For those that don’t necessarily want the chemical makeup and atomic mass, in easy terms… It’s the stuff that makes the bubbles in shampoo and soap known as lather.
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, (or SLS) is probably the most commonly used names that most people have heard about. SLS is also considered by some to be one of the most dangerous surfactants. By the way, this blog is not to voice my opinion on SLS. It is merely to share some interesting information that I discovered a few days ago. SLS is an extremely popular surfactant due to its low price, effectiveness, and versatility. SLS is used in a variety of conditions besides soap and shampoo. It is one of the most prevalent surfactants in toothpaste. You can go into your bathroom and check your toothpaste (your kids toothpaste will work too) ingredients and you’ll probably see SLS as one of the top 3. In toothpaste it is used to give it that nice mouth feel. I’ve personally used low and no SLS toothpaste before, and it feels like brushing your teeth with play-dough, but that’s just me.
