Why Does Barekin Contain Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS)?

If you've taken the time to read our ingredient list, you may have noticed Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS).

As an eczema mum myself, I completely understand why that ingredient might catch your attention.

When my boys' eczema was at its worst, I became the parent who read every ingredient label. I researched skincare, food, laundry detergents and anything that came into contact with their skin. Like so many parents navigating eczema, I simply wanted to make informed choices.

So I wanted to explain exactly why SLS is included in Barekin.

What is SLS?

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) is a surfactant.

In simple terms, it's a cleaning ingredient that helps lift dirt, oils and stains from fabrics so your clothes come out clean.

SLS has been used in household and personal care products for decades because it's an effective cleanser.

One important distinction, however, is that Barekin is a laundry detergent, not a product that's applied directly to the skin. During the wash cycle, the detergent is diluted and then rinsed away before your clothes are worn.

We Tested Barekin With and Without SLS

When we developed Barekin, our goal wasn't simply to remove ingredients.

Our goal was to create a laundry detergent that we genuinely trusted to use for our own family.

That meant finding the right balance between cleaning performance, ingredient transparency and how well the formula dissolved and rinsed during the wash.

We tested formulations with and without SLS.

Like many parents of children with eczema, my first instinct was to remove SLS altogether. I genuinely wanted a formula without it.

But after extensive testing, we couldn't find an alternative surfactant that delivered the same cleaning performance while also dissolving and rinsing as cleanly as we wanted.

In the SLS-free formulations we tested, we found they left more detergent residue on fabrics than our final formula. That simply didn't meet our standards.

Why Rinsing Clean Was So Important to Us

As parents of children with eczema, we spent years questioning everything that touched our boys' skin.

One thing that became incredibly important to us was choosing products that were designed to rinse thoroughly from fabrics.

Because let's face it—our clothes sit against our skin all day.

When developing Barekin, we made a conscious decision that we would rather use a carefully selected surfactant that helped the detergent fully dissolve and rinse thoroughly than create a formula that left more detergent behind on clothing after washing.

For us, reducing detergent residue on fabrics was one of the highest priorities during product development.

That's why our final formulation was designed to:

• Dissolve completely in the wash
• Rinse thoroughly from fabrics
• Clean effectively
• Contain no added fragrance

Every formulation decision involved balancing cleaning performance, ingredient transparency and what we believed was the best overall outcome for sensitive skin families.

Why We Also Chose to Remove Fragrance

One decision we never questioned was removing added fragrance.

Many laundry detergents marketed for "sensitive skin" still contain fragrance.

After our own eczema journey, we chose fragrance-free products wherever possible, which is why Barekin contains no added fragrance.

For our family, that was one less thing to worry about when doing the washing.

Every Family Is Different

One thing our eczema journey taught us is that there isn't a one-size-fits-all approach.

Every person's skin is different.

Every child's eczema journey is different.

What works well for one family may not be the right fit for another.

We completely understand that some families prefer to avoid SLS altogether, and we respect that decision.

Our role isn't to tell parents what they should choose.

Our role is to give parents complete transparency so they can make the decision that's right for their own family.

Why Transparency Matters

One of my biggest frustrations as an eczema mum was trying to find complete ingredient lists.

Sometimes I'd have to search through multiple pages on a website—or I couldn't find them at all.

As a parent, I wasn't looking for marketing claims.

I simply wanted to know what was in the products I was using around my family.

That's one of the values Barekin was built on.

We believe ingredient lists should be easy to find.

No hidden ingredients.

No vague claims.

No making parents jump through hoops.

Just complete transparency so you can make informed decisions with confidence.

Our Promise

Barekin wasn't created by a big corporation.

It was created by an eczema mum who simply wanted a laundry detergent she felt comfortable using in her own home.

Every ingredient in our formula was carefully considered.

Every formulation decision involved balancing cleaning performance, ingredient transparency, rinse performance and the needs of sensitive skin families.

We'll always continue listening to our customers, following the science and looking for ways to improve.

Because if there's one thing our eczema journey taught us, it's that parents deserve products they can trust—and brands that are honest about what's inside them.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Barekin contain SLS?

Yes. Barekin contains Sodium Lauryl Sulfate (SLS) as one of its surfactants to help provide effective cleaning performance while allowing the formula to dissolve and rinse thoroughly.

Why didn't you remove SLS?

We genuinely tried.

During development, we tested formulations with and without SLS. However, the SLS-free versions we tested didn't dissolve or rinse as cleanly and left more detergent residue on fabrics than our final formula.

For us, creating a formula that rinsed thoroughly from clothing was one of our highest priorities.

Is Barekin fragrance-free?

Yes.

Barekin contains no added fragrance, making it a fragrance-free laundry detergent.

Is Barekin suitable for sensitive skin?

Barekin was created by an eczema mum and developed with sensitive skin families in mind.

Every person's skin is different, so we always encourage customers to choose products that suit their own individual needs.