Lifestyle
Is Lactic Acid Vegan?
1min read
Lactic acid is both raved about from beauty experts near and far as well as being a key ingredient in food, but what exactly is it, and is it vegan? We’ve broken down what you need to know about the stuff here.
What is lactic acid?
In food and drinks, lactic acid is formed when a food or bacteria is fermented. While its name suggests that it is related to milk and dairy (like lactose), it is an acid and not actually itself a dairy product; though it is often found in very obviously non-vegan sour dairy products such as yoghurt, kefir, and cottage cheese. This is because they are fermented products, and lactic acid is what gives them their sour tanginess. It is also what makes sourdough sour as well.
In cosmetics, lactic acid can act as an exfoliator making it a popular addition to skincare products.
Is lactic acid vegan?
Lactic acid itself is indeed vegan, as it is simply created through fermentation and despite the fact it is found in lots of dairy products, it isn’t animal derived in itself. As a result, it is suitable for those who are plant-based for both food and drinks as well as for cosmetics, like this lactic acid formula from the Ordinary.
Got any other questions for us? Let us know in the comments below!
By Toni Olukiran
Toni is one of our lovely Content Marketing Assistants, and when she’s not writing posts about everything from Jamaican cooking to vegan champagne, she’s making a Spotify playlist (she was at 200, at her last count) or playing tennis in the park.
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