The subject invention relates to a 
skin cream that can be used to moisturize and rejuvenate 
skin that has been damaged by 
exposure to 
sunlight or which has simply been affected over the years by intrinsic aging. It can also be used to slow the rate of photo-induced aging to maintain beautiful 
skin tone and texture over the years. It inhibits the formation of wrinkles and in some cases reduces the depth of existing wrinkles or eliminates them entirely. In some cases, the 
skin cream of this invention also lightens age spots and other types of blemishes associated with aging. This invention is based upon the discovery that 
alkyl lactates, such as 
ethyl lactate, can be used to improve the penetration of active ingredients in 
skin care formulations deep into lower 
layers of the 
skin tissue. For instance, 
ethyl lactate can be included in aqueous based skin creams, such as 
oil in water emulsions, to deliver active ingredients deep into the 
skin structure. 
Ethyl lactate is particularly desirable for utilization in conjunction with 
ascorbic acid (
Vitamin C) containing 
skin cream formulations. This is beneficial because the overall effectiveness of skin creams that utilize 
ascorbic acid as an 
active ingredient is contingent upon delivery of the 
ascorbic acid through the outer 
layers of the 
stratum corneum and viable epidermis and into the 
dermis layer of the 
skin structure. The present invention more specifically discloses a topical formulation comprising about 1 weight percent to about 20 weight percent ascorbic acid, about 1 weight percent to about 10 weight percent of an 
amino acid selected from the group consisting of 
phenylalanine and 
tyrosine, about 0.5 weight percent to about 5 weight percent of a non-toxic 
zinc salt, about 0.01 weight percent to about 20 weight percent of an 
alkyl lactate, wherein the 
alkyl group in the alkyl lactate contains from 2 to about 12 carbon atoms, and a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.