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sodium lauryl sulfate

American  
[soh-dee-uhm lawr-il suhlf-ayt] / ˈsoʊ di əm ˈlɔr ɪl ˈsʌlf eɪt /

noun

  1. a crystalline compound C12H25NaO4S, a salt of a sulfated derivative of lauryl alcohol, used as a surfactant in detergents, personal care products, and related products.


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

"The baddies that you want to look out for… is your mineral oil, your sodium lauryl sulfate, parfum, benzel peroxide" being high up on the ingredients list, Miss Truman says.

From BBC • Dec. 13, 2025

Many shampoos use sodium lauryl sulfate, a powerful cleanser.

From National Geographic • Aug. 22, 2023

“There are also other ingredients in toothpaste, such as fluoride, sodium lauryl sulfate, and flavoring agents that could irritate the skin and cause allergies,” Kourosh says.

From Washington Post • Jun. 6, 2022

Five trees were sprayed with from 1 to 5 pounds of technical DDT plus 1/2 pound of sodium lauryl sulfate to 100 gallons of water, and the sixth tree was left untreated as a check.

From Northern Nut Growers Association Incorporated 39th Annual Report at Norris, Tenn. September 13-15 1948 by Northern Nut Growers Association