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Lactic acid for your skin, however, is anything but harsh.
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Its one of the least irritatingactivesaround, in fact.
And its friendly to nearly all skin types.
Along with its gentle nature, its also pretty powerful and effective.
And the experts we consulted assured us that the standoutchemical exfoliantalso offers some unique benefits that its counterparts dont.
What is lactic acid?
And that ups the likelihood of irritation.2
What can lactic acid do for your skin?
However, both of the dermatologists that SELF spoke with call out that higher concentrations will be more intense.
When the ingredient is used for in-office chemical peels, that percentage is typically higher.
Typically, exfoliating andmoisturizing ingredientsare two different things, right?
Thats not the case with lactic acid.
(Hyaluronic acidis also a popular humectant, FYI.)
This makes it an especially great pick if youre dealing with dullness, dry skin, and flaking.
According to Dr. Lolis, lactic acid also has antimicrobial properties.
acnesbacteria, likebenzoyl peroxide.6 7
Which ingredients can you combine with lactic acid?
While the former is water soluble, salicylic acid is oil soluble.
For example, you could alternate lactic acid with a retinoid, say, during your nightly routine.
To that point…
Whats the best way to use lactic acid in your skin care routine?
Even though this ingredient is super gentlehave we hammered home that point enough?Dr.
Its an easy way to help your skin initially acclimate before opting for a leave-on formulation, they say.
You may also find lactic acid in body moisturizers.
AmLactins Daily Moisturizing Lotion ($14,Amazon) is one to try.
Regardless of the product you pick, Dr. Graf recommends reserving lactic acid for evening use.
As we said, its a hard little worker thats nice to pretty much everyones face.
