Ingredient glossary / Cleansing agent
Disodium laureth sulfosuccinate
On the label: Disodium Laureth Sulfosuccinate · Cleansing agent
What it is
A mild secondary surfactant used to soften sulfate-based washes.
Cleansing agents: Surfactants lift oil and dirt so water can carry them off; the cleaning part of any wash, and what makes it foam.
Wikidata: Chemical compound. Q72469649 →
In the research
6 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Cleansing Mechanisms and Efficacy on Artificial Skin · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2025
- Mild but effective skin cleansing-Evaluation of laureth-23 as a primary surfactant · International journal of cosmetic science, 2024
- Safety Assessment of Alkyl PEG Sulfosuccinates as Used in Cosmetics · International journal of toxicology, 2015
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Other cleansing agents
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.