Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth Sulfate are very popular cleansing agents responsible for the foaming character in products. They belong to the class of ingredients known as surfactants but not all surfactants are sulfates. We use sulfates (SLS and SLES) to make facial cleansers, shampoos, and body washes. While there is no strong scientific evidence that these sulfate-based surfactants are harmful or more irritating to the skin than non-sulfatebased surfactants they are in the spotlight because of the perception that these sulfates can be harsh on skin or hair.