Sodium stearoyl lactylate or Sodium stearoyl-2-lactylate, also known as SSL (abbreviation), it is the sodium salt of stearic acid with lactic acid dimer. This ingredient is commonly used as an emulsifier and stabilizer in high-fat bakery.

Sodium stearoyl lactylate is primarily used for its emulsifying and stabilizing properties in food and cosmetics. In food, SSL mixes water and oil and is mostly used as a dough strengthener and crumb softener in the bakery; in cosmetics, it is a viscosity enhancer and conditioner.

SSL is mainly used in high-fat & yeast-leavened bread as a dough conditioner/emulsifier for: 

· dough strengthening: increase volume and obtain a better crumb structure

· crumb softening: interacts with flour to form gluten proteins/starch/lactylate complex which produce a soft and elastic bread and prevents bread retrogradation (aging)

If without SSL, the loaf will become hardened.

It is also used in cookies, crackers, pastries, noodles, and the like to improve the texture, and mouthfeel and prolong the freshness or shelf time. In cookies and crackers, SSL is used to distribute shortening uniformly in the dough. 

SSL can be directly added to flour or dispersed in warm water and then blended with flour.

Other food may contain SSL:

· Whipped toppings and desserts (an aerating agent)

· Non-dairy coffee creamers (a complexing agent that stable the emulsion)

· Whitening powder ( a fat replacer)

· Spreads 

Cosmetics

Sodium stearoyl lactylate is used as an emulsifying agent (3) to stabilize oil-in-water formulations of cosmetics and personal care products.

SSL may be found in the following cosmetics:

· Skincare products

· Shampoo

· Lotion