Short answer: Sulfates such as sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) are strong cleansing agents that lift oil from skin, and in dermatology studies SLS is the standard reference irritant. Frequent use can raise water loss from the skin and leave it feeling tight. GraceYes uses no sulfates, relying on cold-process soap, coco glucoside and mild co-surfactants, so our washes foam less.
Key takeaways
- SLS is the standard reference irritant in dermatology studies, and sulfate washes can raise water loss from the skin.
- SLES is gentler but its manufacture can leave traces of 1,4-dioxane.
- GraceYes uses no sulfates; our cleansing comes from cold-process soap, coco glucoside and mild co-surfactants.
- Caution: our washes foam less, and a sulfate-free wash is not a treatment for eczema or any skin condition.
If you want to give a volunteer a patch of irritated skin for a dermatology study, the standard method is a small amount of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) under a patch for 24 hours. It is the reference irritant of the field, with published protocols for how much to use and how to score the redness. It is also the first ingredient after water in most of the face washes, shampoos and body washes sold in India.
What does a sulfate do to your skin?
It removes oil, including some of the oil your skin needs. SLS and its cousin sodium laureth sulfate (SLES) are anionic surfactants. They are excellent at one job: grabbing oil and lifting it off a surface. Skin, unfortunately, is held together by oil. The outer layer is a brick-and-mortar structure of dead cells set in lipids, and a sulfate wash removes some of the mortar every time.
The measured consequences are consistent across decades of studies:
- Water loss goes up: transepidermal water loss, the standard measure of barrier damage, rises after SLS exposure and stays elevated for days
- Proteins denature: SLS binds to keratin in the outer skin, which is why skin feels tight and “squeaky” after washing
- Other chemicals get in more easily: a damaged barrier is a more permeable barrier, so whatever comes next in the routine is absorbed more
- Rebound oil: a scalp or face stripped of its lipids may produce more, which is one reason oily skin can feel oilier on harsh cleansers
For people with eczema or an already weak barrier, the effect is stronger. Atopic skin reacts to SLS at lower concentrations and takes longer to recover. If you have eczema or another skin condition, ask your doctor which cleanser suits you.
Why are sulfates in almost every wash?
Cost and performance. SLS is made from coconut or palm fatty alcohol treated with sulfur trioxide, in enormous volumes, for a few hundred rupees a kilo. It foams instantly in hard water, cleans grease off an engine, and is stable on a shelf for years. A formulator can build a wash around it for a fraction of the cost of milder surfactants, and the customer reads thick foam as “working”.
SLES is the ethoxylated version, gentler on skin but made through a process that can leave traces of 1,4-dioxane, a substance the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classes as possibly carcinogenic to humans. New York State now caps 1,4-dioxane in personal-care products at 1 part per million for that reason. India has no such limit.
What do we use instead of sulfates?
GraceYes has no sulfates in any product. Our cleansing comes from three places:
- Cold-process soap: oils turned into soap the slow way, which keeps the glycerin the reaction produces instead of removing it to sell separately. Glycerin is a humectant, so the bar leaves moisture behind
- Coco glucoside: an alkyl polyglucoside made from coconut fatty alcohol and glucose. In a 2007 comparison of surfactant irritation potential, alkyl polyglucosides were among the mildest tested, well below SLS on every measure
- Coco betaine and sodium cocoyl isethionate: mild co-surfactants used in our face wash and hair wash at low doses, both approved under the COSMOS natural-cosmetics standard
The honest trade-off: our washes foam less, and a little more slowly. Less foam does not mean less clean; it is simply how a gentler cleanser behaves.
Hair Wash & Conditioner
200 ml · ₹370
Three coconut-derived cleansers and no sulphates, with watermelon seed oil and shea butter for the lengths.
Not for you if you want thick, rich foam. It lathers softly.
How do the common cleansing agents compare?
| Cleansing agent | What it is | What the evidence says |
|---|---|---|
| SLS | Anionic surfactant from fatty alcohol and sulfur trioxide | The reference irritant in skin studies; raises water loss from skin |
| SLES | Ethoxylated version of SLS | Gentler on skin; process can leave traces of 1,4-dioxane |
| Coco glucoside | Alkyl polyglucoside from coconut and glucose | Among the mildest in a 2007 comparison |
| Cold-process soap | Oils made into soap the slow way | Keeps the glycerin the reaction produces |
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Honest note: a sulfate-free wash is not a treatment for any skin condition. If you have eczema or a scalp condition, check with your doctor first.
Frequently asked questions
Is SLS dangerous?
Not in the sense of a poison. The concern is irritation and barrier dryness, which vary by person and by how long a product stays on the skin. Ask your doctor if you have a skin condition.
Is SLES milder than SLS?
Yes, it is gentler on skin. It is made through ethoxylation, which can leave traces of 1,4-dioxane, so it has its own considerations.
Does more foam mean cleaner skin?
No. Foam is mostly a sign of the surfactant used, and customers have learned to read it as “working”. A wash with less foam can still clean.
Why does my skin feel tight after washing?
Tightness can be a sign that a cleanser has removed more oil than your skin can spare. A gentler cleanser, lukewarm water and a moisturiser may help. See a doctor if it persists.
Will a sulfate-free wash clean oily hair?
It can, though it lathers less and you may need a second wash at first. Give it a few weeks and see how your scalp feels.
In short: sulfates clean by stripping, and gentler cleansers trade foam for comfort.
Our motto: to make the cleanest beauty products
If you'd like to start with a bar, every soap in our range is cold-process and sulphate-free.
Browse our soap range →Sources
- Tupker RA et al. Guidelines on sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) exposure tests: a report from the Standardization Group of the European Society of Contact Dermatitis. Contact Dermatitis. 1997;37(2):53–69.
- Löffler H, Effendy I. Skin susceptibility of atopic individuals. Contact Dermatitis. 1999;40(5):239–242.
- Ananthapadmanabhan KP et al. Cleansing without compromise: the impact of cleansers on the skin barrier and the technology of mild cleansing. Dermatologic Therapy. 2004;17(Suppl 1):16–25.
- Mehling A, Kleber M, Hensen H. Comparative studies on the ocular and dermal irritation potential of surfactants. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 2007;45(5):747–758.
- IARC Monographs, Volume 71 (1999): 1,4-Dioxane, Group 2B.
- New York State Environmental Conservation Law §37-0117: 1,4-dioxane limit of 1 ppm in personal care products from 31 December 2023.
Related reading: how to read an ingredient label and what you put on your skin does not stay on your skin.