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Sodium Glycolate
AKA “Sodium hydroxyacetate, Sodium 2-hydroxyacetate, Sodium glycollate, Sodium lycolate, Monosodium glycolate, Natriumglykolat, Glycolic acid, monosodium salt”
Synthetic
Ingredient Facts
Sodium glycolate
AKA: Sodium hydroxyacetate, Sodium 2-hydroxyacetate, Sodium glycollate, Sodium lycolate, Monosodium glycolate, Natriumglykolat, Glycolic acid, Monosodium salt
Synthetic · Buffering · EWG: 4
Synthetic
Exfoliant
Skin Conditioner
Chemical Exfoliant
Synthetic
Clean
Helps stabilize and balance the pH of this formula so other active ingredients work effectively on your skin.
Formula
C2H3NaO3
Mol. Weight
98.03
CAS #
2836-32-0
Form
Powder
State
Liquid; Dry Powder
See origin →
Functions
Buffering
Exfoliating
Removes dead skin cells so fresh ones can come through. Chemical exfoliants (acids) are generally gentler than physical scrubs.
Skin Conditioning
A catch-all term for ingredients that improve how skin looks and feels — softer, smoother, more supple. The workhorse behind most moisturizers.
Anti-Inflammatory
Antimicrobial
Fights Acne
Maintains optimal pH
Traditional Use
Created as the sodium salt of glycolic acid in the 20th century. Developed for use as a gentle chemical exfoliant in skincare; glycolic acid itself became popular in the 1990s as part of alpha hydroxy acid skincare treatments.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
Uneven Texture
Melanin-Rich Skin
Suitable
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Caution
EWG
4
CIR
Safe w/Qualifications
Pregnancy
Caution
CIR Safety Findings
medical-approval
all-shades-safe
Phototoxicity Concern
Regulatory Status
USA✔ permitted
EU⚠ restricted
JAPAN⚠ restricted
CANADA⚠ restricted
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HPLC determination of thioglycolic acid and other aliphatic thiols in cosmetic formulations using ethacrynic acid as precolumn derivatization reagent.
Cavrini V, Andrisano V, Gatti R, Scapini G
International journal of cosmetic science, 1990
→
Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Ammonium and Glyceryl Thioglycolates and Thioglycolic Acid
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
→
Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Glycolic Acid, Ammonium, Calcium, Potassium, and Sodium Glycolates, Methyl, Ethyl, Propyl, and Butyl Glycolates, and Lactic Acid, Ammonium, Calcium, Potassium,
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
→
Glycolic Acid
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
→
Sodium Glycolate
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
→
Thioglycolic Acid
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
→
Glycolic Acid
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
→
Sodium Glycolate
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
→
Thioglycolic Acid
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
→
Glycolic acid
Health Canada
Health Canada Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
→
Thioglycolic acid and its salts
Health Canada
Health Canada Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
→
Thioglycolic acid esters
Health Canada
Health Canada Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist
→
RALGA (Diacneal), a retinaldehyde and glycolic acid assoc...
A D Katsambas
Dermatology (Basel, Switzerland), 2005
→
The use of glycolic acid as a peeling agent.
H Murad, A T Shamban, P S Premo
Dermatologic clinics, 1995
→
Pd/C-Catalyzed Efficient and Selective Synthesis of Glycolic Acid from Ethylene Glycol.
Schmoll A, Huo YW, Shao S, Wu XF
ChemSusChem, 2025
→
Chitosan-Glycolic Acid Gel Modification of Chloride Ion T...
Olga Zavyalova, Dominika Dąbrowska-Wisłocka, Konrad Misiura, Iga Hołyńska-Iwan
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2023
→
Chitosan-Glycolic Acid Gel Modification of Chloride Ion T...
Olga Zavyalova, Dominika Dąbrowska-Wisłocka, Konrad Misiura, Iga Hołyńska-Iwan
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2023
→
Chitosan-Glycolic Acid Gel Modification of Chloride Ion T...
Olga Zavyalova, Dominika Dąbrowska-Wisłocka, Konrad Misiura, Iga Hołyńska-Iwan
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland), 2023
→
Verified Feb 2026
Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR