Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is found in shampoos, soaps, various beauty and cleaning products, and even some foods. Learn more about this chemical, such as how it works and whether it’s safe.

Shirley Hagel, a color specialist at Spoke and Weal salon, puts it bluntly: “Sodium lauryl sulfate, which is the harshest of the sulfates, is the same ingredient used in Dawn dish soap.” ...

In consumer products, the most common sulfate compounds are sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) and sodium laureth sulfate (SLES). These come from fatty alcohols made from palm kernel oil or petroleum oil ...