Lactic Acid

Used in skin fresheners. Oderless, colorless, usually a syrupy product nornmally present in blood and muscle tissue as a product of the metabolism of glucose and glycogen. Present in sour milk, beer, sourkraut, pickles and other food products made by bacterial fermentation. Also an acidulent. It is caustic in concentrated solutions when taken internally or applied to the skin. In cosmetic products it may cause stinging in high doses in sensitive people, particularly in fair-skinned women.

Lactococcus Ferment Extract

Skin cells nutritive and regenerating agent.

Lactoferrin

A substance found in the milk of mammals believed to be involved in the transport of iron to the red blood cells.

Lactoperoxidase

An enzyme obtained from milk.

Lanolin Alcohol

Sterols. Derived from lanolin, lanolin alcohols are available commercially as solid waxy materials that are yellow to amber in color or as pale to golden-yellow liquids. They are widely used as emulsifiers and emollients in hand creams and lotions, and while they are less likely to cause an allergic reaction than lanolin, they still may do so in the sensitive.

Lavender Oil

Lavender Angustifolia. Widely used in cosmetic products. The volatile oil from the fresh flowering tops of lavender. It can cause allergic reactions and has been found to cause adverse skin reactions when the skin is exposed to sunlight. Related to the lavender plant. Fragrant, yellowish, with a camphor-lavender scent. No known toxicity.

Lecithin

From the Greek, meaning “egg yolk”. A natural antioxidant and emollient used in many cosmetics. Also a natural emulsifier and spreading ingredient. It is found in all living organisms, and is frequently obtained from common egg yolk and soybeans for commercial purposes. Egg yolk is 8 to 9 percent lecithin. Nontoxic.