AmLactin Daily 5% does work, within limits. Lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid. It loosens the bonds between dead skin cells so they shed more easily, and it also draws in water. At 5% it works slowly and gently.
A lower strength is a trade-off. It is mild enough for daily use and for the thinner skin on the face, which the 12% and 15% versions are not. But for thick, stubborn rough patches, 5% may not be strong enough.
Pairing an acid with barrier ingredients is a good idea. This lotion adds squalane, niacinamide, three ceramides and vitamin E. The acid can stress the skin barrier, and those lipids help support it.
| Key active | Lactic acid 5% |
| Texture | Light lotion |
| Best for | Sensitive skin; face and body |
| Approximate price | $13–$16 |
| Fragrance | Fragrance free |
5% is a genuinely sensible starting dose — mild enough that most people can tolerate it daily, and mild enough for facial skin, which the 12% and 15% versions are not.
The supporting formula is the best in the AmLactin range: squalane, niacinamide, three ceramides, vitamin E. Pairing an exfoliating acid with barrier lipids is exactly the right idea, because the acid is what compromises the barrier.
Lactic acid is a well-evidenced AHA for dry, rough skin.
It looks like it is being discontinued. The product page is still live but has been removed from AmLactin's catalogue and de-indexed from search. That is what a company does to a product on its way out. Do not build a routine on it.
5% is meaningfully weaker than the 12% and 15% versions. If you have stubborn keratosis pilaris, this may not be enough.
It makes you burn more easily — and the label says for longer than you think. The alpha hydroxy acid warning tells you to use sunscreen and protective clothing while using it "and for a week afterwards." Almost nobody reads that far.
It is a cosmetic, not a drug — no FDA review of whether it works.
Keratosis pilaris returns when you stop.
Water, Ammonium Lactate, Squalane, Niacinamide, Cetearyl Alcohol, Glycerin, Propanediol, Coconut Alkanes, Sodium Lactate, Potassium Lactate, Candelilla/Jojoba/Rice Bran Polyglyceryl-3 Esters, Glyceryl Stearate, Cholecalciferol, Tocopherol Acetate, Ceramide NP, Ceramide AP, Ceramide EOP, Glycereth-5 Lactate, Cholesterol, Coco-Caprylate/Caprate, Phytosphingosine, Xanthan Gum, Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer, Sodium Stearoyl Lactylate, PEG-7 Trimethylolpropane Coconut Ether, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate, Polyisobutene, Phenoxyethanol, Carbomer, Polysorbate 60
1. Effect of lactic acid isomers on keratinocyte ceramide synthesis, stratum corneum lipid levels and stratum corneum barrier function (https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02507107) — Supports that lactic acid is a well-evidenced AHA for dry, rough skin (xerosis) and that it stimulates ceramide synthesis and improves stratum corneum barrier function, underpinning the rationale for pairing an exfoliating acid with barrier lipids. 2. Alpha hydroxyacids modulate stratum corneum barrier function (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9470910/) — Supports that alpha hydroxy acids, including lactic acid, act on and modulate the stratum corneum barrier, backing the claim that the acid is what affects the skin barrier. 3. Clinical evaluation of 40% urea and 12% ammonium lactate in the treatment of xerosis (https://doi.org/10.2165/00128071-200203030-00007) — A randomized controlled trial using 12% ammonium lactate (lactic acid) for xerosis, supporting lactic acid as an evidence-based treatment for dry, rough skin and the existence of the higher-strength 12% version. 4. Nicotinamide increases biosynthesis of ceramides as well as other stratum corneum lipids to improve the epidermal permeability barrier (https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2133.2000.03705.x) — Supports the inclusion of niacinamide (nicotinamide) as a barrier-supporting active: topical niacinamide raises stratum corneum ceramides and reduces transepidermal water loss, reinforcing the barrier-lipid pairing rationale.