What do the Clean, Low, Watch and Swap levels mean?

They are cut from a continuous concern level the app computes from the sourced claims that the chosen evidence lens shows: each claim counts its concern class, tier weight, confidence and dose relevance, combined worst-first with a decay so one serious finding outweighs many small ones, then scaled by how much of the substance reaches you in this use. Clean is below 0.35, Low below 1.1, Watch below 2.0 and Swap above that, on a 0 to 3 scale.

Is Sodium Lauryl Sulfate safe on skin (rinsed off)?

Q: Is sodium lauryl sulfate safe on skin (rinsed off)?

Under the app's default Cautious lens, sodium lauryl sulfate on skin (rinsed off) rates Low: a little concern, nothing the app would ask you to swap. 1 sourced concern counts (irritant · allergen, consensus tier). This is research with sources, not medical advice.

Personal care1 use researched2 sourced claims

Where it turns up: common cleansing agent in shampoos. Detox My Life researched sodium lauryl sulfate under one use, because the same substance means something different in each use. Every claim below carries its evidence tier, how sure the research is that it applies here, and the sources it cites. The level is computed by the app's own deterministic engine, so the page says exactly what the app would.

Level by use and lens

Use	Mainstream	Cautious (default)	Based	Concerns · favour · fringe
On skin, rinsed off	Low	Low	Low	1 · 0 · +1

Mainstream shows consensus claims only; Cautious adds emerging research; Based adds fringe claims, labelled as such. The last column counts, under Cautious, the sourced concerns, the findings in its favour and the fringe claims Based would add.

Safer swaps: the app's swap catalog covers the products this turns up in: Conventional shampoo, Conventional body wash. Alternatives are always types, never brands.

On skin, rinsed off Low

Under the default Cautious lens sodium lauryl sulfate on skin (rinsed off) rates Low: a little concern, nothing the app would ask you to swap. Mainstream (consensus only) rates it Low; Based (adds the fringe) rates it Low. Researched 2026-09-03.

Sourced concerns (1)

ConsensusIrritant · allergenconfidence 50%

Sodium lauryl sulfate can cause skin irritation, dryness, and redness, particularly at higher concentrations or in individuals with sensitive skin.

Why here: Even in rinse-off products, the brief contact time can still lead to irritation, especially if the product is not rinsed thoroughly or if the user has sensitive skin, as SLS can strip natural oils and disrupt the skin barrier.
What would have to be true: Irritation has been observed at concentrations as low as 0.5-10% in occlusion patch testing, with studies showing irritation at 10% in rinse-off products for sensitive skin, and corrosion at 10-30% with prolonged contact. The Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) found SLS safe in formulations designed for brief use followed by rinsing.

Sources the engine cites:

Long-term repetitive sodium lauryl sulfate-induced irritation of the skin: an in vivo study — nih.gov (2005) · regulator or public body
Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): Uses, Products, Possible Dangers & More — healthline.com (2023) · review
Are Sulfates Good or Bad for You? Know the Facts — healthline.com (2019) · review
What Are Sulfates? The Truth About SLS in Shampoo & Soap — webmd.com (2025) · review
5 web articles (esoworld.co.uk, chemtradeasia.com, polymerchem.org, …), linked in the app.
3 community or commercial pages, not counted here.

Shown only in the Based lens (1)

Fringe claims: hypotheses and commentary that are not scientific consensus, each shown with the other side.

Fringe · not consensusEndocrineconfidence 50%

Some commentators believe that sodium lauryl sulfate is a hormone disruptor that can interfere with the body's normal hormonal function, mimicking estrogen or interfering with testosterone production.

Why here: This claim is made generally about SLS, including its use in personal care products like shampoos and body washes, regardless of the rinse-off nature.
What would have to be true: This claim does not specify an exposure threshold or route, as it is generally unsubstantiated.
The other side: Scientific reviews and regulatory bodies, including the National Library of Medicine's TOXNET® database, state that SLS is not classified as an endocrine disruptor.

Sources the engine cites:

Human and Environmental Toxicity of Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS): Evidence for Safe Use in Household Cleaning Products — nih.gov (2015) · regulator or public body
2 community or commercial pages, not counted here.

Not researched here

The engine has no dossier for sodium lauryl sulfate when cooked with heat, in cold food, as a finishing ingredient, in heated food packaging or other uses. The app researches an ingredient for the use it infers from your product, so a scan fills these in; this page only shows what has already been researched and source-verified.

This is research, not medical advice. Detox My Life shows sourced claims sorted by evidence tier. It does not diagnose, treat, or tell you to start or stop anything. Talk to a qualified professional about your health.

Scan your own. The app reads any product label with your camera, works out how you are about to use it, and researches every ingredient for that use with live sources. Every scan adds to a Detox Score for your home, where 50 is a typical home in your region, and a plan of next swaps.

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