Ingredient glossary
Ammonium lactate
On your shelf ✓What Ammonium lactate does for your skin, who it suits, and what to watch for.
INCI: Ammonium Lactate · Also: Lactic Acid Ammonium Salt
In short: Ammonium lactate delivers exfoliation and hydration, suits most skin types, and the evidence behind it is strong. One thing to know: clear it with your doctor if pregnant; introduce it gently.
- What it does
- Exfoliation, hydration
- Best for
- Most skin types
- Watch out
- Clear it with your doctor if pregnant; introduce it gently
- Evidence
- Strong
- How long
- 2–4 weeks
The molecule
The two pieces are meant to be apart. Ammonium lactate is a salt, and its parts are held to each other by opposite charges rather than by a bond.
The Glow take
Genuinely worth a spot in your routine.
When your goal is deep, lasting hydration, Ammonium lactate pulls genuine weight, and the research properly backs it up. Introduce it gently, and pair it with something soothing if your skin runs sensitive.
— Maya
What it does
- exfoliation
- hydration
strong evidenceWell studied for rough, dry and keratosis-pilaris-type skin, where 12% preparations improved smoothness and hydration against vehicle in controlled trials.
On a label: works best above 5%.
Who it's for, and who should skip it
Tends to suit
- dry
- very dry
- normal
Approach with care
- very sensitive
- compromised barrier
- Clogs poresLow
- Irritation riskModerate
- pH-dependentIts effect depends on the product's pH
How it fits each skin type
- DrySuits
- CombinationSuits
- OilySuits
- SensitiveTake care
Take extra care if any of these apply to you: compromised barrier.
Where it fits in your routine
Increases sun sensitivity while you are using it, so sunscreen matters more than usual.
12% ammonium lactate is lactic acid at keratolytic strength, only partially neutralised, so free lactic acid is present at the product's pH; the AHA sunburn alert applies for the same reason it applies to lactic acid, and the 12% product labelling carries a sun-protection direction.
FDA AHA sunburn-alert guidance; CIR safety assessment covering lactic acid and ammonium lactate; sun-sensitivity statement on 12% ammonium lactate product labelling
Reckon on two to four weeks. No trial pins the exact point down; that is the standard clinical expectation.
What was measured, and in whom
Measured on: xerosis severity - scaling and roughness, investigator-graded, with corneometer hydration alongside.
The studied strength is 12% twice daily, largely on the body, and the controlled trials in xerosis and ichthyosis-type skin read out inside the first two to four weeks of treatment. What they are not is vehicle-controlled with a dated interim: almost every one compares ammonium lactate against another active - 5% lactic acid over three weeks, 40% urea over 28 days, salicylic acid plus urea at weeks 2 and 4 - and an active comparator cannot fix an earliest significant point. One study does use an untreated control (12% lotion versus no therapy on the heels). So this bucket rests on the settled expectation for prescription-strength AHA body lotions read across a consistent set of two-to-four-week trials, which is why measured is consensus rather than first-significant. Two caveats: the humectant half of the effect arrives faster than the keratolytic descaling the graded score picks up, and 12% is far above the lactate content of ordinary cosmetic moisturisers.
PMID:2808786 (J Am Acad Dermatol 1989, 12% ammonium lactate versus 5% lactic acid lotion in moderate-to-severe xerosis, three-week treatment period); PMID:8125701 (Int J Dermatol 1993, 12% ammonium lactate lotion versus no therapy for dry skin of the heels); PMID:11978141 (Am J Clin Dermatol 2002, 40% urea versus 12% ammonium lactate in xerosis, over 28 days); PMID:9680769 (J Am Podiatr Med Assoc 1998, salicylic acid plus urea versus ammonium lactate in foot xerosis, assessed at weeks 2 and 4). Titles, journals and years verified against PubMed; none is a vehicle-controlled trial that names its first significant visit.
Plays well with
- humectants
- ceramides
- emollients
Ammonium lactate, answered
Is Ammonium lactate safe during pregnancy?
Clear it with your doctor first. Ammonium lactate is flagged as use-with-caution during pregnancy and breastfeeding, so check with your doctor or midwife before adding it.
Who should avoid Ammonium lactate?
Approach Ammonium lactate with care if any of these apply to you: very sensitive and compromised barrier. Its irritation risk is moderate, so introduce it slowly and patch test first.
What concentration of Ammonium lactate actually works?
Research tends to show Ammonium lactate starts pulling its weight above 5%. If a brand prints the percentage, that is the number to look for.
During pregnancy
Treat Ammonium lactate as a maybe rather than a yes for now. It is flagged as one to use with caution while pregnant or breastfeeding, so it is worth clearing before you carry on.
When in doubt, check with your doctor or midwife. They outrank any website, including this one.When it is worth booking →
Compare Ammonium lactate with
Can you mix Ammonium lactate with
- Vitamin C (LAA)
- Retinol
- Salicylic acid (BHA)
- Lactic acid
- Glycolic acid
- Retinal
- Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate
- Retinyl Palmitate
- Retinyl Acetate
- Retinyl Propionate
- Retinyl Retinoate
- Tretinoin
- Adapalene
- Mandelic Acid
- Gluconolactone
- Lactobionic Acid
- Phytic Acid
- Citric Acid
- GHK-Cu
- Willow Bark Extract
- Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
- Papain
- Bromelain
- Sponge spicules
- Betaine Salicylate
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