What is SCI and why we do not recommend its use in solid shampoo

MATARRANIA’s organic cosmetics are firmly committed to quality and purity, which is why we always seek the most natural option when formulating any of our products. In the case of solid shampoos, we choose saponification of the oil with caustic soda because it is a system in which all the ingredients are of natural origin. This makes it different from most of the solid shampoos we can find on the market, whose main ingredient is SCI, an apparently harmless ingredient but with a highly controversial origin, which we will discuss in detail today.

What is SCI?

SCI is Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate, the main ingredient in many solid shampoos. In general, there is a lack of information regarding the origin, composition and effects of this ingredient, which already raises concern. Searching for its description, we find that SCI is a primary anionic surfactant derived from coconut oil, made from coconut fatty acids.

It is described as a good detergent, with creamy foam, good moisturising quality and well tolerated by all skin types, which is why it is commonly used in the manufacture of solid shampoos, liquid shampoos, shower bars or shaving products.

Is SCI really a natural and safe ingredient?

According to the information we have, it is not a truly natural ingredient, nor is it safe for the body. We reached this conclusion after accessing a report by the BioVidaSana certification standard, which was carried out following a request to analyse this ingredient in order to include it in their standard. The result of this report is that it is not a clear ingredient and, therefore, it is not accepted by this standard, nor by the rest of the European organic certification standards, and therefore it is not accepted as an organic ingredient.

“SCI may be partly natural, but it also has a synthetic part. The difficult part to accept is Isethionic Acid, because it is normally obtained by combining Sodium Bisulfite with Ethylene Oxide, which is a petrochemical ingredient, considered toxic in cosmetics, and not approved so far by any of the main certified natural cosmetics standards.”

Faced with some arguments in favour of this ingredient, mainly from suppliers, BioVidaSana concludes that they do not provide sufficient data to verify its safety in these two main aspects:

• The presence of ethylene oxide in the final product. It is not guaranteed that this substance evaporates during the process, so traces of ethylene oxide may remain in the final product, as well as 1,4-Dioxane, both substances classified as carcinogenic. Source: Chemical of the Day.

• The effect on the skin. Although it is indicated to be a mild surfactant and non-irritating to the skin, the report considers that claim questionable, since SCI is only slightly irritating at percentages below 50% in rinse-off products. In solid shampoo formulations, SCI usually represents between 10% and 70% of the formula. Source: Truth in Aging.

Recently, BioVidaSana has published a post entitled ‘FRAUDULENT ADVERTISING Commercial strategies to call cosmetic products “organic” or “natural” when they are not’, which addresses the issue of SCI at the end of the article. We totally recommend reading it because it is very clear and forceful on topics such as the ‘zero waste’ claim or the genuine naturalness of products.

Instead, is saponification safe?

Saponification is a chemical process in which a fat (olive oil, coconut oil, almond oil...) in the presence of water, binds to an alkali (caustic soda or potassium hydroxide) and results in what is known as soap. In the final product, the soda is not present, nor is there water or oil. All the ingredients have reacted with each other, resulting in another product, soap, so soaps made in this way are completely safe.

In addition, cosmetic soaps, shower gels and saponified solid shampoos are super-fatted, that is, oil remains in the soap without reacting with the soda, so as well as cleansing, they care for the skin.

MATARRANIA makes its soaps using this process.