Sulphates and gentle cleansers: what happens in the shower
By Jeremy Fain, founder of Restelys. Updated 17 October 2026. 2 sources cited.
A shower gel does more than lather: it also removes some of the skin’s lipids. It all depends on the cleansing agents it contains.
Cleansing agents, or surfactants, lift sebum and impurities so that water can carry them away. The harshest, such as sodium lauryl sulphate, also bind to the proteins and lipids of the stratum corneum and weaken the skin barrier.
Studies show that milder surfactants and well-balanced formulas clean just as effectively while doing far less damage. The effect is even stronger with hard water, which increases residues on the skin.
That is why our specification requires gentle, plant-derived cleansing bases without sulphates, for the shower gel as well as the shampoo and hand soap.
Sources
- Ananthapadmanabhan K.P. et al. “Cleansing without compromise: the impact of cleansers on the skin barrier and the technology of mild cleansing”. Dermatologic Therapy, 2004.
- Danby S.G. et al. “The effect of water hardness on surfactant deposition after washing and subsequent skin irritation in atopic dermatitis patients and healthy control subjects”. Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2018.
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