Final Report on the Safety Assessment of TEA-Lauryl Sulfate

Abstract

TEA-Lauryl Sulfate is the triethanolamine salt of lauryl sulfuric acid. It is used in cosmetics as a detergent, a stabilizer and a solubilizer. The ingredient was moderately to slightly toxic in acute oral studies with rats; reported LD50s ranged from 0.27 to > 1.95 g/kg. Animal studies showed that the surfactant is a significant skin and eye irritant. In clinical studies, shampoos containing 10.5% TEA-Lauryl Sulfate caused no irritation under semioccluded conditions. Diluted shampoos containing 0.15-7.5% of the surfactant caused human skin reactions ranging from no irritation to moderate irritation. This skin irritation phenomenon is observed with most detergents. Undiluted shampoos containing 10.5% TEA-Lauryl Sulfate showed low potential for eliciting human skin sensitization. No evidence of photosensitization was observed in subjects exposed to solutions containing up to 0.42% TEA-Lauryl Sulfate. On the basis of the available animal and human data, the Panel concludes that TEA-Lauryl Sulfate can be used without significant irritation at a final concentration not exceeding 10.5%. Greater concentrations may cause irritation, especially if allowed to contact the skin for significant periods of time.