Ingredient intelligence
Lactic acid
Exfoliant · Lactic Acid · C3H6O3
Lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that is also a natural moisturising factor component, so it is studied for both exfoliation and hydration .
Any underlined term can be tapped for an everyday-English translation.
Molecular identity
- Formula
- C3H6O3
- Molecular weight
- 90.08 g/mol
- PubChem CID
- 612
- ChEBI
- CHEBI:78320
Biological targets
Corneodesmosin (CDSN)
medium confidenceassociated with · structural protein
UniProt Q15517Ceramide synthase 3 (CERS3)
low confidenceassociated with · enzyme
UniProt Q8IU89
How could this ingredient interact with biology?
Biological network
Ingredient → molecule → target → gene/protein → pathway → process → studied outcome. Relationship strength is drawn from the curated confidence tier; nothing is added to make the chain look complete.
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3 lower-confidence relationships are hidden at this filter level. Use “Show more biology” to include them.
Text alternative for this network
- Lactic acid is molecule L-Lactic acid — high confidence
- L-Lactic acid associated with Corneodesmosin (CDSN) — medium confidence
- Corneodesmosin (CDSN) encoded by CDSN — medium confidence
- CDSN participates in Formation of the cornified envelope — medium confidence
- Formation of the cornified envelope associated with Desquamation — medium confidence
- Formation of the cornified envelope associated with Stratum corneum hydration — medium confidence
- Desquamation studied in Studied for hydration and smoothness endpoints — medium confidence
- Stratum corneum hydration studied in Studied for hydration and smoothness endpoints — medium confidence
Biological pathways
Sphingolipid metabolism
low confidencesynthesis changes reported after lactic acid exposure in skin models.
Reactome R-HSA-428157
Formation of the cornified envelope
medium confidencebiology.
Reactome R-HSA-6809371
Evidence engine
Moderate
Some human evidence exists, but replication or sample sizes are limited.
Skinceptor Evidence Index
53
experimental · of 100
This index is a research-navigation aid describing how much evidence exists and how it was produced. It is not a medical safety score, an efficacy guarantee, or a clinical recommendation.
Study composition
- Human2
- In-vitro1
- Total studies
- 3
- Human studies
- 2
- Largest sample
- 41
- Range
- 1996–2001
Index breakdown
- Study design quality55% × 28%
Mean design weight across curated studies (meta-analysis 1.0, RCT 0.9, other human 0.7, review 0.45, animal 0.35, in-vitro 0.25).
- Human evidence share67% × 22%
Proportion of curated evidence measured in people rather than cells or animals.
- Evidence volume63% × 14%
Log-scaled count of curated studies, so volume alone cannot dominate the score.
- Largest sample size54% × 12%
Log-scaled largest reported sample size across curated human studies.
- Replication67% × 12%
Independent human studies, capped at three; one study is never treated as replicated.
- Recency0% × 7%
Linear decay over a twenty-year window from the most recent curated publication.
- Source traceability0% × 5%
Share of curated studies with a verified PMID or DOI in this dataset.
Insufficient comparable evidence for quantitative synthesis.
Research timeline
How the evidence accumulated
1996
Alpha hydroxy acids: effects on stratum corneum cohesion and epidermal thickness
Humann = 41 · Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
1996
Lactic acid stimulates ceramide synthesis in the epidermis
In-vitrosample size unavailable · Journal of Investigative Dermatology
2001
Glycolic acid peels and epidermal thickness: a controlled split-face study
Humann = 20 · Dermatologic Surgery
Ingredient fingerprint
11 nodes · 15 relationships · seed "lactic-acid"
The fingerprint is a deterministic visual signature: ridge amplitude comes from the number of entities in each tier, node placement from identifier hashes, and opacity from confidence. Two ingredients can never produce the same figure unless their networks are identical.
Open in Biology as Art →Research
3 curated studies
Glycolic acid peels and epidermal thickness: a controlled split-face study
Reported increased epidermal thickness and improved texture scores on the treated side after a series of glycolic acid applications.
Limitations — Small sample, investigator-graded endpoints; identifier not verified during curation.
Alpha hydroxy acids: effects on stratum corneum cohesion and epidermal thickness
Reported reduced corneocyte cohesion and increased epidermal thickness after repeated glycolic acid application.
Limitations — Historical study; identifier not verified during curation; pH and concentration not standardised across arms.
Lactic acid stimulates ceramide synthesis in the epidermis
Reported increased epidermal ceramide production after lactic acid exposure in a skin model.
Limitations — In-vitro; stereoisomer-specific effects incompletely characterised; identifier not verified.
Community evidence
Submitted by readers
Reader submissions appear here only after review. They are not part of the curated dataset and do not affect the Skinceptor Evidence Index.
No approved community submissions yet.
Sources
- PubChem 612Verified 2026-09-14
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