Ingredient · dataset v56
Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate and fungal acne
May trigger · Limited evidence
Why it's a potential trigger
Disodium salt of alpha-sulfonated lauric acid (RCH(CO2Na)SO3Na): same salt-reverts-to-free-acid basis as the ruled Sodium Laurate soap row; the freed acid carries an alpha-sulfonate.
Precautionary: alpha-sulfonation is an unproven block — no Malassezia feeding or desulfonation record found (C-S cleavage in biology is bacterial SsuD/TauD sulfur-scavenging, no yeast record). Revisit if defined-medium growth data shows no use. Rinse-off and water-soluble do not clear it: soaps and SLL stay flagged on rinse-off.
Evidence strength
Limited evidence (1/3)
Function
Soap
Also listed as
Disodium 2-Sulfo Laurate
Products without this ingredient
- CLn 2-in-1 Gentle Wash & Shampoo 8 fl oz
- The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser
- Cleure Fragrance Free Leave-In Conditioner 8 fl oz
- innisfree No-Sebum Mineral Powder
- Heiltropfen Bentonite Montmorillonite Powder 1 lb
- COSRX Low pH Niacinamide Micellar Cleansing Water 400 ml
Related soap
- Aluminum Stearate — May trigger · Limited evidence
- Magnesium Stearate — May trigger · Limited evidence
- Saponified Oils — May trigger · Limited evidence
- Sodium Laurate — May trigger · Limited evidence
- Zinc Stearate — May trigger · Limited evidence
Sources
- Brunke & Hube 2006 — MfLIP1 extracellular lipase hydrolyses Tweens (Microbiology)
- Gaitanis et al. 2012 — Malassezia genus review: lipid dependence, C11-24 fatty-acid utilization (Clin Microbiol Rev)
- Park et al. 2020 — bacterial SsuD/TauD desulfonation under sulfate starvation (Appl Environ Microbiol)
- EU CosIng database — search the INCI name
Last reviewed: 2026-10-13 (dataset v56).
Questions
Does Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate trigger fungal acne?
We flag it as a potential trigger (limited evidence). That means it belongs to a class the Malassezia yeast is known to feed on — not that every product with it will cause a flare. Concentration, formulation and individual skin chemistry matter.
Does Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate feed Malassezia?
Yes: we flag Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate as a potential trigger (limited evidence). It belongs to a class Malassezia is known to feed on — not a claim that every product with it causes a flare. Concentration, formulation and individual skin chemistry matter.
How confident is this call?
Limited evidence: Disodium salt of alpha-sulfonated lauric acid (RCH(CO2Na)SO3Na): same salt-reverts-to-free-acid basis as the ruled Sodium Laurate soap row; the freed acid carries an alpha-sulfonate.
Is this medical advice?
No. We screen ingredient lists; we never diagnose, treat, or certify products. When in doubt, ask a dermatologist.
Check a full list containing Disodium 2-Sulfolaurate →
Not medical advice: we screen ingredient lists for potential triggers — we never diagnose, treat, or certify products. Dataset v56.