A chemical found in mainly shampoos, toothpastes, and liquid soaps, for the general public, and it is primarily used for its ability to promote easy lather. The chemical has been known to strip down the top layer of skin, the epidermis, which aids in sealing in of water moisture. The chemical has also been proven to have the ability, with prolonged exposure, to dry out and dull the hair shaft. Also known to wash out the color from dyed hair. Most alternatives for sodium lauryl sulfate are sodium laureth sulfate, ammonium laureth sulfate, and ammonium lauryl sulfate. All the chemicals mentioned are also cleansers with the ability to promote lather easily, and are usually the main ingredient, second only to water, in the products in which they are used. The best way to know if these ingredients are used in your products is to read the ingredient list. There are also organic alternatives used in botanic products, and then none of the chemicals listed above should appear.
The chemical is also used as an agent in industrial strength cleaners for its cleansing ability. The main reason this industrial strength cleanser is used in personal care products is its ability to promote foam and lather easily. Most consumers visually associate lathering with clean, and therefore prefer shampoos and soaps that lather easily. Shampoos containing fatty acids, found in lipids, have been shown to help cleanse the hair just as affectively as sodium lauryl sulfate, but do not create the same amount of lather. Some products use both sodium lauryl sulfate and fatty acids to effectively cleanse hair.
This chemical has also been proven to be rather effective in the prevention of spreading specific STDs/STIs . The chemical has been shown to provide levels of protection against HIV, chlamydia, herpes type 1 and 2, and gonorrhea. This has thus far been proven on laboratory mice and is currently being tested on women, in the form of a microbicide liquid, in clinical trials. Sodium lauryl sulfate may one day be used as a mainstream way of preventing the spread of these diseases in humans.
This being said, sodium lauryl sulfate has not been positively proven dangerous in any shape or form. The only negative effect this chemical may have on the body is a drying of the skin, hair, and sometimes nails. Although results have been observed, discontinuing use of products with this chemical may or may not help improve moisture.