Ingredient glossary
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
On your shelf ✓What Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate · Also: SLL
In short: Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate delivers cleansing and emulsification, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is moderate. One thing to know: introduce it gently.
- What it does
- Cleansing, emulsification
- Best for
- Most skin types
- Watch out
- Introduce it gently
- Evidence
- Moderate
- How long
- Straight away
The molecule
The two pieces are meant to be apart. Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate is a salt, and its parts are held to each other by opposite charges rather than by a bond.
The Glow take
Nice to have, and nothing to overthink.
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate plays a quiet supporting role, rounding out a formula rather than being the reason you buy it.
— Maya
What it does
- cleansing
- emulsification
- mildness
moderate evidenceThe 2019 CIR Expert Panel review of alkanoyl lactyl lactate salts is a safety assessment, not an efficacy one - it contains no human trial of cleansing or emulsifying performance. Its 2017 industry survey found Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate in use from 0.001 to 10 percent, up to 10 percent in rinse-off cleansers and up to 7 percent in leave-on products. The Panel judged it safe only when the finished formula is made to be non-irritating and non-sensitizing: 10 percent was non-irritating on rabbit skin, but it came out a weak sensitizer in the mouse local lymph node assay, EC3 15 percent, and again in a guinea pig test. Any narrower "works at" range comes from supplier technical data rather than published evidence.
On a label: usually effective at 0.5-5%.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- normal
- oily
- acne prone
Approach with care
- very sensitive
- eczema
- Irritation riskModerate
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationSuits
- OilySuits
- SensitiveTake care
Often chosen for acne prone. Take extra care if any of these apply to you: eczema.
Where it fits in your routine
This one works on contact — there is nothing to wait for.
What that covers, and what it does not
Measured on: surface sebum and soil lifted and rinsed away during the wash.
In a cleanser the mechanism is physical and finishes with the rinse: the fatty tail solubilises sebum into micelles that water carries off, so whatever changes has changed by the time the face is dry. Its other use, as a co-emulsifier at roughly 0.5-5% in leave-ons, is an in-bottle job with nothing to time at all. The CIR review behind the base row is a safety assessment, recording use from 0.001 to 10% and a weak-sensitiser signal in animal assays; it contains no human trial of cleansing performance, so no lasting skin change is measured either way.
CIR Expert Panel safety assessment of alkanoyl lactylate salts (2019), cited in the base row; no efficacy trial identified.
Plays well with
- nonionic surfactants
- amphoteric surfactants
- preservatives
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, answered
Is Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate safe during pregnancy?
Yes. Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate is considered safe to use during pregnancy and breastfeeding. As with anything, if you are unsure it is worth a quick word with your doctor or midwife.
Who should avoid Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate?
Approach Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate with care if any of these apply to you: very sensitive and eczema. Its irritation risk is moderate, so introduce it slowly and patch test first.
What concentration of Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate actually works?
Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate tends to do its job in the 0.5 to 5% range. Much lower and it is likely underdosed.
Does it clog pores?
No standardized rating available; generally regarded as non clogging.
- This rating comes from old lab tests on the isolated ingredient, not the finished product.
- The full formula, how much is used, and your own skin all matter more than one number.
- If you are acne-prone it is worth noticing, not a reason to avoid it on sight.
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Sources & how we reviewed this
- PMID 39039928abstract only, the full text is paywalled