Actives such as glycolic acid, lactic acid, or salicylic acid, & retinoic acid speed up cell turnover & have the potential to ‘purge’. Side effects are temporary & ultimately worth the three to seven days of purging.  

Lactic acid as well as other AHAs including glycolic, mandelic & citric acid work as chemical exfoliants, removing the upper layer of dead skin cells. This results in better skin texture, less wrinkles, as well as whiter-brighter skin. 

No, you apply to dry skin directly after cleansing. Please follow the product instructions.

Strong peels & tones will require washing off, this is different from home use creams. 

If the lactic acid concentration is low & buffered, you can leave it on your face overnight. It is important to note that concentrations & pH will markedly vary with different products, please follow the instructions carefully. As a guide a 10% low pH formulation can be left on your face for up to 10 minutes. 

AHAs or Alpha Hydroxy Acids including, Lactic, Glycolic, Citric & Mandelic work well to fade excess pigment in skin, and will slowly fade dark spots and even out skin texture. Clinical applications include blotchy pigmented skin, surface scars, freckles, sunspots, or melasma.

*Melasma patients will also benefit from other acitves including licorice root extract, arbutin, bearberry, citric acids, flavonoids, soy, green tea, hydroquinone, azelaic, ascorbic & retinoic acids. 

No, dermatologists prefer salicylic acid for this job. This acid is lipophilic, meaning more gets into your oil glands. This acid works as a chemical exfoliant, removing the upper layers of skin as well as unclogging congested pores & blackheads. Salicylic acid is also anti-inflammatory. Other better acids for acne prone skin include azelaic acid, as well as retinoic acid. 

Lactic acid can act as a chemical exfoliant, removing dead skin cells from the surface of skin. This improves light transmission & can help reduce the appearance of scars in addition it improves the overall texture of the skin. Lactic acid may also help lighten dark acne scar tissue by removing pigment from the upper layers of skin. 

* Lactic acids, other AHAs, BHAs & retinoic acid-retinol are only effective in very mild & early acne scars. Deeper scars will benefit from light & laser-based treatment. Severe scars will benefit from surgical procedures.

Skin irritation can be seen if the concentration is too high, or if you have sensitive or compromised skin. Actual allergic reactions are extremely rare. If you experience any redness, prolonged stinging, burning, itch or excessive flaking, give your skin a break for two to five days. You can try reapplication with half the amount (dilute in moisturiser) and apply every second day. It is super important to listen to what your skin is trying to tell you!

Vitamin C or ascorbic is an acid, so layering it with AHAs and BHAs like glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids is skin suicide. Most people will have significant skin irritation if acids are mixed. A sensible routine that combines these ingredients is to split them into am & pm use instead. 

Not a flash idea to mix lactic acids with other acids such as glycolic, salicylic, ascorbic or retinoic acid as this may cause skin irritation. If you would like to incorporate these skin care ingredients in your routine, I suggest separating them to an am then pm application. As always, start slow, do a test patch, then increase as tolerated. 

A safe acid to mix is hyaluronic acid. Azelaic acid can also be mixed however this molecule is best in a gel formulation. 

You should notice changes within 2 weeks. Lactic acid works as a chemical exfoliant, namely removing the compacted lifeless upper layer of your skin. Removal of dead skin cells will improve light transmission & reflectance. This in turn improves skin texture, fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation & mild surface scars. 

Yes. Mixing this with a bland moisturiser or hyaluronic acid is sensible. This will decrease the concentration of your primary product, & possibly decrease skin irritation. 

The best formulation will depend on your skin concerns, sensitivity, current routine, & aims. Washes can be great as a general exfoliant, whilst creams & lotions are preferred for specific conditions, for example pigmentation & fine lines. Dermatologists often compound a specific concentration depending on the patient’s skin. Formulations range from 5% to 12%, often combined with propylene glycol to aid penetration. 

*Disclaimer: I am a procedural dermatologist; I do not routinely prescribe topicals. If you would like skin care advice, please book in with my clinical staff @clinic_dermatology. Additionally, you can see one of my medical colleagues. 

Lactic acid peels are low pH, high concentration clinical peels. This AHA will require neutralisation. I also combine lactic with salicylic & resorcinol to formulate Jessner peel, an invaluable agent used as a superficial peel, or combined with TCA to give a medium depth peel. Home use lotions & creams are formulated in lower concentrations & buffered pH for safety. 

Lactic acid is part of the Alpha Hydroxy Acid family including glycolic, citric & mandelic acids. These acids are powerful chemical exfoliants that not only reduces acne breakouts & blackheads, but it also diminishes the appearance of wrinkles, pigment  and other signs of skin aging.

A sensible skin care routine that involves lactic acid goes something like this;

AM: Lactic acid wash, SPF, Make up, with the option of antioxidants (Ferulic acid, Tocopherol)

PM: Cleanser, actives such as Niacinamide, Hyaluronic Acid, Retinol

*There are many formulations of lactic acid with endless combinations. The use of other acids such as ascorbic, retinoic, azelaic etc… are not absolutely contraindicated. A sensible starting point is to use lactic acid every other day (or night) and gradually incorporate it into your routine. If in doubt, dilute the active with a moisturiser, & conduct a test patch.