Chapter 1: Anionic surfactants
Ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS)
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The worst fact: it's SLS with one part swapped. Australia's regulator expects "identical hazard profiles", and it falls under the same Poisons Standard entry, which exempts products with 30% or less.
Why brands use it: the same as SLS: cheap, foamy and a strong cleaner.
Take care if: you have dry or sensitive skin or eczema, or for your eyes. It dries skin and irritates eyes at higher strengths.
Comes from: coconut or palm kernel oil, or petroleum.
Myth check: "It's the gentle version of SLS": no, regulators treat the two as the same.
Contaminants: nil.
Fair to say: like SLS, it's considered safe when rinsed off.
Correct as of November 2026. What the badges mean
Sources
- Safe Work Australia. Hazardous Chemical Information System (HCIS): classifications for each chemical and for benzene and ethylene oxide. hcis.safeworkaustralia.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).
The full source list is at the end of Chapter 1.