1,4-dioxane is manufacturing byproduct that is a known carcinogen, or cancer-causing agent, and it has many other negative health effects. The U.S. EPA has identified 1,4-dioxane as a chemical of high concern for review. Ethoxylated surfactants such as sodium laureth-6 and ethoxylated alcohols, which can contain 1,4-dioxane, are manufactured by a process known as ethoxylation. This process takes a plant oil (such as coconut or palm oil) and reacts it with ethylene oxide to create a surfactant (cleaning agent). The problem is that during this process a compound known as 1,4-dioxane is also created. While it may not be intentionally added to a formula, it’s always present in formulas that use ethoxylated surfactants. We do not use ethoxylated surfactants in any of our ECOS products.