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Introduction
There are so many anti-aging products that are difficult to choose as each one serves its purpose for your skin. You know about retinol, Vitamin C, peptides, and so much more. And there is another one that does not get enough attention which provides a lot of benefits. That one is lactic acid.
You may have heard about lactic acid as it is a substance that comes from sour milk. But, even though it is not a new thing, there is not enough knowledge about how it can help your skin. So, let’s talk about lactic acid and how it can help your skin, and when to take it.
What Is Lactic Acid?
Lactic acid is a group of chemicals that exfoliates the skin, known as alpha hydroxy acid. The others in that class are mandelic, malic, glycolic, citric, and tartaric acid. However, you don’t hear as much about those as you do about lactic acid. That is because it is getting plenty of buzz now. Even though lactic acid is far from new, it has a fascinating history that not many people know.
Lactic acid is an ingredient in sour milk, and there is a belief that Cleopatra utilized lactic acid by taking baths in milk. She did it because she knew of the valuable properties in it. However, that is only speculation, but there could be truth to it.
However, nowadays, the lactic acid does not always come from sour milk. Instead, it can come from different sources, which include vegan and synthetic sources. Therefore, if you have sensitive skin and have triedproducts with glycolic acid, you may be hesitant to try it. However, the good news is that lactic acid is not nearly as potent as glycolic acid, which means your sensitive skin can likely handle it. Now you know about lactic acid, you may wonder how it can help your skin. Let’s go over that right now.
Why Do You Want To Use Lactic Acid As A Part Of Your Skincare Routine?
You know that lactic acid is an excellent anti-aging acid as it will help to smooth out fine lines and wrinkles and give you a youthful appearance. When your skin shows signs of aging, it needs exfoliation. That is why when your skin cells fall away, your skin appears healthy and youthful, and when you are young, that happens every two to three weeks. However, as you age, your skin does not shed as often. That ends up leaving your skin scaly, dry, and rough.
Additionally, you do not produce much collagen and elastin as you age, so your skin is no longer plump and healthy. That will cause lines and wrinkles. Therefore, lactic acid will help provide the exfoliation needed and will help plump up the skin! And it is best to apply lactic acid twice to your skin a day so that your skin can get that firmness and thickness back. Again, that will help to smooth out wrinkles and lines on your skin.
Additionally, lactic acid will help treat bumps on the skin, such as those on the back of the legs or arms. That is known as keratosis pilaris, which is the build-up of keratin. Therefore, it can help to smooth out those bumps, and at the same time, lactic acid may be effective when treating acne. That is because exfoliation will help clear pores by removing dead skin and excess oil.
When Is The Best Time To Use Lactic Acid For Skincare?
When you start with any product such as serum, lotion, or cream with lactic acid, you want to start slowly. Start with products that have a five percent concentration. You will want to start only two times a week and start only at night. If you do not have any reactions to it, such as redness, irritation, or other signs of sensitivity, then you can work your way up to applying it every other day. After that, you can try using it a little in the morning and at night if your skin can handle it. Exfoliating your skin too often will be too hard on the skin, so you want to be careful.
You also don’t want to blindly grab a product with lactic acid as you need to test how you do with it. Instead, do a patch test by putting some on the inner area of your elbow to see how you react to it. Lactic acid is a mild acid, but it is still an acid that can irritate.
How Do You Find The Right Product With Lactic Acid?
The right product all depends on your needs that contains lactic acid. For example, if you struggle with acne, you may want to find cleansers that contain it. However, be sure when you use it to keep it away from your eyes as it will irritate them. If you prefer to use it in your moisturizer, you will want to get creams and moisturizers. Lactic acid is part of their formulation, which includes hyaluronic acid and ceramides, reducing the chances of dryness.
However, if you are used to using lactic acid products and feel you can handle a potent effect, you can use serums. You will want to use the serum at night after cleansing your skin. However, do it before you apply moisturizer. You can also reap the benefits of lactic acid in masks as they will exfoliate your skin quickly but do not use this more than once a week.
Conclusion
If you want to add something to your skincare routine, you can add products that contain lactic acid. Lactic acid helps to exfoliate your skin‘ which will help give it a youthful appearance. Not only is lactic acid great to help reverse aging skin, but it is good to help smooth out bumps on your arms and legs, and it is also good for helping to treat acne. That is because the lactic acid will go deep into the pores and clean out dead skin and excess oil, which can cause acne. You can always talk to your dermatologist about lactic acid if you have any queries.