C12-15 Alkyl Lactate

C12-15 Alkyl Lactate is an ester of lactic acid and medium-chain fatty alcohols used in personal care. It's chosen to provide light emolliency, smoother glide, and lower tack in lotions, deodorants, and leave-on skincare.
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Ingredient Snapshot

Overview
A lightweight ester that softens skin and cuts sticky feel.
Category
Skin Conditioning
Type
Emollient

Ingredient Ratings

Overall Rating

Good

Comedogenic Risk

Low

Skin Benefits

Delivers quick-absorbing softness and helps cut tack for a comfortable afterfeel, and leaves skin feeling silky while helping products spread evenly.

Uses In Skincare & Cosmetics

Common in facial lotions, gel-creams, and serums to improve glide, and also found in makeup bases and body creams to improve sensory aesthetics.

Comedogenic Rating

C12-15 Alkyl Lactate has a comedogenic rating of 1. It has a very low likelihood of clogging pores.

Safety

Generally low irritation and the lactate ester is not exfoliating. Very sensitive skin may notice mild stinging; discontinue if irritation occurs. No notable regulatory limits known.

Is C12-15 Alkyl Lactate a Good Ingredient?

It offers light emolliency and quick-absorbing glide that reduces tack, which supports a Good rating, though the case for it rests mainly on formulation performance rather than clinical data.

Products with C12-15 Alkyl Lactate

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