Lake Success, NY—Hain Celestial has reported it will be removing the claims that certain Earth’s Best personal care products contain “no harsh chemicals” and "no sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate," according to The Wall Street Journal.

This announcement comes after the newspaper commissioned tests on products containing sodium coco sulfate, SCS. Earth’s Best baby shampoo was one of many products containing SCS. The tests found that SCS is a blend of cleaning agents containing 50% sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS). This coconut-derived surfactant is said to irritate the mouth, skin and throat if it is used in high concentrations.

For years, Hain Celestial has stated its Earth’s Best line does not contain harsh chemicals such as SLS. In light of the report, the company announced is dropping this claim. According to ABCNews.com, Hain Celestial has been working since Spring 2015 to reformulate products to replace SCS with another agent. Julie Marchant-Houle, the company’s general manager for personal care stated they are not concerned with SCS’s safety, but the company is reformulating because of consumers’ preferences.

Published in WholeFoods Magazine June 2016 (Online, 4/8/16)