You Should Know

~~You should also know that SLS is banned in the EU, so this post made no sense to me until I went to Google for answers...~~

~~I swear, sometimes it's hard to fathom the little ways you got it rough over there.~~

A Google listicle about "7 banned substances in the EU" or some shit, straight up lied to me.

SLS (Sodium laurilsulfate) is not banned, not even particularly regulated, in medicinal products, in the EU.

"The vast majority of SLS use is in oral products (tablets and capsules) where it rarely displays any adverse reactions."

It only is "not permitted", as a food additive in the EU, and there is a 2017 study which argues for its regulation in skin products, because of irritation.

I was careless on the internet, and the world is more complicated than it seemed at first glance. Story as old as time.

I think the article is misleading. The studies don't seem to show that SLS causes canker sores, but if you do suffer from them, it will exacerbate them or delay their healing. The article says "studies", while only citing one study, that actually recruited patients who already suffered from the sores. A double blinded cross-over trial concluded that "The number of ulcers and episodes did not differ significantly between SLS-A, SLS-B, and SLS-free. Only duration of ulcers and mean pain score was significantly decreased during the period using SLS-free. Although SLS-free did not reduce the number of ulcers and episodes, it affected the ulcer-healing process and reduces pain in daily lives in patients with [canker sores]." Although I don't have access to the full version, so I can't view the details. By the way, SLS-A was an SLS-free toothpaste spiked with 1.5% SLS, and SLS-B was a commercially available toothpaste with 1.5% SLS in it already.

You can tell that the article is trying to sensationalise something by such phrases as:

• "But there’s no reason to accept a hazardous chemical in your toothpaste." You know what else is in your toothpaste? Sodium fluoride. Which is lethal at high enough dose. It's all about the concentration.

• "It’s strong stuff — the cleaning solution I use on our garage floor is 50% SLS." Well, yes, if you use it at concentrations ridiculously above the ones found in a toothpaste, of course it's going to be "strong stuff". You know what else is strong stuff? 100% acetic acid. Yet somehow, at 10% we happily consume it as vinegar. By the way, vinegar - great cleaning agent!

Don't get me wrong, if you're sensitive to SLS, by all means avoid it. But I'm not a fan of articles that make blanket statements about a chemical that is mostly harmful in the concentration that it's used in hygiene products. It's another one of those "aspartame gives you cancer" (which it doesn't by the way).

Most stores (in US) have Sensodyne. I switched to them when I learned that my old toothpastes were causing cankers. I'll never go back

Americans have such weird issues. It's almost like unfettered capitalism is a problem or something.

I found this out on my own as an adult after years of being unable to build a toothbrushing habit from childhood.

-Brush teeth

-canker sores

-hurts to much to brush for a week

-forget about brushing altogether

-month or two later remember that i should be brushing my teeth regularly

-repeat

Now that i know the problem i can buy toothpaste that doesn't actively harm me, but that doesn't fix the 20 years of not brushing or make it easier to build that habit as an adult :/

I use an SLS toothpaste and have never had canker sores but I agree it seems silly to add it when even a small dab of toothpaste creates an unnecessary amount of foam with proper brushing.

Sensodyne Pronamel is SLS free and has fluoride.

I hate these sores with a passion. You can fix them instantly with Oralmedic from the internet (possibly currently undergoing supply chain issues but that is temporary). It is agonizing— you are cauterizing the sore— but provides immediate and permanent relief. You can also get a laser for it, which does not hurt but is way higher effort and costs a ton more. I am passionate about my sore hatred so I have done this.

If you don’t want to do either, Canker Shield is available on Amazon and reduces sore lifespan to around 24-48hr. Also painful to use but nothing is as bad as Oralmedic or debacterol. Combine that with supplements (not one size fits all, lysine seems to have high success rate though) and you can deal with these while away from home.

Anyway this tip actually reminded me to check my travel toothpastes which naturally do have SLS. So thank you. I had noticed an uptick to a sore every couple months since Covid “ended” but that cause slipped my mind

I used to get terrible stomach aches after brushing and it was enough that I completely stopped brushing for a long stupid time. Even when I made myself do it I ended up with this tons of skin falling off inside my mouth every morning if I brushed before bed. It was absolutely nasty. When the dentist used those plastic trays with the fluoride foam it would leave me curled up on the couch for the rest of the day in pain.

One day my wife suggested that maybe I have a problem with SLS and I switched to sensodyne pronamel which was the cheapest SLS free toothpaste I we could find and all of these problems went away. I'm now a regular brusher and feel stupid for not figuring it out years ago because my teeth have suffered from my ignorance.

In the interest of being thorough I switched back to my old toothpaste for a day and the symptoms immediately returned after just one night-time brushing. Sure I could go through many more changes to try to pin down exactly whether it is SLS or something else that's different between the two toothpastes I was using, and I recognize that, but SLS was enough of a reason for me to switch and I'm happy now.

Also make sure you choose a toothpaste that has stannous fluoride and not sodium fluoride. It's much more effective

SLS is in SO many products. Switching to a shampoo free from sulphates cured my dandruff and halted my hair loss.

Surprise, not rubbing surfactant into your scalp makes it healthier haha

I used to suffer canker sores fairly regularly. I switched to Non-sls toothpaste, took Supplements with folic acid and B12, and now I only get them when I bite my cheek or something

Extra super mega plus a million on this advice! I suffer these ulcers too and they're horrible. I have three right now, in fact.

I bear good news though: King Soopers/Ralph's/Kroger has SLS-free toothpaste for cheap now! Check the ingredients in your region of course but this is the one I get: https://www.kroger.com/p/kroger-enamel-protection-mint-breeze-gentle-whitening-for-sensitive-teeth-toothpaste/0004126037699

To quickly check any grocery store brand though, you can also look for "Compare to Sensodyne ProNamel". That's a brand name one with no SLS. These should all pretty easily available in US grocery stores, from what I've found.

If you’re sensitive or are allergic to SLS, ysk that it’s in damn near everything - not just toothpaste and cleaning supplies, but also laundry detergent, soap, face and body wash, shaving cream, and bubble bath. It also goes by a plethora of other names, so that’s fun.

Does Sensodyne have any ingredients that cause this?

I am roughly 40 and don't believe I have ever had a canker sore. I don't even know what that is.

I do have good luck buying SLS free toothpaste that has fluoride, I believe it is happy brand. Widely available and I live in a pretty remote area. Not always with fluoride, you have to look at the package. Low foam 🙂

toothpaste brands that you find in asia have an even higher quantity of SLS and it's completely fucked

After looking for years for a solution to treat those and trying so much shit that often ended up making the sores even worse I found good product. Dexamethasone solution. Rinse a couple times and its good. Also doesnt hurt.

I thought it was because of the food i was eating, thanks a lot

For my fellow mint haters (we exist!), I've found hello toothpaste and Oxyfresh gentle to be a great combo.

I suffered for years before finding out about SLS causing canker sore outbreaks. Switched to an SLS free toothpaste, and haven't had a canker sore in years. Little advice for people still suffering from them though, rinsing your mouth out with peroxide, instantly stops the pain. Also no burning sensation like you get with a fresh cut. It also seems to shorten their duration too. Just be careful not to swallow any.