Sodium lauryl sulfate

Sodium lauryl sulfate is a whipping agent and surfactant, used to help egg white and other proteins foam, and as a wetting agent. It is better known as the foaming agent in toothpaste and shampoo.

Where it is and isn’t permitted

Status of Sodium lauryl sulfate by jurisdiction. Every jurisdiction this site covers is listed, including those where the substance does not appear.
JurisdictionStatusScope and limitsCitation
United StatesFood and Drug AdministrationPermitted, with conditions21 CFR 172.822retrieved 2026-09-07
Codex AlimentariusCodex Alimentarius Commission / JECFANot listedDoes not appear on this jurisdiction’s permitted list. That is not the same as being prohibited.

What it is made from

Made by sulfating lauryl alcohol, usually from coconut or palm kernel oil, and neutralising with sodium.

  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
InChIKey
DBMJMQXJHONAFJ-UHFFFAOYSA-M
PubChem
CID 3423265

Every name it appears under

61 recorded names. A label may use any of them.

CAS registry number

  • 151-21-3

As it appears in regulation

  • Sodium lauryl sulfate

Other names

  • Anticerumen
  • Aquarex methyl
  • Avirol 118 conc
  • Dodecyl sodium sulfate
  • Dodecyl sulfate, sodium salt
  • Dreft
  • Dupanol WAQ
  • Duponal
  • Duponol
  • Duponol methyl
  • Duponol QC
  • Duponol qx
  • Duponol WA dry
  • Duponol waqa
  • Duponol WAQE
  • Empicol LX 28
  • Finasol osr(sub 2)
  • Finasol osr2
  • Gardinol
  • Hexamol SLS
  • Incronol SLS
  • Irium
  • Lauryl sulfate sodium salt
  • Lauyl sodium sulfate
  • Maprobix NEU
  • Melanol CL
  • Melanol CL 30
  • NALS
  • Natriumlaurylsulfat
  • Neutrazyme
  • Perklankrol ESD 60
  • Perlandrol L
  • Perlankrol L
  • Richonol af
  • Sintapon L
  • Sipex SP
  • Sipex UB
  • Sodium dodecyl sulfate
  • Sodium dodecyl sulphate
  • Sodium dodecylsulfate
  • SODIUM LAURYL SULFATE
  • Sodium lauryl sulphate
  • Sodium monododecyl sulfate
  • Sodium n-dodecyl sulfate
  • Solsol needles
  • Standapol 112 conc
  • Standapol WAQ
  • Standapol waq special
  • Standapol was 100
  • Steinapol NLS 90
  • Stepanol me dry
  • Stepanol ME Dry AW
  • Stepanol methyl
  • Stepanol T 28
  • Stepanol WA
  • Stepanol WA Paste
  • Stepanol wac
  • Stepanol waq
  • Sterling WAQ-CH

Hazard reference values

No reference value for this substance in the sources we hold.

Evidence and how bodies read it

Studies, and the differing conclusions regulators drew from them, are curated by hand rather than machine-read, and none has been written for this substance yet.

Sources for this page

  • ecfr retrieved 2026-09-07

Full licence terms and publisher details on Sources. How this page is built and updated: Method.

Machine-readable:/api/v1/additives/sodium-lauryl-sulfate.json