Sodium Lauryl Sulfate
INCI · Sodium Lauryl Sulfate · also SLS, Sodium dodecyl sulfate
Overview
A strong anionic surfactant that lifts oil and debris off skin and hair and foams heavily while doing it. Dermatology research uses it as the standard way to provoke barrier disruption in a test patch, which is a fair indication of how efficiently it strips lipids.
Who it's for
Best suited to rinse-off formats, where contact time is short. Even there, dry, sensitive or eczema-prone skin usually does better on a milder surfactant system.
Cautions
How harsh it is depends on concentration, contact time and what else is in the formula, so a rinse-off cleanser and a leave-on product are not comparable on the strength of this one name. It is a different molecule from sodium laureth sulfate, and despite a claim that circulates widely it has no established link to cancer.
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What does Sodium Lauryl Sulfate do in skincare?
A strong anionic surfactant that lifts oil and debris off skin and hair and foams heavily while doing it. Dermatology research uses it as the standard way to provoke barrier disruption in a test patch, which is a fair indication of how efficiently it strips lipids.
Is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate considered safe for skin?
How harsh it is depends on concentration, contact time and what else is in the formula, so a rinse-off cleanser and a leave-on product are not comparable on the strength of this one name. It is a different molecule from sodium laureth sulfate, and despite a claim that circulates widely it has no established link to cancer.