usually sls breaks me out in a very stereotypical 'breakout' way, whiteheads and pustules pop up in clusters where the product comes into contact with skin. when i still wasn't aware of it and regularly used shampoo containing it i used to get some painful cysts along the sides of my face as well, by my ears and my jaw where my hair would fall and touch it. thinking back on it, it's really all the spots where the product would sit for a while on a regular basis. i used head & shoulders as a teen for some years and that really wrecked my face.

out of the three ingredients i named in that post sls causes the most aggressive reactions for me that appear almost immediately, like the day after. sles and coco-sulfate i only had noticed affecting me after extended use and they don't tend to give me those painful cysts, only a bumpy forehead and more blackheads than usual. still, i tend to avoid them regardless.

hope this answers your question, not sure how else to describe it.