Ingredient pairing

Can you mix Ammonium lactate and Glycolic acid?

Same answer whichever way you searched it: Glycolic acid and Ammonium lactate.

Use with careUse these with care.

Ammonium lactate Glycolic acid

Two exfoliants at once is usually one too many, and a common cause of irritation.

Do this: Pick one, and alternate days if you want to use both.

☀ Morning

Nothing here

☾ Evening

Ammonium lactateGlycolic acid

Use on alternate nights, not the same evening.

Ammonium lactateSolid and proven

Efficacy7

Hydration6

Anti-aging3

Skip if: very sensitive, compromised barrier

Ask your doctor in pregnancy

Glycolic acidWorth paying for

Efficacy9

Anti-aging7

Brightening4

Skip if: sensitive, compromised barrier, rosacea

Ask your doctor in pregnancy

Written by Maya Faour How we score →

Which one goes first?

Not on the same night

Use Ammonium lactate and Glycolic acid on alternate evenings rather than layering them together.

Ammonium lactate and Glycolic acid: Use with care. Use these with care. Two exfoliants at once is usually one too many, and a common cause of irritation. Which goes first: Not on the same night. — The short version, if you want to keep it.

The short version, if you want to keep it.

How to introduce Ammonium lactate and Glycolic acid

Patch test each one first: a coin-sized amount on your inner forearm for two or three days, watching for redness or stinging.
Alternate nights: Ammonium lactate one evening, Glycolic acid the next, so your skin only handles one of them at a time.
Start the exfoliating acid at once or twice a week and increase gradually, giving your skin time to settle between steps.
If skin turns tight, flaky, red or starts to sting, drop back a step and let your barrier recover for a few days before pushing on again.

There is room for both here, as long as you build up gently and let your skin set the pace.

For your skin type If your skin is sensitive or reactive, take this pair slowly: Glycolic acid is the higher-irritation ingredient here, and using actives close together magnifies that. On the upside, Ammonium lactate leans hydrating or soothing, which helps buffer the rest.

Choosing between them instead? Ammonium lactate vs Glycolic acid →

Using a third ingredient? Check all three →Or decode a whole product label →

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Ammonium lactate and Glycolic acid, answered

Can you mix Ammonium lactate and Glycolic acid?

Use these with care. Two exfoliants at once is usually one too many, and a common cause of irritation. Pick one, and alternate days if you want to use both.

Should you use Ammonium lactate and Glycolic acid in the morning or at night?

Keep them to the evening, but on alternate nights rather than together.

How should you introduce Ammonium lactate and Glycolic acid?

Patch test each one first: a coin-sized amount on your inner forearm for two or three days, watching for redness or stinging. Alternate nights: Ammonium lactate one evening, Glycolic acid the next, so your skin only handles one of them at a time. Start the exfoliating acid at once or twice a week and increase gradually, giving your skin time to settle between steps. If skin turns tight, flaky, red or starts to sting, drop back a step and let your barrier recover for a few days before pushing on again. There is room for both here, as long as you build up gently and let your skin set the pace.

What else should you not mix with Ammonium lactate?

Ammonium lactate is best kept apart from Retinol, Retinal, Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate, Retinyl Palmitate. Introduce any new active one at a time.

Sources

Kornhauser et al., "Applications of hydroxy acids" (Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2010)

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General guidance, not medical advice. When in doubt, introduce one product at a time, andhere is when to see a dermatologist instead.