Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate

Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate is an anionic surfactant used in cleansers and shampoos (often a few percent up to ~10%+) and is well-documented to be more irritating than milder surfactants due to lipid/protein disruption of the stratum corneum. Human patch and repeated-wash exposure data show it can cause stinging, dryness, and irritant contact dermatitis—risk amplified in eczema, compromised barriers, and when combined with other actives or frequent cleansing. For sensitive-skin safety, it merits a high score because irritation is common and predictable at typical use concentrations. Safety Notes: In real-world consumer rinse-off products (cleansers, shampoos, body washes), ammonium lauryl sulfate is often used at low levels (~0.5–3%) as a secondary/anionic co-surfactant or foam booster in milder sulfate-containing systems and in sensitive-skin washes where total surfactant is kept low. At the high end, mass-market and “clarifying/deep clean” shampoos and strong foaming washes can reach ~15–25% ALS as supplied (typically corresponding to roughly ~10–18% active matter depending on the raw material strength), with higher use generally constrained by irritation potential and viscosity/phase behavior; it is rarely used in leave-on products and, if present there, is typically at trace/very low levels.

Suitability