The active ingredient for this hair care product is ammonium lauryl sulfate. The empirical formula for this compound is C₁₂H₂₉NO₄S, and its molecular structure is shown below:

    Ammonium lauryl sulfate (AMS) is a surfactant, or a chemical which is used to interrupt the surface tension of water to allow wetting (increased penetration into materials it contacts) and foaming. Surfactants are the key ingredients in soaps, shampoos and non-personal cleaning agents. Since AMS is generally considered to be nonhazardous, it is also a permitted residue in foodstuffs. (As a wetting agent used to promote optimal coverage of herbicides, it will remain in small amounts on marketable fruits and vegetables.)

Acknowledgements:

    My product image was borrowed from the Finesse hair care website.
    The commercial and toxicological information was gained from a material safety data sheet provided by the University of Oxford Physical and Theoretical Chemistry Laboratory.
    The molecular structure for AMS was obtained from CambridgeSoft's ChemFinder page.

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