Abstract
The Expert Panel for Cosmetic Ingredient Safety reviewed newly available studies since their original assessment in 1998, along with updated information regarding product types and concentrations of use, and confirmed that sodium α-olefin sulfonates are safe as cosmetic ingredients in the practices of use and concentration as described in this report.
Keywords
NR, no reported use.
aBecause each ingredient may be used in cosmetics with multiple exposure types, the sum of all exposure types may not equal the sum of total uses.
bIt is possible these products are sprays, but it is not specified whether the reported uses are sprays.
The ingredients in this re-review are: • Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate • Sodium C12-14 Olefin Sulfonate • Sodium C14-18 Olefin Sulfonate • Sodium C16-18 Olefin Sulfonate
The new data reviewed by the Panel were collected from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA) database in the form of robust summaries of studies on sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate. Data were available on oral toxicity, reproductive and developmental toxicity, genotoxicity, carcinogenicity, irritation, and sensitization.2,3
In 2013, data on ingredient usage are provided to the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Voluntary Cosmetic Registration Program (VCRP; Table 1). 4 A survey was conducted by the Personal Care Products Council (Council) of the maximum use concentrations for these ingredients also in 2013. 5 Sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate was reported to be used in 11 leave-on products, 247 rinse-off products, and 42 products that are diluted for bath. These include 6 baby products, 36 hair products, 1 lipstick, and 171 personal cleanliness products. Sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate was reported to be used up to 13.2% in leave-on products, 19% in rinse-off products, and 10% in bath products. These include up to 10% in bubble baths and bath soaps and detergents, 19% in shampoos, and 13.2% in other personal cleanliness products. There were no concentrations of use reported for any baby products. Sodium C14-18 olefin sulfonate was reported to be used in 5 shampoos. 3 Sodium C14-18 olefin sulfonate is used at concentrations up to 16% in shampoos. According to the VCRP, there were no reported uses for sodium C12-14 olefin sulfonate. The Council reported that sodium C12-14 olefin sulfonate is used up to 5% in rinse-off products, including shampoos, hair tints, and skin cleansing preparations. There were no frequencies or concentrations of use reported for sodium C16-18 olefin sulfonate.
Footnotes
Author's Note
Unpublished sources cited in this report are available from the Director, Cosmetic Ingredient Review, 1620 L Street, NW, Suite 1200, Washington, DC 20036, USA.
Author Contributions
The articles in this supplement were sponsored by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review.
Declaration of Conflicting Interest
The author(s) declared the following potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The articles in this supplement were sponsored by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review.
Funding
The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: The articles in this supplement were sponsored by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review is financially supported by the Personal Care Products Council.