Lauric Acid
Explained
Lauric Acid is a saturated fatty acid naturally found in coconut oil, palm kernel oil, and even breast milk.
In cosmetics, it is an:
- Emollient that helps hydrate and soften skin
- Cleansing surfactant that grabs onto dirt, oil, and other impurities on your skin to be easily rinsed away by water
- Emulsifier that prevents the oil and water parts from separating to keep a formula stable
Lab studies have found that lauric acid is surprisingly good at killing acne-causing bacteria. However, these tests were done on bacteria in a petri dish and not on real skin, so we can't say for certain it works the same in a formulation on a real face.
The comedogenic rating of 4 comes from the 1972 rabbit ear model using undiluted ingredients. Comedogenicity is highly individual and one comedogenic ingredient cannot predict how a formula will behave on skin.
This ingredient is not fungal acne safe and research has confirmed Malassezia can use it as a food source.
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