The Home Chemical Almanac · Chapter 1
Anionic surfactants
Correct as of November 2026.
If the label says "anionic surfactants"
These are the strong cleaners in most laundry and dishwashing products. They grab oily dirt and make foam. "Anionic surfactants" on a label is most often one of the seven chemicals below. The label doesn't have to say which.
All seven are legal and widely approved. The worst facts are mostly about the strong raw chemical, not the diluted bottle.
A word on contaminants: some of these chemicals can pick up unwanted by-products while they're being made. In a well-made product the levels are low or nil, and that's the usual case. But you can't see it on the label, so it's worth knowing which ones carry the risk.
Cheat sheet
| Chemical | Badges | Also on labels as | Worst fact | Take care if |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SLS | — | sodium dodecyl sulfate | Scientists' go-to chemical for irritating skin | eczema, mouth ulcers |
| ALS | — | ammonium lauryl sulfate | SLS by another name, same irritation | eczema, dry skin |
| Sodium coco-sulfate | — | sodium coco sulfate | The "gentler" swap is rated harsher on skin | eczema, sensitive skin |
| SLES | 🛢 💧 | sodium lauryl ether sulfate | Can carry 1,4-dioxane, a possible carcinogen | sensitive eyes |
| LAS | 🛢 | sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate | Made from benzene; survives sewage digestion | — |
| AOS | 💧 | sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate | Japan: suspected of harming the unborn child | sensitive skin |
| SAS | — | sodium C14-17 alkyl sec sulfonate | Concentrate caused lasting eye damage in a test | — |
☠ Poison schedule (Australia) · ⚠ Officially classed skin allergen · 🛢 Made from a hazardous chemical · 💧 Contaminant risk
The chemicals
- Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)
- Ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS)
- Sodium coco-sulfate
- Sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) 🛢 💧
- Linear alkylbenzene sulfonate (LAS) 🛢
- Sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate (AOS) 💧
- Secondary alkane sulfonate (SAS)
Safer alternatives
Soap has been made for thousands of years. Castile soap was originally made from olive oil in the Castile region of Spain, and it's often called the gold standard of natural soaps. The glucosides are newer: they're made from plant sugar and fatty alcohols from coconut or palm kernel oil, and they're much milder on skin than SLS. A small number of people are allergic to glucosides.
Look for these on the label:
- Castile soap (potassium olivate, sodium olivate)
- Decyl glucoside
- Coco-glucoside
- Lauryl glucoside
Sources
Regulators and official lists
- Australian Government. Poisons Standard October 2026 (SUSMP), F2026L01327: lauryl sulfate salts. TGA, Notice of final decisions, ACCS #40 (May 2026): medium and long chain (C6-15) alkyl sulfates, from 1 October 2027.
- Safe Work Australia. Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS): classifications for each chemical and for benzene and ethylene oxide. hcis.safeworkaustralia.gov.au
- AICIS. Evaluation statement EVA00146: alkyl sulfates (2024). industrialchemicals.gov.au
- NICNAS. IMAP Tier II assessments: sodium, ammonium and potassium lauryl sulfate (2013); sodium and ammonium laureth sulfate. industrialchemicals.gov.au
- US Cosmetic Ingredient Review. Final report on sodium lauryl sulfate and ammonium lauryl sulfate (1983); sodium alpha-olefin sulfonates (1998); sodium cetearyl sulfate and related alkyl sulfates, incl. sodium coco-sulfate (2010).
- UK MHRA. Drug Safety Update: aqueous cream may cause skin irritation (2013). gov.uk
- US FDA. 1,4-dioxane in cosmetics: a manufacturing byproduct. fda.gov
- IARC. Monographs vol. 71: 1,4-dioxane (1999).
- New York State DEC. 1,4-dioxane limits for household cleansing, personal care and cosmetic products. dec.ny.gov
- HERA (Human and Environmental Risk Assessment). Reports on LAS (2013), alcohol ethoxysulfates (AES) and secondary alkane sulfonate (SAS, 2005). heraproject.com
- Japan NITE. GHS classification results for sodium C14-16 olefin sulfonate. chem-info.nite.go.jp
- Environment and Climate Change Canada / Health Canada. Screening assessment: alkyl sulfates and α-olefin sulfonate group (2017). canada.ca
- EU Detergents Regulation (EC) 648/2004, Annex VII (label bands). legislation.gov.uk
Studies
- Alli BY et al. SLS-free dentifrices and recurrent aphthous stomatitis: systematic review. J Oral Pathol Med 2019;48:358-364.
- Löffler H, Happle R. Skin irritation by SLS, SLES and alkyl polyglucoside. Contact Dermatitis 2003.
- Dayrit FM. The properties of lauric acid in coconut oil. J Am Oil Chem Soc 2015;92:1-15.
- Alfalah M et al.; Loranger C et al. Alkyl glucosides: Allergen of the Year 2017. Dermatitis 2017;28(1).
- University of Bristol, School of Chemistry. Molecule of the Month: sodium lauryl sulfate.