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Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: Water Soluble Irritant Dermatitis Model

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Cutaneous Biometrics

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Abstract

Sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS) is an anionic surface active agent used as an emulsifier in pharmaceutical vehicles, cosmetics, foaming dentifrices, and foods; it is the sodium salt of lauryl sulfate that conforms to the formula: CH3(CH2)10CH2OSO3Na (Nikitakis et al., 1991). The action of SLS on surface tension is putatively the cause of its irritancy, and its great capacity for altering the stratum corneum makes it useful in enhancing penetration of other substances in patch tests and animal assays. Kligman (1966) found no sensitization to SLS in a hundred volunteers in whom SLS was employed in provocative or prophetic patch test procedures

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, Kangnam Sacred Heart Hospital, College of Medicine, Hallym University, Seoul, 150-071, Korea

    Cheol Heon Lee

  2. Department of Dermatology, School of Medicine, University of California, San Francisco, California, 94143-0989

    Howard I. Maibach

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  1. Cheol Heon Lee
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  1. Rheinisch-Westfalisch Tecnische Hochschule, Aachen, Germany

    Doris A. Schwindt

  2. Department of Dermatology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, California, USA

    Howard I. Maibach

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Lee, C.H., Maibach, H.I. (2000). Sodium Lauryl Sulfate: Water Soluble Irritant Dermatitis Model. In: Schwindt, D.A., Maibach, H.I. (eds) Cutaneous Biometrics. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-1199-1_21

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