The Wall Street Journal: Lab Notes

    By Jerry E. Bishop

 

Whether soaps and shampoos damage the eyes of children could become an area of
controversy.

 

Researchers at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta are testing the long-term
effects on the eyes of sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS, an ingredient of many soaps and
shampoos, until now, has been considered safe since no one has seen any obvious
damage to human or animal eyes. "Due to widespread use of such detergents where
exposure to the eye may occur, and immediately dangerous situations should have
been readily observable," Georgia opthamology professor told a meeting last month of
the non-profit Research to Prevent Blindness organization.

 

But now, new test-tube and animal experiments hint at potential problems. The
experiments found that SLS is rapidly absorbed by eyes, particularly the eyes of young,
growing animals. It is retained there in the eye for several days and causes some
mysterious changes in certain proteins, and it delays the healing of wounds in the
surface of the cornea.

 

"Our findings lead us to call more judicious use of detergents such as SLS," by both
manufacturers and consumers.

 

"This is particularly true when possible accidental exposure to SLS could occur in
infants, where growth is occurring, and in any instance where a healing process
occurs."