As the years go by, we expose our skin and hair to the sun’s harsh UV rays, a range of chemicals in the air and water, the effects of the food and beverages that we consume, and the variety of manufactured products we use to cleanse, soften, color and style them. No wonder we often end up with dry, damaged hair and a scalp in need of some tender, loving care!
At Divi, we’ve staked our reputation on formulating products from optimal science-backed and clinically researched ingredients. Moreover, we only use clean ingredients such as vitamins, minerals, amino acids and botanical extracts like rosemary, eucalyptus and tea tree oils.
A core ingredient in our Divi’s Scalp Serum is sodium lactate: a common salt derived from lactic acid. Its antimicrobial, pH-stabilizing and moisture-retaining effects make sodium lactate a popular additive to skincare products like our Scalp Serum.
What Is Sodium Lactate?
Sodium lactate is a salt of lactic acid, which our bodies produce in red blood and muscle cells during exercise. We also find it in sugary vegetables.
Although sodium lactate is a naturally occurring compound, commercial producers derive it from a sugar-containing source like beets or corn that ferments to produce lactic acid, which converts into sodium lactate. In appearance, sodium lactate is a viscous, colorless, clear liquid.
This versatile substance has many uses in the food, cosmetics and medical industries. In soaps, shampoos and other personal care applications, sodium lactate acts as a powerful moisturizer and pH balancer with additional antioxidant properties. Together with a full-spectrum preservative, sodium lactate inhibits bacterial reproduction.
Despite the similarity in names, sodium lactate has nothing to do with the milk ingredient lactose. That means the sodium lactate in our Scalp Serum is vegan and poses no concern for lactose-intolerant people.
Sodium Lactate and Your Scalp: A Perfect Match
Sodium lactate naturally occurs in the top skin layers as part of the NMF (natural moisturizing factor). The NMF is a combination of molecules in the epidermis that keep the stratum corneum, the topmost epidermis layer, hydrated and healthy.
Proper hydration of the outer epidermis is vital since it:
- Keeps skin and scalp supple and less prone to damage
- Helps hydrolytic enzymes perform desquamation, a natural process that replaces old skin cells
- Helps the skin maintain its barrier role, protecting you from infection
Sodium lactate’s water-retaining properties make it an important NMF component. Apart from sodium lactate, the natural moisturizing factor also includes certain amino acids, urea, electrolytes and other molecules.
The aging process, excess UV exposure and some cosmetic procedures may deplete NMF in all areas of your body, including your scalp. When this happens, your scalp may feel tight, dry and flaky. Using scalp care products containing sodium lactate can help restore NMF and return proper hydration levels to your scalp.
Sodium lactate is ideal for providing moisture without stickiness, which makes it an important ingredient in Divi’s Scalp Serum.
How Sodium Lactate Works on Your Scalp and Hair
So what exactly can sodium lactate do for your hair and scalp? Let’s look at what makes sodium lactate such a beneficial component in hair care products.
Hydrates Hair and Scalp
Sodium lactate is a humectant with a chemical structure that enables it to bind water molecules easily. Just as sodium lactate keeps foods from drying out, it sustains valuable, revitalizing moisture in your scalp.
This moisture-retaining effect can ease symptoms like dry scalp, itching, flaking and issues like dullness, brittleness, breakage and split ends.
Calms Dry, Irritated Scalp
Healthy skin and scalp undergo constant, regular regeneration through desquamation, in which younger epidermis cells replace old and worn cells. Desquamation is a gradual, controlled process that preserves skin integrity.
Enzymes called serine proteases play a key role in the desquamation process. People who suffer from a dry scalp may not have sufficient moisture in the outermost layers of their scalp to enable the enzyme activity that promotes cell regeneration. This manifests in the typical flaky, scaly appearance of a dry scalp.
A healthy scalp is necessary to maintain healthy hair growth, so if you suffer from a condition that causes a dry scalp, you’re more likely to experience hair loss or inhibited hair growth. By providing moisture to the scalp, sodium lactate promotes vital biological processes responsible for scalp and hair vitality.
Additionally, sodium lactate can act as a gentle exfoliator that helps remove dead keratinocytes and facilitate skin and scalp regeneration.
Balances Scalp pH for Healthy Skin and Hair
Sodium lactate also acts as a pH buffer; it helps keep cosmetic formulations from becoming too acidic or too alkaline. Proper pH is crucial for scalp and hair health, from maintaining a healthy bacterial flora to the function of vital enzymes in the epidermis.
Healthy human skin has a slightly acidic pH, usually hovering around 5.5. Most cosmetic products try to emulate normal pH levels to help the skin maintain its health and vigor. A cosmetic product with high acidity may irritate the skin, while excessively alkaline formulations may strip the epidermis of vital lipids and cause dryness.
Sodium lactate promotes skin and scalp health by helping achieve an optimal acid-alkaline balance in cosmetic products.
Acts as a Preservative and Antibacterial Agent
Sodium lactate has excellent antimicrobial and bacteriostatic properties and can inhibit harmful bacteria's growth, making it an important component in keeping cosmetic formulations clean and contamination-free.
Compared to other skin areas, the scalp has a much higher sweat and sebaceous glands concentration. The humid and oily scalp environment creates a hotbed for microorganisms. That’s why scalp products need robust antibacterial components like sodium lactate.
Sodium lactate helps prolong Divi’s Scalp Serum shelf life and extend its efficacy. Our Scalp Serum includes a dropper for application, which lowers the risk of bacterial contamination of the product as the bottle gets opened and closed each day.
Is Sodium Lactate Safe for Use on Hair and Scalp?
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says sodium lactate is a safe, food-grade molecule suitable for external applications. Millions of people use skin and hair care products containing sodium lactate daily.
According to a report by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review Panel, sodium lactate is safe to use in cosmetic formulations at the usual concentrations that apply to the skincare and cosmetics industry.
Sodium lactate has no known adverse effects. It’s a widely used component suitable for all population groups, including teenagers, elderly people, and pregnant and lactating women.
What To Expect When You Use Divi's Scalp Serum with Sodium Lactate
Sodium lactate’s benefits for treating hair loss symptoms include this substance’s outstanding moisturizing, pH-balancing and antimicrobial properties. Divi's Scalp Serum contains clinically effective, clean ingredients like sodium lactate to hydrate dry hair, moisturize your scalp, and enhance the appearance of thicker, healthier hair.
However, having realistic expectations is important when using a sodium lactate-containing product on your scalp. A scalp- and hair-nourishing formulation may have widely different effects on different people, depending on your underlying hair or scalp conditions, metabolism, hair growth cycle, environmental factors and more.
To tap into the full benefits of sodium lactate as a component of our Scalp Serum for your hair and scalp, make sure you take the following steps.:
- Give it time. While you may experience the immediate relief of increased moisture and reduced dryness, your scalp may need several weeks or even a couple of months to get the most out of your new care regime.
- Use it regularly. Stay motivated, even if you don’t see the instant results you were hoping for. Use your Divi Scalp Serum daily.
- Follow the instructions. Ensure you follow instructions when using the product – applying ¾ dropper daily and letting it absorb into the scalp.
Keep in mind that using Divi’s Scalp Serum will not resolve whatever underlying condition might be causing your dry scalp, skin irritation or hair loss. To maintain the beneficial effects of our Scalp Serum containing sodium lactate, you’ll need to commit to long-term regular use.
How Other Ingredients in Divi's Scalp Serum Enhance Sodium Lactate’s Benefits for Treating Hair Loss
Another strength of sodium lactate is in its ability to work synergistically with other ingredients that promote hair growth and inhibit hair loss, and we have built the formula for our Scalp Serum around this principle. At Divi, our potent Scalp Serum formula includes health-boosting nutrients for your hair and scalp, such as:
- Copper Tripeptide-1 (GHK-Cu)
- Essential amino acids (glycine, arginine, threonine, and serine)
- Hyaluronic acid
- Vitamin C
- Peppermint oil
- Menthol
- Tea tree oil
- Eucalyptus oil
- Rosemary leaf extract
- Green tea leaf extract
Divi’s carefully balanced formula includes the optimal amount of sodium lactate to hydrate and nourish the scalp without making your hair feel greasy. Divi users know they are choosing an ethical, safe product that has already helped many people achieve better hair health, growth and texture.
How To Use Divi's Scalp Serum
Incorporating our Scalp Serum into your daily hair care routine is easy. Once a day, apply 3/4 of a dropper to your scalp, morning or night. Let it soak in and enjoy the tingling sensation of our ingredients at work.
Divi: Creator of Hair and Scalp Products That Enhance Your Hair’s Natural Growth Potential
Divi's Scalp Serum includes a powerful blend of clean, safe ingredients that promote hair and scalp health. Our extensively researched, dermatologically tested, vegan-friendly formula makes the most of sodium lactate’s benefits for treating hair loss symptoms, promoting hair growth, and enhancing hair texture.
If you’re looking to test a new product to combat hair loss, try Divi’s Scalp Serum today. The inclusion of sodium lactate is just one of the ingredients that goes well beyond just your hair to find the cause of your hair loss or hair thinning. Divi’s Scalp Serum looks at the root cause of the issue and can turn your scalp into a better garden for hair to grow.
