Sodium cocoamphoacetate is a natural based surfactant, used in personal care and industrial products. It is a mild and foaming agent in many shampoos, bubble baths and baby cleansers; it is used in many washing-up liquids and hard surface detergents.
Ecologically speaking, this chemical is not concerning: according to European law (Reg CE/648/2004/) for the part dealing with surfactants, it is readily biodegradable and it does not accumulate in the environment.
So, why Bensos chose not to use it? The reasons lie in its long-term toxicity: this chemical and its metabolites (i.e. the new substances that arise when human body absorbs and assimilates sodium cocoamphoacetate) show the tendency to interfere with the common cell replication (mitosis) of human lymphocites. This kind of interference may form polyploid cells; published studies (Storchova et al., 2004; Thorpe et al., 2007) link genetic instability inherent in polyploidy to cells damages that may lead to the development of cancer.
Bensos considers it appropriate to protect the users’ – especially kids’ – skin from exposition to such chemicals that may interfere with immunitary cells, so it decided to avoid sodium cocoamphoacetate as ingredient for products.
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