12% lactate lotion for dry, scaly skin

Sixty people with moderate to severe dry, scaly skin applied three different preparations to different areas for 21 days, then stopped and were watched for another two weeks. All three reduced dryness while in use. The 12% lactate lotion was significantly better than both the plain moisturiser and the 5% lactic acid lotion at day 28 and day 35 — that is, after treatment had stopped. The interesting finding is not that it worked during use, which everything did, but that the benefit lasted longer. That fits what is known about lactate acting as one of the skin's own water-binding molecules rather than simply sitting on the surface.