Safety Check: Avalon Organic Botanicals Lemon Clarifying Shampoo

Product: Avalon Organic Botanicals Lemon Clarifying Shampoo
Skin Deep Rating: N/A (not listed in the database)

This is a product used by two out of the three members of my household on a regular basis, as well as by at least two other extended family members. We've had it in the bathroom for at least two years now ... thought it was time to check out the ingredients and do a bit of a reality check here.

Based on the ingredients listed on the Avalon web site, what follows is a rating on an ingredient-by-ingredient basis following an itemized search on the Skin Deep database.

Ingredient List:
1. Purified water
Skin Deep Rating: N/A

2. cocamidopropyl betaine
Skin Deep Rating: 5/10 (moderate hazard)
Ouch ...

3. disodium cocoamphodiacetate
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)

4. sodium cocoyl sarcosinate
Skin Deep Rating: 2/10 (low hazard)

5. coconut acid
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10

6. babassuamidopropalkonium chloride
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10 (low hazard)

7. organic citrus limonum (lemon) peel)
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10 (low hazard)*
NOTE: The rating for this is based on the listing for "CITRUS MEDICA LIMONUM (LEMON) PEEL"

8. calendula officinalis (calendula) flower extract
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)
NOTE: The main hazard rating for this one is a link to Cancer. Damn!

9. chamomilla recutita (chamomile) flower extract
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)*
NOTE: The rating for this ingredient is based on the listing for "CHAMOMILLA RECUTITA (MATRICARIA) FLOWER EXTRACT" since there wasn't an exact match in the SD database.

10. butyrospermum parkii (shea butter)
Skin Deep Rating: 0/10 (low hazard)

11. vegetable glycerin
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)

12. bisabolol (chamomile)
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)

13. ethylhexylglycerin
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)

14. arginine (amino acid)
Skin Deep Rating: 3/10 (moderate hazard)
Concerns: Cancer, Developmental/Reproductive Toxicity etc.

15. panthenol (pro-vitamin B5)
Skin Deep Rating: 2/10 (low hazard)

16. tocopherol (vitamin E)
Skin Deep Rating: 2/10
NOTE: Cancer is one of the concerns with this ingredient

17. organic citrus medica limonum (lemon) peel oil
Skin Deep Rating: 1/10 (low hazard)

18. other essential oils
Skin Deep Rating: N/A

Ingredients to be concerned about:
1. cocamidopropyl betaine --> 5/10
2. arginine (amino acid) 3/10


Average rating of all listed ingredients (with "N/A" products counting as "0"): 1.17/10