already been researched and source-verified.

This is research, not medical advice. Detox My Life shows sourced claims sorted by evidence tier. It does not diagnose, treat, or tell you to start or stop anything. Talk to a qualified professional about your health.

Scan your own. The app reads any product label with your camera, works out how you are about to use it, and researches every ingredient for that use with live sources. Every scan adds to a Detox Score for your home, where 50 is a typical home in your region, and a plan of next swaps.

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