Donate to EWG Today!
LACTIC ACID
Score
Data: Good
CAS50-21-5
facial moisturizer/ treatment (117 products)
moisturizer (103 products)
facial cleanser (88 products)
conditioner (65 products)
anti-aging (64 products)
Show all 706 products that contain LACTIC ACID.
how to read the score

Get The Guide!


Want a free Cosmetics Guide? Donate $5 to EWG today!

LACTIC ACID


image source: PubChem
Health concerns of ingredient
About the ratings
Canceryes
Developmental & reproductive toxicity no information
Allergies & immunotoxicity no information
Use restrictionsyes
Contamination concerns: none

About the ratings

EWG provides information on personal care product ingredients from the published scientific literature, to supplement incomplete data available from companies and the government. The ratings below indicate the relative level of concern posed by exposure to the ingredients in this product - not the product itself - compared to other product formulations. The ratings reflect potential health hazards but do not account for the level of exposure or individual susceptibility, factors which determine actual health risks, if any. Learn more | Legal Disclaimer

Function/use(s): Exfoliant; Fragrance Ingredient; Humectant; pH Adjuster; Skin-Conditioning Agent -Humectant; Skin-Conditioning Agent - Miscellaneous; BUFFERING; SKIN CONDITIONING

About LACTIC ACID: Lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid; naturally produced in the process of bacterial fermentation, for example milk fermentation. Lactic acid is frequently used as an exfoliant and in anti-wrinkle pro ... read more

Synonym(s): A-HYDROXYPROPANOIC ACID; 2-HYDROXYPROPANOIC ACID; 2-HYDROXYPROPIONIC ACID; PROPANOIC ACID, 2-HYDROXY-; 2-HYDROXY- PROPANOIC ACID; 2-HYDROPROPANOIC ACID; LACTATE; 1-HYDROXYETHANECARBOXYLIC ACID; 2-HYDROXYPROPANOIC ACID; 2-HYDROXYPROPIONIC ACID; ALPHA-HYDROXYPROPIONIC ACID

This ingredient may be derived from animals. From PETA's Caring Consumer: Any one of several acids used as an exfoliant and in anti-wrinkle products. Lactic acid may be animal-derived (see Lactic Acid). Alternatives: glycolic acid, citric acid, and salicylic acid are plant- ... read more

Use restrictions

type of concern product conditions reference
Violation of industry recommendations - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Allowable pH limits   Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics   Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications   Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments

Cancer

type of concern product conditions reference
Cancer - not classifiable/not likely to be human carcinogen   

Occupational hazards

type of concern product conditions reference
No workplace limits set    National Library of Medicine HazMap

Data gaps

type of concern product conditions reference
110,149 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical see search results ->   PubMed

Multiple, additive exposure sources

type of concern product conditions reference
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food   FDA Food Additive Status
Designated as safe for general or specific, limited use in food   FDA Everything Added to Food

Persistence and bioaccumulation

type of concern product conditions reference
Not suspected to be persistent    Environment Canada Domestic Substance List
show more

Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)

type of concern product conditions reference
Classified as a low human health priority    Environment Canada Domestic Substance List
show more

Ecotoxicology

type of concern product conditions reference
Not suspected to be an environmental toxin    Environment Canada Domestic Substance List

Government, industry, academic studies and classifications
government/industry list/academic study appears on list as classification(s)
FDA Food Additive StatusLACTIC ACID• B&N
• GRAS/FS - CFR184.1061
• Part 136
• Bakery Pdts
• Part 133
• Cheese
• Part 135
• Frozen Desserts
• Part 150
• Fruit Butters
• Jellies & Preserves
• In animal feed practices - CFR582.1061
Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics IngredientsLACTIC ACIDRestricted
Cosmetic Ingredient Review AssessmentsLACTIC ACIDQQQ02,QQQ36,QQQ25,QQQ19,QQQ38 [special case 15,QQQ19,QQQ31]; D+, M-, C-
FDA Everything Added to FoodLACTIC ACID• ASP
National Library of Medicine HazMapLACTIC ACIDDE: Skin Burns;
Environment Canada Domestic Substance ListPROPANOIC ACID, 2-HYDROXY-,,Low-Health Priority,,,,,,,
IFRA Fragrance Ingredient ListLACTIC ACIDreported as used in fragrance compounds in 2008

Other RTECS® classifications [shown for informational purposes only]
government/industry list/academic study appears on list as classification(s)
RTECS®- "Prehled Prumyslove Toxikologie; Organicke Latky," Marhold, J 1986LACTIC ACID• skin - Primary skin irritant (rabbit )
RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology 1946LACTIC ACID• sense organ - Primary eye irritant (rabbit )
RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology 1946LACTIC ACID• sense organ - Primary eye irritant (rabbit )
RTECS®- American Naturalist 1951LACTIC ACID• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Mutation in Micro-organism (Escherichia coli )
RTECS®- American Naturalist 1951LACTIC ACID• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Mutation in Micro-organism (Escherichia coli )
RTECS®- British Journal of Dermatology 1987LACTIC ACID• skin - Primary skin irritant ( human )
RTECS®- British Journal of Dermatology 1987LACTIC ACID• skin - Primary skin irritant ( human )
RTECS®- Comptes Rendus des Seances de la Societe de Biologie et de Ses Filiales 1920LACTIC ACID• broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rabbit LDLo)
RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 1967LACTIC ACID• broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (mouse LD50)
RTECS®- Farm Chemicals Handbook 1991LACTIC ACID• broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rat LD50)
RTECS®- Industrial and Engineering Chemistry 1923LACTIC ACID• broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (rabbit LDLo)
RTECS®- International Journal of Toxicology LACTIC ACID• kidney or renal system - Changes in bladder weight (rat TDLo)
• brain, nervous system, or behavioral effect - Changes in brain weight (rat TDLo)
• blood - Other changes (rat TDLo)
RTECS®- International Journal of Toxicology 1998LACTIC ACID• skin - Primary skin irritant (rabbit )
RTECS®- International Journal of Toxicology 1998LACTIC ACID• skin - Primary skin irritant (rabbit )
RTECS®- Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology 1941LACTIC ACID• broad systemic - Broad systemic toxicity (guinea pig LD50)
RTECS®- Mutation Research 1990LACTIC ACID• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster ovr)
RTECS®- Mutation Research 1990LACTIC ACID• mutagenic - Positive mutation assay: Cytogenetic Analysis (hamster ovr)
RTECS®- Research Communications in Chemical Pathology and Pharmacology 1992LACTIC ACID• reproductive - Other effects (mouse TDLo)

references
government/industry list/academic study reference
FDA Food Additive StatusFDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) 2006. Food Additive Status List. Downloaded from http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/opa-appa.html, Oct 16, 2006.
Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics IngredientsHealth Canada. 2007. List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. March 2007.
Cosmetic Ingredient Review AssessmentsCIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
FDA Everything Added to FoodFDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration). 2008. EAFUS [Everything Added to Food]: A Food Additive Database. FDA Office of Food Safety and Applied Nutrition.
National Library of Medicine HazMapNLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
Environment Canada Domestic Substance ListEC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
IFRA Fragrance Ingredient ListIFRA (International Fragrance Assocication). 2010. IFRA Fragrance Ingredient List based on 2008 Use Survey. Accessed online 01/04/2010: http://www.ifraorg.org/Home/News/Latest-News/page.aspx/66?xf_itemId=43&xf_selectionDatapartId=25
RTECS®- "Prehled Prumyslove Toxikologie; Organicke Latky," Marhold, J 1986 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- "Prehled Prumyslove Toxikologie; Organicke Latky," Marhold, J., Prague, Czechoslovakia, Avicenum, 1986 -,656,1986
RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology 1946 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology. (Ophthalmic Pub. Co., 435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1415, Chicago, IL 60611) Series 3: V.1- 1918- 29,1363,1946
RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology 1946 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- American Journal of Ophthalmology. (Ophthalmic Pub. Co., 435 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 1415, Chicago, IL 60611) Series 3: V.1- 29,1363,1946
RTECS®- American Naturalist 1951 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- American Naturalist. (Univ. of Chicago Press, Journals Div., POB 37005, Chicago, IL 60637) V.1- 1867- 85,119,1951
RTECS®- American Naturalist 1951 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- American Naturalist. (Univ. of Chicago Press, Journals Div., POB 37005, Chicago, IL 60637) V.1- 85,119,1951
RTECS®- British Journal of Dermatology 1987 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- British Journal of Dermatology. (Blackwell Scientific Pub. Ltd., POB 88, Oxford, UK) V.63- -1951 17,294,1987
RTECS®- British Journal of Dermatology 1987 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- British Journal of Dermatology. (Blackwell Scientific Pub. Ltd., POB 88, Oxford, UK) V.63- 1951- 17,294,1987
RTECS®- Comptes Rendus des Seances de la Societe de Biologie et de Ses Filiales 1920 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Comptes Rendus des Seances de la Societe de Biologie et de Ses Filiales. (SPPIF, B.P.22, F-41353 Vineuil, France) V.1- 1849- 83,136,1920
RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series 1967 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- FAO Nutrition Meetings Report Series. (Rome, Italy) No.?-57, 1948-77. Discontinued. 40,144,1967
RTECS®- Farm Chemicals Handbook 1991 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Farm Chemicals Handbook. (Meister Pub., 37841 Euclid Ave., Willoughy, OH 44094) -,C252,1991
RTECS®- Industrial and Engineering Chemistry 1923 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Industrial and Engineering Chemistry. (Washington, DC) V.15-62, 1923-70. For publisher information, see CHMTBL. 15,628,1923
RTECS®- International Journal of Toxicology [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- International Journal of Toxicology. (Taylor & Francis, 47 Runway Rd., Suite g, Levittown, PA 19057) V.16- 1997- 17(Suppl
RTECS®- International Journal of Toxicology 1998 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- International Journal of Toxicology. (Taylor & Francis, 47 Runway Rd., Suite g, Levittown, PA 19057) V.16- 1997- 17(Suppl 1),71,1998
RTECS®- International Journal of Toxicology 1998 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- International Journal of Toxicology. (Taylor & Francis, 47 Runway Rd., Suite g, Levittown, PA 19057) V.16- 17(Suppl 1),71,1998
RTECS®- Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology 1941 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology. (Cambridge, MA) V.18-31, 1936-49. For publisher information, see AEHLAU. 23,259,1941
RTECS®- Mutation Research 1990 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- 240,195,1990
RTECS®- Mutation Research 1990 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Mutation Research. (Elsevier Science Pub. B.V., POB 211, 1000 AE Amsterdam, Netherlands) V.1- -1964 240,195,1990
RTECS®- Research Communications in Chemical Pathology and Pharmacology 1992 [shown for informational purposes only]RTECS®- Research Communications in Chemical Pathology and Pharmacology. (PJD Pub. Ltd., P.O. Box 966, Westbury, NY 11590) V.1- 1970- 77,95,1992

"RTECS®" is a United States trademark owned and licensed under authority of the U.S. Government, by and through MDL Information Systems, Inc.