Sodium lauryl sulfate

Sodium lauryl sulfate (CAS 151-21-3), commonly abbreviated as SLS and designated E487, is an anionic surfactant used across personal care, food, and industrial manufacturing.

Where is Sodium lauryl sulfate used?

• Personal care: primary foaming and cleansing agent in toothpastes and shampoos
• Body washes: consistent lather and soil removal
• Food: emulsifier and whipping aid in egg-white products
• Marshmallow confections under the E487 designation
• Textile and leather processing: wetting and scouring agent that improves dye penetration and removes surface contaminants
• Industrial cleaning and printing: dispersant and degreaser in press-wash compounds and hard-surface cleaners
• It delivers foaming, emulsification, and detergency in formulated products.
• Cosmetics and personal care products: emulsifier that ensures uniform and stable emulsification of creams and lotions.
• Latex polymerization: emulsifier.
• Protein analysis: denatures proteins and imparts uniform negative charges for separation by molecular weight.
• Veterinary and agricultural applications: flea and tick shampoos and emulsifier in pesticides, fungicides, and insecticides.

Formulation notes

• Incompatible with acids; should not be stored with them.
• Precipitation can occur if dissolved at room temperature or if buffer has low conductivity; heating to 37 °C and stirring is recommended.
• Can cause concentration- and exposure-dependent irritation of skin and mucosal tissues by disrupting epithelial lipid layers and proteins.

Typical specification

• Available in powder form for industrial applications.
• The granular form minimizes dust during handling.
• Purity is generally ≥98% by HPLC or GC-MS, and impurities can affect reproducibility.
• Effective at pH between 6 and 10; outside this range, ionization and solubilization capacity decreases.

Regulatory status

• INCI name: SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE.

Storage, packaging and handling

• Controls are needed to limit aerosol formation when handling powder or concentrate to avoid respiratory irritation.
• Store in a cool, dry place.

Frequently asked questions about Sodium lauryl sulfate

Which grade is recommended for analytical or biochemical use?

Analytical or biochemical grade SDS (ACS, FCC, USP, EP) is recommended because impurities such as aldehydes, peroxides, or inorganic salts can alter protein migration, cause diffuse bands, or interfere with detection.

What role does sodium lauryl sulfate play in topical drugs and creams?

It is used in topical drugs and creams to enhance the effect of active ingredients.

How is SLS used in coating microgranules?

It is used as an antistatic agent for coating microgranules to help eliminate static electricity.

Technical content is compiled and updated by the SoleChem product team from public technical sources; the certificate of analysis (COA) governs product-specific specifications.