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So

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate

A high-foam cleanser that strips oil well and is a known irritant. As a face wash’s main cleanser, it’s often why skin feels tight.

What it does

It’s a cheap, foamy cleanser that’s very good at removing oil. It’s also a well-known skin irritant, used in research as the standard way to disrupt the barrier. In body wash or shampoo it’s on skin briefly; as the main cleanser in a face wash, it’s the usual reason skin feels tight.

The EU’s ingredient database lists it as a cleanser (helps keep skin clean).European Commission, CosIng (© European Union, CC BY 4.0) · uses put in plain words by Drop ↗

The evidence, graded

expert consensusIf skin is reactive, peeling, stinging, or burning unexpectedly, pause all actives — retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, AHAs, BHAs and vitamin C — and rebuild the barrier with a simple cleanser, a moisturizer and SPF for 2–4 weeks before re-introducing actives one at a time.Lodén 2003 · American Journal of Clinical Dermatology ↗

Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.

Also known as

SLS

Pairs worth knowing

Ceramides · works together ↗Panthenol (Pro-vitamin B5) · works together ↗Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) · works together ↗Glycerin · works together ↗

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