A fatty acid derived from various vegetable oils such as palm or coconut oil. It helps to maintain the barrier function of the skin and is also used as a cleansing or emulsifying agent. Lauric acid is listed among common comedogenic ingredients by acne.org.
Functions
Anti-Acne,
Anti-Acne
Anti-acne agents treat acne blemishes, blackheads, and whiteheads.
Anti-Acne,
Anti-Acne
Anti-acne agents treat acne blemishes, blackheads, and whiteheads.
Cleansing,
Cleansing
Cleansing ingredients, also known as surfactants, clear dirt and buildup from the skin.
Cleansing,
Cleansing
Cleansing ingredients, also known as surfactants, clear dirt and buildup from the skin.
Fragrance,
Fragrance
Fragrance ingredients add scent to a product or hide ('mask') the undesired aroma of other ingredients.
Fragrance,
Fragrance
Fragrance ingredients add scent to a product or hide ('mask') the undesired aroma of other ingredients.
Emulsifying
Emulsifying
Emulsifying – helps to mix water and oil together.
Emulsifying
Emulsifying
Emulsifying – helps to mix water and oil together.
Origin
Botanical,
Botanical
Ingredients derived from plants, mosses, and lichens: extracts, oils, powders, juices and other types of processed plant materials.
Botanical,
Botanical
Ingredients derived from plants, mosses, and lichens: extracts, oils, powders, juices and other types of processed plant materials.
Animal
Animal
Ingredients derived from animals (including birds, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and insects) or produced by animals (e.g. dairy- and egg-derived ingredients, bee products, silk, pearls, etc.)
Animal
Animal
Ingredients derived from animals (including birds, fish, crustaceans, mollusks, and insects) or produced by animals (e.g. dairy- and egg-derived ingredients, bee products, silk, pearls, etc.)
Lauric acid is a fatty acid, meaning that it is an acid with a long, lipid-soluble tail. It is specifically a saturated fatty acid, which means that its oil-soluble tail only contains single bonds.
Lauric acid is used in skincare products to help maintain the barrier function of the skin. It has a faint, bay leaf-like scent, which is sometimes used to create the final scent of the skincare product.
It is also emulsifying, meaning that it helps water to mix with oil in a skincare product, and cleansing, meaning that it helps remove the oily impurities from the skin’s surface.
Some research suggests that it may have mild anti-acne properties, as it acts against the bacteria causing inflammed acne spots.
Lauric acid can be chemically modified to create various derivatives which are used as soap or detergents: sodium laurate and potassium laurate are simple salts of lauric acid, while the commonly used sodium laureth sulfate is a more complicated chemical derivative.
The best source of myristic acid is various kinds of vegetable oils, notably palm and coconut oil.
Lauric acid is listed among common comedogenic ingredients by acne.org.
Science
1
Nakatsuji, T., Kao, M. C., Fang, J. Y., Zouboulis, C. C., Zhang, L., Gallo, R. L., & Huang, C. M. (2009). Antimicrobial property of lauric acid against Propionibacterium acnes: its therapeutic potential for inflammatory acne vulgaris. The Journal of investigative dermatology, 129(10), 2480–2488. https://doi.org/10.1038/jid.2009.93
2
Yang, D., Pornpattananangkul, D., Nakatsuji, T., Chan, M., Carson, D., Huang, C. M., & Zhang, L. (2009). The antimicrobial activity of liposomal lauric acids against Propionibacterium acnes. Biomaterials, 30(30), 6035–6040. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2009.07.033
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