Is Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate safe in cosmetics?
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted.
Good
Cosmetic Ingredient
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate
Also known as: Sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester, ammonium salt, Caswell No. 044B, Conco sulfate A, EINECS 218-793-9, EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 079028 (+3 more)
INCI: AMMONIUM LAURYL SULFATE
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate (CAS 2235-54-3) is a cosmetic cosmetic ingredient functioning as Surfactant, Cleansing, Foaming. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted, max 16%. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 2235-54-3 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate is classified GHS Danger (H302, H312, H315, H318, H335, H319) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics at max 16%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Surfactant, Cleansing, Foaming
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
azanium dodecyl sulfate
InChIKey
BTBJBAZGXNKLQC-UHFFFAOYSA-N
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
EU Max Conc.
16%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
No specific FDA restriction. CIR Expert Panel assessed safe in 1983 and reaffirmed in 2005 for rinse-off formulations. Not listed on FDA prohibited or restricted ingredients list.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Endocrine Disruptor Evidence (Expanded)
Cross-referenced EDC classifications, mechanism data, and dose-response evidence from EDLists, SIN List, and cosmetic-specific detail sources.
Cosmetic-Specific Mechanism
Category: surfactant
Receptor targets: ERα (via SDS-type membrane mechanism, very weak)
LOEC: N/A
EU status: allowed
very weak indirect modulator
Additional Ingredient Properties
8 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
comedogenicity_detail
{"comedogenicity_rating": "0", "irritancy_rating": "4", "skin_type_suitability": "oily", "acne_safe": "caution", "source": "Strong irritant"}
ecotoxicity
{"biodegradable": "yes", "biodegradation_days": "28-90", "bioaccumulative": "no", "aquatic_toxicity_level": "moderate", "coral_reef_safe": "no", "marine_toxicity": "similar to SLS", "freshwater_toxicity": "moderate fish toxicity", "endocrine_disruptor": "no", "persistent_organic_pollutant": "no", "microplastic": "no", "nano_particle": "no", "hawaii_banned": "no", "eu_restricted_environmental": "no…
hair_care
{"hair_function": "cleansing", "hair_type_suitability": "all", "curl_pattern_suitability": "all", "porosity_suitability": "all", "protein_sensitivity": "neutral", "moisture_protein_balance": "no", "cg_method_approved": "not-a-silicone", "silicone_type": "harsh", "sulfate_type": "no", "drying_alcohol": "no", "fatty_alcohol": "no", "heat_protectant": "no", "color_safe": "neutral", "keratin_bond": "y…
microbiome_impact
{"microbiome_effect": "negative", "prebiotic": "no", "probiotic_compatible": "no", "antimicrobial_spectrum": "broad", "preservative_effect_on_microbiome": "Similar to SLS; broad antimicrobial disruption; reduces diversity", "skin_flora_disruption": "severe", "gut_microbiome_risk": "low", "microbiome_recovery_time": "14-21 days", "selective_antimicrobial": "no", "pathogen_inhibition": "S. epidermid…
pediatric_safety
{"safe_for_newborn_0_6m": "caution", "safe_for_infant_6_12m": "caution", "safe_for_toddler_1_3y": "yes", "safe_for_child_3_12y": "yes", "safe_for_teen_12_18y": "yes", "pediatric_max_concentration_pct": "5.0", "adult_max_concentration_pct": "15.0", "pediatric_dermal_absorption_factor": "higher", "immature_skin_barrier_risk": "moderate", "oral_ingestion_risk": "low", "eye_irritation_risk": "moderate…
sensory
{"silky": "light", "smooth, glides easily": "foaming, cleansing", "dry-touch, non-greasy": "clean, fresh", "instant": "fast", "none": "very-high", "low": "low", "w/o": "o/w", "very-high": "high", "no": "no", "yes": "no", "1.40": "1.48", "transparent": "transparent", "colorless": "colorless", "excellent": "excellent", "light": "light", "synthetic": "synthetic"}
solubility_hlb
{"water_soluble": "yes", "oil_soluble": "no", "hlb_value": "35.0", "soluble_in": "water, ethanol", "insoluble_in": "oils, glycerin, silicones, propylene glycol", "log_p": "-1.4", "appearance": "clear liquid", "source": "BASF"}
surfactant
{"cas_number": "2235-54-3", "surfactant_type": "anionic", "chemical_class": "sulfate", "charge_at_use_ph": "negative", "cmc_critical_micelle_concentration_mm": "8.0", "hlb_value": "40.0", "foam_volume_ml_ross_miles": "170", "foam_quality": "dense", "foam_stability_5min_pct": "90", "cleansing_power_rating_1_to_10": "9.2", "oil_emulsification_capacity": "excellent", "sebum_removal_efficiency": "exce…
PubChem Annotations
Safety and regulatory annotations from PubChem (NCBI) aggregated sources.
Safety (2)
Carcinogen Classification
Not listed by IARC. Certain nitrosamines are classified by IARC as either probably or possibly carcinogenic to humans (Groups 2A and 2B, respectively). (L135)
Source: Toxin and Toxin Target Database (T3DB)
Skin Eye Respiratory Irritation
Irritating to skin and eyes.
Source: Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB)
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Cleaning agent
Emulsifier
Foamant
No specific technical function
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Wetting agent (non-aqueous)
Regulatory List Membership (2)
EPA Safer Chemical Ingredients List (SCIL)
FDA Indirect Food Contact Additives
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate.
Regulatory Flags
rinse-off-preferred
concentration-dependent-irritant
avoid-high-concentration-leave-on
CIR-assessed
anionic-surfactant
milder-than-SLS
non-sensitizing
epa_safer_alternative
Known Synonyms
Sulfuric acid, monododecyl ester, ammonium salt
Caswell No. 044B
Conco sulfate A
EINECS 218-793-9
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 079028
Sulfuric acid, lauryl ester, ammonium salt
Texa pon A 400
UNII-Q7AO2R1M0B
Chemical Function
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Emulsifier
Cleaning agent
Foamant
No specific technical function
Regulatory Lists
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Indirect additives food contact (10/2018)
SCIL (9/2019)
active_ingredient; animal_products; Europe; pharmaceutical; residue
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1893617
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate allowed in the EU?
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate EU regulatory status: permitted. Maximum allowed concentration: 16%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate do in cosmetics?
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate functions as: Surfactant, Cleansing, Foaming. It is classified as a cosmetic ingredient in our database. CAS number: 2235-54-3.
Is Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate used outside cosmetics?
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate also appears in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate is classified GHS Danger (H302, H312, H315, H318, H335, H319) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics at max 16%.
Compliance Tools
Check Ammonium Lauryl Sulfate compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
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