Ammonium lauryl sulfate

Ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS) is the common name for ammonium dodecyl sulfate (CH₃(CH₂)₁₀CH₂OSO₃NH₄). The dodecyl signifies the presence of a 12-member carbon chain in the molecular backbone which allows the molecule to bond with non-polar portions of molecules while the highly polar sulfate head allows the molecule to bond with polar molecules such as water. ALS is classified as an alkyl sulfate and is an anionic surfactant found primarily in shampoos and body-wash as a foaming agent. Lauryl sulfates are very high-foam surfactants that disrupt the surface tension of water in part by forming micelles around the highly polar water molecules at the surface-air interface.