What is it?

• Take a Sulfur atom and combine it with any other atom (except Gold) and boom you have a sulfate (salt).

Where is it used?

• Cleansers
• Shampoo
• Toothpaste
• Detergent

What does it do?

• It is a surfectant that removes oil and grime
• Makes a product foam

Interesting Facts:

• Sulfur can be combined with any other element to create a sulfate except gold
• Sulfates do occur naturally and can be found in ground water.  In high doses it can cause dehydration and cause a laxative effect on the body.  This is more common in well water than city water.

Pros/Cons:

Pros:

• It makes bubble bath foamy
• Sulfate free products are available on the market

Cons:

• Sulfates strip away the natural oils from skin and hair
• Sulfates kill fish and destroy our marine environment
• People can experience skin irritations, lung irritations, eye irritations to the compound