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CarCareTruth

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

  • Anionic surfactants
  • CAS 151-21-3
  • IUPAC: Sodium dodecyl sulfate

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) (CAS 151-21-3) appears in 11 of the 2,122 car-care products CarCareTruth tracks (as of August 2026). It is readily biodegradable.

Skin and eye irritant at higher concentrations. LD50 oral rat 1,200 mg/kg. LC50 inhalation rat >3,900 mg/m3. Well-studied surfactant used in thousands of consumer products at low concentrations.

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is one of the most common anionic surfactants in cleaning products, personal care, and industrial formulations. In auto-detailing products it serves as a wetting agent and foaming surfactant at low concentrations (typically <5%).

At the concentrations used in car-care products (<5%), SLS contributes to the cleaning action without driving hazard classification at the mixture level. The ingredient-level aquatic toxicity (LC50 fish 1–10 mg/L per Griot's SDS §12) is real but does not manifest as a mixture-level H4xx code when diluted in the final product formula.

Readily biodegradable. Not bioaccumulative. Often confused with sodium laureth sulfate (SLES), which is the ethoxylated form with a milder skin-irritation profile.

Health & environment profile

VOC
no
Prop 65 listed
no
Asthmagen
no
EPA Safer Choice
no
Aquatic toxicity
yes
Biodegradable
yes
Bioaccumulative
no
Persistent
no
Ozone depleting
no
Microplastic
no
PFAS
no
Env. score
4/5
Purpose: Anionic surfactant — aids wetting and rinse-off

Common questions about Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)

What is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) used for in car care?
Anionic surfactant — aids wetting and rinse-off
Is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) a VOC?
No. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is not classified as a volatile organic compound (VOC).
Is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) on California's Proposition 65 list?
No. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is not on California's Proposition 65 list.
Is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) biodegradable?
Yes. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) has a confirmed biodegradable profile.

11 products contain this

Related

Health and environment notes translate the manufacturer Safety Data Sheet, the GHS classification, and authoritative regulatory listings (California Prop 65, EPA). Not medical advice. They describe the ingredient itself; whether a hazard applies to a finished product depends on its concentration and how it's used.