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Lauryl Lactate

What Lauryl Lactate is & what it does

An emollient ester that softens skin and gives a light, smooth feel while helping other ingredients spread. It improves the elegance of the formula's texture.

Is Lauryl Lactate safe?

Lauryl Lactate is an emollient ester used in cosmetics and is generally considered well tolerated. It is intended to stay on the skin surface, where it conditions and smooths. As with any new product, patch testing is a reasonable step for sensitive skin.

What does Lauryl Lactate do in skincare?

Lauryl Lactate functions as an emollient and skin-conditioning agent formed from lauryl alcohol and lactic acid. It gives a smooth, soft feel and can help other ingredients spread and absorb more comfortably. In sunscreens and lotions it contributes to a pleasant, light texture.

Is Lauryl Lactate natural or synthetic?

Lauryl Lactate can be made from nature-derived building blocks, since lauryl alcohol often comes from plant oils and lactic acid can be produced by fermentation. The finished ester, however, is created through chemical processing, so it is best described as nature-derived and processed.

Sunscreens with Lauryl Lactate

We rate 42 sunscreens that contain it, showing the top 10 by overall score:

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