Dermatologists Say This Is The Worst Cleanser Ingredient For Dry, Aging Skin–It’s So Dehydrating!

Sodium Laurel Sulfates (SLS)

If you struggle with dry skin, Barrios, Kung, and Restrepo agree that it's time to kick cleansers containing sodium laurel sulfates to the curb. Unfortunately, this skincare ingredient is highly common in many face washes—especially foaming varieties.

As it turns out, sulfates aren't all bad for everyone; Restrepo explains that this ingredient, which is known to help prevent clogging pores, is great when it comes to removing excess oil, dirt, and debris from your skin and can, in fact, be "totally good for some skin types." However, "dry skin is not one of them."

Barrios says SLS is a no-go for aging or sensitive skin due to the fact that it can lead to "dry skin, irritation, and allergic reactions." Restrepo agrees, pointing out that it damage the skin barrier, which is one major cause of "extreme dryness, flakiness, redness, and irritation." Yikes! When that essential skin barrier is damaged, Barrios explains that your complexion isn't able to bind moisture properly, which leads to a loss of hydration—and we all know how important it is to stay moisturized! Kung also says that SLS may also change the pH of your skin and reduce its natural oils in order to worsen dryness.

For all of these reasons, it's best to avoid foaming cleansers or any other skincare product containing this ingredient. Instead, Kung recommends going with options that are "formulated without dyes, fragrance, parabens, sulfates, or formaldehyde" if you struggle with dry skin. Got it!