PURAC lactic acid (in combination with PURASAL) is a very suitable and efficient pH-regulator for a wide variety of products such as shampoos, creams, lotions and soap bars. L(+)-lactic acid is naturally present in both the human skin and hair and is milder than other organic acids that might be used for this function. When lactic acid is used to adjust the pH of a cosmetic product, it provides not only pH regulation, but also additional features such as moisturizing and bacteriostatic properties. This makes it possible to combine different functions in a single product, thus reducing the number of raw materials necessary in the formulation.

The effectiveness of PURAC lactic acid as a pH-regulator is very similar to that of citric acid. The graph shows the pH behavior of L(+)-lactic acid and citric acid in a 10% sodium lauryl ether sulphate solution.