Sodium Lactate

Sodium Lactate is the sodium salt of lactic acid, a fermentation-derived humectant and buffering agent for personal care. It's added to attract and retain water, improve feel in moisturizers and cleansers, and assist with pH adjustment.
Like this ingredient?

Ingredient Snapshot

Overview
A fermentation-derived humectant that helps skin hold moisture.
Category
Hydration
Type
Humectant

Ingredient Ratings

Overall Rating

Great

Comedogenic Risk

None

Skin Benefits

It boosts skin moisture levels for a smoother, more supple feel, and can help skin look fresher by supporting surface hydration balance.

Uses In Skincare & Cosmetics

It's frequently included in moisturizers, serums, and hand creams for hydrating support, and used in gentle cleansers and body lotions to improve moisture retention in formulas.

Comedogenic Rating

This ingredient is not typically evaluated for comedogenicity, and no standardized rating is available.

Safety

It's usually well tolerated, but higher concentrations or application on compromised skin can cause transient stinging. Appropriate pH and concentration in leave-on products minimizes irritation; no broad regulatory restrictions apply at typical cosmetic levels.

Is Sodium Lactate a Good Ingredient?

It earns a Great rating as a well-studied humectant related to skin's natural moisturizing factors that reliably boosts hydration, is formulation-friendly, and is generally low in irritation at typical use levels. Its stability and buffering capacity further support consistent performance across product types.

Products with Sodium Lactate

Related Ingredients