Lactic Acid
Lactic Acid · INCI Lactic Acid
Lactic acid is one of the best known ingredients in skincare. It is an alpha hydroxy acid, and at the right strength it loosens dead cells and smooths the surface of the skin. Our products contain roughly one part in fifty thousand of it, far too little to do any of that. It is there to hold our chlorella active at a stable pH.
A well-known exfoliating acid, present here at about one part in fifty thousand to hold our chlorella active at the right acidity.
What it is
Our chlorella active is supplied as a liquid, and that liquid has to be held at a particular acidity or the algal compounds in it are not stable. A small amount of lactic acid is what holds it there. Its maker lists the function as pH modifier. It makes up a fraction of a percent of that active, and the active makes up one percent of our formula. Multiply the two together and you get about two thousandths of one percent.
At that level it has no effect on skin. It finished its work inside the bottle it arrived in, before the active reached our workshop.
What it does in our formulas
Lactic acid holds our chlorella active at the acidity it needs.
It holds the chlorella at the right acidity
Its maker names the function as pH modifier. Our chlorella active is a liquid that has to sit at a particular acidity for the algal compounds in it to stay stable, and a small amount of lactic acid holds it there. It did its work inside that bottle, before the active reached us.
Well characterisedWhat the research does not show
Ingredient lists show what is present and say nothing about how much, and lactic acid is a clear example.
Marketed as An exfoliating AHA that resurfaces the skin
Marketed as Proof that a product contains actives
On the label and in the range
Lactic acid is the last ingredient on every one of our lists, which is exactly where a trace belongs. Ingredient lists are ordered by how much of each thing is in the product, so the bottom of the list is where traces sit. The exact percentage is published on each product page.
Is it suitable for me?
Lactic acid is made by fermenting plant sugars, suits a vegan routine, and carries no restrictions at this level under UK or EU cosmetic law. At this level it is very unlikely to irritate. At exfoliating strengths it can sting.
As with anything new, if your skin reacts easily it is worth patch testing first.
The research behind this page
We review the published literature. We do not conduct the studies below.