DETERGENT vs SOAP

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS), also known as Sodium dodecyl sulfate, is a widely used surfactant in cleaning products, cosmetics, and personal care products. The sodium lauryl sulfate formula is a highly effective anionic surfactant used to remove oily stains and residues. It is found in high concentrations in industrial products, including engine degreasers, floor cleaners, and car wash products, where workplace protections can be implemented to avoid unsafe exposures. However, SLS is also used in lower concentrations in household and personal care products such as cleaning products, toothpaste, mouthwash, shampoo, and shaving foam.

I have found several scholarly articles (below) that indicate that detergent (surfactant) when mixed with a carcinogen increases its effectiveness in penetrating the cell wall. We are exposed to carcinogens in the environment and even in the food that we eat, especially grilled food. It is a bad idea to also ingest detergent or wash with  it.  Use castile soap for bathing and washing dishes. However I still use detergent for washing clothes. 

There are a variety of SLS free toothpaste choices available but it took me about 4 months of searching to find a Listerine type mouthwash that did not have detergent. In Walgreens, I shook the Scope and observed the suds. I went from the top shelf to the bottom. It was the same for all of the mouthwash except for Dr. Tichenor's Peppermint Mouthwash Concentrate, Original Formula Since 1864. I mix it 3:1 with water, add potassium nitrate (~5%), and also use that as my toothpaste. It is available on Amazon. 

Sodium lauryl sulfate is also an ingredient in some foods to avoid.  

https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-21/chapter-I/subchapter-B/part-172/subpart-I/section-172.822  

“Sodium dodecyl sulfate, appearing as its synonym sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS), is considered a generally recognized as safe (GRAS) ingredient for food use as an emulsifier in or with egg whites the United States Code of Federal Regulations require that it must not exceed 1,000 parts per million (0.1%) in egg white solids or 125 parts per million (0.0125%) in frozen or liquid egg whites and as a whipping agent for the preparation of marshmallows (or lemon meringue pie)it must not exceed 0.5% of the weight of gelatin.”  

http://carcin.oxfordjournals.org/content/3/12/1419.short

T Shirai, K Imaida, S Fukushima・- ・ 1982 - Oxford Univ Press 

"the enhancing effect of a surfactant when combined with a carcinogen may be the result of increased absorption of the carcinogen due to penetrating property of the surfactant." 

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK53010/  

How Tobacco Smoke Causes Disease: The Biology and Behavioral Basis for Smoking-Attributable Disease: A Report of the Surgeon General.

"Surfactant phospholipids may help to solubilize carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons increasing their concentrations in the lung epithelium."

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/136828/   

 Y Uchida, W Schlake, A Roessner・- Journal of Cancer ・ 1976 - Springer 

"It appears that surfactants may facilitate the intrusion of Methylnitronitrosoguanidine into the protective mucous barrier and the contact of the carcinogen with the gastric mucosa." (Takahashi et al., 1973).

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF00330108   

C Gloxhuber - Archives of toxicology, 1974 - Springer

"Studies on Carcinogenic Potential The problem of toxicological effects caused by prolonged ingestion of smaller amounts of surfactants via drinking water raises the question of carcinogenic potential."  (Saffiotti et al., 1962).