Experts Say This Is The Face Wash Ingredient To Avoid If You Have Dry Skin

How Sodium Laurel Sulfates (SLS) Affect Dry Skin

Sulfates are common ingredients found in skincare and other beauty products due to their ability to create a foamy effect, Barrios explains.

"It is advisable to avoid products with sulfates such as Sodium Lauryl Sulfate which is used in cleansers, shower gels, shampoos, soaps, and other products due to its foaming and cleansing properties," she says. Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, she stresses, causes "dry skin, irritation, and allergic reactions" which is a no-no if you already have dry skin. 

Sobchak agrees, and adds that Sodium Lauryl Sulfate can worsen naturally dry skin by "stripping the skin of its protective natural oils, causing irritation and other allergic reactions." If the necessary lipids of the skin are removed during washing, Barrios says, the barrier of the skin surface is "disturbed," and the skin can "no longer bind moisture, therefore more water is lost."

Face Wash Ingredients To Look For Instead

As sulfates are essential to avoid for dry skin, there are others to replace it with that can actually provide you with the hydration you need, Sobcak says. She suggests grabbing a cleanser "with ceramides and glycerin ingredients to improve skin hydration or moisturization." Barrios adds that other beneficial ingredients for your skin include "lactic acid, hyaluronic acid, or even urea which can help restore the skin’s moisture balance."