With a contribution of around 27% of the total surfactants consumed in household detergent LAS has been the largest single surfactant used in detergents for more than thirty years and continues to represent a substantial portion of the surfactant market today. The average LAS content in typical European detergent formulations ranges between 5% up to 25% by weight depending on the type of detergent (e.g. hand dishwashing liquids, laundry powders etc).

Supporting this history of safe usage is a large archive of environmental research that has been conducted on LAS. This environmental research, performed by top environmental scientists and research agencies, has investigated virtually every part of the environment that could have been exposed to LAS. The studies have repeatedly proven LAS's environmental acceptability and safety.

More than 80% of LAS production is used in laundry detergents and cleaners where alkylbenzene sulphonates are widely used in virtually all product types in the household sector and in the I&I sector. LAS is therefore more flexible than other anionic surfactants, and can be used in both acidic and alkaline formulations as well as in liquid and powdered detergent types.