Ingredient glossary / Cleansing agent
Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES)
On the label: Sodium Laureth Sulfate · Cleansing agent
What it is
SLS with added ethylene oxide, which makes it milder; the commonest foaming agent in shampoo and body wash.
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. Q412561 →
In the research
28 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Preservative Kinetics and Influence of Surfactants on Gram-Negative Bacterial Membrane Partitioning · Langmuir : the ACS journal of surfaces and colloids, 2026
- Cleansing Mechanisms and Efficacy on Artificial Skin · Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2025
- Development and application of high-performance drilling hole protection materials · Scientific reports, 2025
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.
Products whose label lists it
3 on the siteMatched from the ingredient list the supplier printed; the position in the list (first or thirtieth) is on each product page.
Made in the USA
Made in the USA
Made in the USAOther cleansing agents
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