The ingredient, explained

Lactobionic Acid

A small human comparison examined lactobionic-acid skin preparations.

PHA exfoliantBuffering

Explore connections

Ingredient guide

What it is and what it does

4-O-beta-D-Galactopyranosyl-D-gluconic acid

About this ingredient: EU CosIng ingredient registry (via Open Beauty Facts taxonomy) ↗

PHA exfoliant: Polyhydroxy acid category, including gluconolactone. Specific exfoliating results depend on the compound, concentration, vehicle and study conditions.
Buffering: Helps resist changes in a formula's pH.

Function definitions: PubMed: Gluconolactone as a polyhydroxy acid ↗ · European Commission ingredient function definitions (SCCNFP/0299/00, pages 16 to 20) ↗

Registry functions describe possible formulation roles, not results for a finished product. A dictionary entry is not an approval or a safety assessment.

A closer look

What the research shows

Human topical research

The tested preparations had a favorable irritation and barrier profile compared with glycolic-acid preparations.

What this does not tell us

Results depended on the vehicle and do not establish effects for every lactobionic-acid product.

Sources for this summary. PubMed 20367666 ↗

Research review checked Oct 1, 2026

Read exact local candidate abstracts first; select identity-relevant papers; targeted primary PubMed/publisher searches. This is not an exhaustive systematic review.