Description

Ammonium Lactate is a salt of lactic acid and ammonium hydroxide. It is used in various cosmetic and skincare products for its exfoliating and hydrating properties. Ammonium Lactate is known for its ability to improve skin texture by increasing moisture content and facilitating the removal of dead skin cells.

Chemical Composition and Structure:
Ammonium Lactate is composed of:

Lactic Acid: An alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) that helps in exfoliating the skin by breaking down the bonds between dead skin cells.
Ammonium Hydroxide: A compound that neutralizes lactic acid to form the salt Ammonium Lactate.

The chemical structure of Ammonium Lactate includes a lactic acid molecule bonded with an ammonium ion.

Physical Properties:

Appearance: Typically a clear to slightly yellowish liquid.
Solubility: Soluble in water.
Odor: Generally has a faint, slightly acidic odor.

Production Process:

Reaction: Lactic acid is reacted with ammonium hydroxide to form ammonium lactate.
Purification: The resulting solution is purified to remove any impurities.
Formulation: The purified ammonium lactate is incorporated into cosmetic and skincare products.

Applications:

Cosmetics: Used in exfoliating creams, lotions, and serums to improve skin texture, enhance hydration, and promote smoother skin.
Personal Care: Included in products designed to treat dry, rough, or flaky skin, and in formulations for conditions like keratosis pilaris.

Environmental and Safety Considerations:

Environmental Impact: Ammonium Lactate is produced through a chemical reaction that involves lactic acid, which can be derived from renewable sources. Its environmental impact is generally low when managed properly.
Safety: Generally regarded as safe for topical application. However, it should be used in accordance with established guidelines to avoid potential irritation or sensitivity, especially in high concentrations. Safety assessments are required for new formulations.

INCI Functions:


Buffering agent. It is an iingredient that can bring an alkaline or acid solution to a certain pH level and prevent it from changing, in practice a pH stabiliser that can effectively resist instability and pH change.

Humectant. Hygroscopic compound used to minimise water loss in the skin and to prevent it from drying out by facilitating faster and greater absorption of water into the stratum corneum of the epidermis. The epidermis is the most superficial of the three layers that make up human skin (epidermis, dermis and hypodermis) and is the layer that maintains hydration in all three layers. In turn, the epidermis is composed of five layers: horny, the most superficial, granular, spinous, shiny, and basal. Humectants have the ability to retain the water they attract from the air in the stratum corneum and have the function of moisturising the skin. They are best used before emollients, which are oil-based.

Keratolytic. It is a lysis agent, i.e. a process of physically removing corneocytes or surface cells on the stratum corneum. It basically removes dead cells.

Skin conditioning agent. It is the mainstay of topical skin treatment as it has the function of restoring, increasing or improving skin tolerance to external factors, including melanocyte tolerance. The most important function of the conditioning agent is to prevent skin dehydration, but the subject is rather complex and involves emollients and humectants that can be added in the formulation.
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