Lactic Acid Extract ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is primarily used as a pH adjuster and exfoliating alpha hydroxy acid in skin care. It can also support humectancy by increasing water-binding in the upper layers of skin.
What does Lactic Acid Extract do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is primarily used as a pH adjuster and exfoliating alpha hydroxy acid in skin care. It can also support humectancy by increasing water-binding in the upper layers of skin.
Is Lactic Acid Extract clean?
Clean-beauty frameworks generally treat it as acceptable and well understood, with the main caveat being concentration and final formula pH. At higher free-acid levels, it can cause stinging or irritation, especially in leave-on exfoliating products.
Is Lactic Acid Extract sustainable?
This material is commonly made by fermentation of plant-derived sugars, though petrochemical routes also exist. It is water soluble, readily biodegradable, and not associated with environmental persistence.
Is Lactic Acid Extract COSMOS-approved?
It is permitted under COSMOS-natural and COSMOS-organic standards when produced and used according to the standard’s ingredient rules. It fits Green Chemistry well when fermentation-derived, because it uses renewable feedstocks and has a favorable biodegradation profile.
How does Lactic Acid Extract work chemically?
The molecule is a small chiral alpha hydroxy acid with one carboxyl group and one hydroxyl group, and it has a pKa of about 3.86. As a pH adjuster it is often used below 1%, while exfoliating formulas commonly use about 5% to 10% at an acidic pH, with buffering controlling free-acid strength and skin feel.
Last updated 2026-05-13