From SLS to biosurfactants: how modern, milder surfactant systems can reduce irritation, protect the microbiome, and still deliver the foam and cleaning performance your toothpaste needs.
Last updated: July 2026
• SLS has been the default surfactant, but is one of the harshest for oral mucosa.
• Glycolipid biosurfactants (rhamnolipids, sophorolipids) offer next‑generation mildness and microbiome compatibility.
• Modern mild surfactants (SugaNate, Protelan, Geropon, TEGO Betain) reduce irritation and improve taste.
• Surfactant choice affects foam, cleaning, taste, microbiome, and long‑term comfort.
• Nequia can help select and formulate the right surfactant system for your concept.
Surfactants create foam, help remove debris, disperse actives, and influence taste and mouthfeel. But they also
interact directly with oral tissues and the microbiome. Choosing the right surfactant is essential for balancing
cleaning performance with comfort and long‑term oral health.
SLS has been a long‑time default in oral care and personal care. It foams very well and cleans efficiently, but it
is one of the harshest options for the oral mucosa. It brings irritation, dryness, and taste interference, and can
aggravate sensitive mouths.
If you want to move away from SLS, glycolipid biosurfactants are one of the most exciting alternatives. They’re
gaining momentum because they combine performance, sustainability, and mildness in a way traditional sulfates
can’t match.
Rhamnolipids are:
• produced via Pseudomonas fermentation
• built around mono‑rhamnose (R1) and di‑rhamnose (R2)
• known for strong surface activity and high bio‑based cleaning performance
• milder than SLS in irritation models
Not all rhamnolipids are the same. Variations in:
• mono vs. di‑rhamnolipid ratios
• purity
• fermentation source
• residual glycolipid fractions
influence foaming, mildness, and taste.
Rhamnolipids can also interfere with biofilm structure and reduce adhesion of certain oral pathogens in vitro.
Sophorolipids are:
• produced by Starmerella bombicola (yeast)
• naturally very mild
• low irritation and very skin‑friendly
• associated with softer foam
Suppliers:
• Holiferm – Sophorolipids
• Evonik – Sophorolipids
• BIORENUVA – Glycolipids
• Crafil Bio‑RLG – Rhamnolipids
• Zhejiang Silver Fern Biotech – Biosurfactants
One of the mildest anionic surfactants available. Compatible with whitening actives like hydrogen peroxide.
Ultra‑low irritation, supports stain removal, reduces biofilm formation, and is 100% natural carbon & biodegradable.
Supplier: Colonial Chemical
Amino‑acid–based surfactants. Gentle on the oral mucosa and stable across the pH range of toothpaste.
Supplier: Zschimmer & Schwarz
A phosphate‑ester surfactant which helps protect against biofilm growth, reduce acid attacks, and decrease enamel
erosion.
Supplier: Syensqo (Solvay)
Amphoteric surfactants with mucosal compatibility. Reduce irritation when used with anionics and improve mouthfeel.
Supplier: Evonik
SLS has a very bitter taste. Many of the surfactants mentioned above are less bitter and more neutral, improving
flavour perception and overall consumer experience.
Glycolipids and other mild surfactants don’t automatically make a formulation “safe” — it depends on concentration,
system design, and the full ingredient context. But they offer a significantly better starting point than harsh
sulfates.
As the industry shifts toward gentler, bio‑based systems, rhamnolipids and sophorolipids can play a growing role in
oral care. Nequia can help you select the right surfactant and integrate it into a high‑performance formulation.
SLS has long been the default surfactant in oral care, but it is harsh for the oral mucosa, causing irritation,
dryness, and taste interference. Glycolipid biosurfactants such as rhamnolipids and sophorolipids offer
next‑generation mildness, microbiome compatibility, and sustainable performance. Alongside these, modern mild
surfactants like SugaNate, Protelan, Geropon, and TEGO Betain provide low‑irritation, better taste, and strong
cleaning. Modern oral‑care formulations increasingly move away from SLS toward tailored blends of mild
surfactants and biosurfactants to balance foam, cleaning, microbiome protection, and consumer comfort.
It is widely used, but it is one of the harshest options for the oral mucosa and often not ideal for sensitive mouths.
No surfactant is automatically safe at any level. Safety depends on concentration and formulation context, but glycolipids offer a much milder profile than sulfates.
Foam quality is different but can be very good, especially when biosurfactants are blended with mild anionics and amphoterics.
Yes. We can support you with surfactant selection, biosurfactant integration, and formulation optimisation with additional actives.
