Cosmetic Grade Glycolic Acid - CAS 79-14-1
Common Name: Glycolic Acid
INCI Name: GLYCOLIC ACID
Chemical Name: Hydroxyacetic acid, 2-Hydroxyethanoic acid
CAS Number: 79-14-1
EINECS Number: 201-180-5
Molecular Formula: C₂H₄O₃
Molecular Weight: 76.05 g/mol
Product Grade: Cosmetic Grade
Purity: ≥99.5% Appearance: White transparent crystalline solid, odorless
Solubility: Easily soluble in water, ethanol and polar solvents, insoluble in non-polar oils
pH Value (1% aqueous solution): 2.0 - 2.5
Melting Point: 75℃ - 80℃
Heavy Metal Limit: Lead ≤1ppm, Arsenic ≤0.5ppm, meets cosmetic heavy metal standards
Moisture Content: ≤0.3%
Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ): 1kg for sample order, 25kg for bulk order
Storage Condition: Sealed storage, cool and dry environment, avoid high temperature and direct sunlight, sealed away from alkaline substances
Shelf Life: 24 months under standard storage condition
Packaging Specification: 1kg aluminum foil bag, 25kg cardboard drum
Glycolic Acid, Cosmetic Grade Glycolic Acid, Alpha Hydroxy Acid, AHA Exfoliant, Skin Exfoliating Raw Material, Anti-aging AHA, Brightening Glycolic Acid, Cosmetic Exfoliating Ingredient
Cosmetic Grade Glycolic Acid - CAS 79-14-1
Glycolic acid is the smallest molecular weight alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) in skincare ingredients, also known as glycolic AHA. It is derived from sugarcane fermentation, featuring ultra-small molecular volume that enables rapid penetration into the stratum corneum without staying on the skin surface. As a classic cosmetic exfoliating raw material, it can break the adhesion between keratinocytes, remove accumulated dead skin cells, accelerate skin cell turnover, and improve dull, rough, thickened skin texture.
Meanwhile, glycolic acid can stimulate collagen synthesis, reduce fine lines, refine enlarged pores, and brighten uneven skin tone. Our cosmetic-grade glycolic acid adopts high-purity purification technology, with low impurity content, no residual heavy metals, stable acid value, fully compliant with global cosmetic safety standards, suitable for daily home skincare formulations and professional medical beauty exfoliating products.
Key Benefits
• Ultra-small molecular size: fastest penetration speed among all AHAs, deep skin exfoliation
• Effective exfoliation: dissolve keratin adhesion, remove dead skin thoroughly
• Skin brightening: fade melanin deposition, improve dull and yellowish skin
• Anti-aging effect: boost collagen production, smooth fine dry lines
• Pore refining: clean pore garbage, improve open and coarse pores
• Improve skin absorption: remove surface cuticle, enhance absorption of subsequent skincare actives
• pH adjusting function: stabilize formulation pH, reduce preservative dosage
• High purity & low irritation: cosmetic grade purification, low heavy metal and residual impurities
• Wide compatibility: compatible with most skincare actives such as niacinamide, VC, peptides
Applications
• Daily exfoliating skincare: exfoliating toner, exfoliating lotion, exfoliating mask, daily gentle rejuvenation products, dosage 2%-5%
• Brightening skincare products: brightening essence, whitening lotion, improve skin dullness and uneven tone, dosage 3%-8%
• Anti-aging skincare: anti-wrinkle essence, anti-aging cream, repair dry fine lines, dosage 2%-6%
• Pore care products: pore shrinking essence, blackhead removing products, clean pore keratin plugs, dosage 4%-10%
• Professional medical beauty products: high-concentration exfoliating gel, facial peeling solution for salon, dosage 10%-30%
• Body skincare: body exfoliating lotion, chicken skin repairing products, improve body rough keratin, dosage 5%-8%
• Formula pH regulator: adjust acidic system of skincare and washing products, optimize formula stability, dosage 0.1%-1%
Certificate Of Analysis (COA)
Test Item | Standard Specification | Test Result | Test Method |
Appearance | White transparent crystal, odorless | White transparent crystal, odorless | Visual & Olfactory Inspection |
Glycolic Acid Purity | ≥99.5% | 99.72% | Acid-base Titration |
Moisture Content | ≤0.3% | 0.12% | Karl Fischer Method |
Melting Point Range | 75℃ - 80℃ | 76.2℃ - 79.1℃ | Capillary Method |
1% Aqueous Solution pH | 2.0 - 2.5 | 2.21 | pH Meter Test |
Residue on Ignition | ≤0.1% | 0.04% | Gravimetric Method |
Lead (Pb) | ≤1ppm | <0.1ppm | ICP-MS |
Arsenic (As) | ≤0.5ppm | <0.1ppm | ICP-MS |
Heavy Metals (Total) | ≤5ppm | <1ppm | ICP-MS |
Total Aerobic Bacteria | ≤100CFU/g | <10CFU/g | Plate Count Method |
Yeast & Mold | ≤10CFU/g | Not Detected | Plate Count Method |
Pathogenic Bacteria | Negative | Negative | Microbiological Culture |
Conclusion | Compliant with cosmetic grade standard | Qualified | / |
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q1: What is the difference between cosmetic grade glycolic acid and industrial grade glycolic acid?
A: Cosmetic grade glycolic acid adopts secondary refining and decolorization process, with extremely low heavy metal, methanol and organic residual impurities, strictly compliant with cosmetic safety specifications; industrial grade has high impurity content, excessive heavy metals and residual organic solvents, which is prohibited for direct skin contact and cannot be used in any cosmetic formulations. Our products are all secondary refined cosmetic raw materials, no industrial grade mixed sales.
Q2: How to match glycolic acid with other actives to reduce skin irritation?
A: Glycolic acid is acidic and irritating to sensitive skin. B-end formulators can match with moisturizing and repairing ingredients: add 2%-4% panthenol, 1%-3% allantoin or 3%-5% beta-glucan to relieve irritation; avoid compounding with high-concentration salicylic acid and retinol in the same formula to prevent superposition irritation. It is recommended to adjust the final formula pH to 3.5-4.5 to balance efficacy and mildness.
Q3: Why does glycolic acid formulation turn yellow during long-term storage?
A: Glycolic acid is easy to oxidize under high temperature and long-term light exposure, causing formula yellowing. Suggestions for formulation production: add 0.1%-0.3% sodium metabisulfite as antioxidant; adopt opaque packaging for finished products; control production and storage temperature below 25℃; avoid long-term contact between glycolic acid and metal containers.
Q4: Powder glycolic acid vs 70% aqueous glycolic acid, how to choose for production?
A: Powder glycolic acid has stable purity, low transportation cost, suitable for long-term bulk storage and formula with strict water content control; 70% aqueous solution does not need secondary dissolution, easy to operate, suitable for large-scale rapid production of daily chemical factories. We support two specifications of customized supply, and provide free formula matching guidance for customers.
Q5: Will glycolic acid affect the viscosity of cosmetic emulsions?
A: Yes, high concentration glycolic acid will reduce the viscosity of thickened emulsions. It is recommended to add glycolic acid after adjusting the viscosity of the emulsion system, and supplement a small amount of thickener after acid addition to stabilize system viscosity. It is not compatible with carbomer thickener under ultra-low pH environment, and can be matched with xanthan gum for stable thickening effect.
Q6: Can glycolic acid be added to sunscreen products?
A: It is not recommended to add glycolic acid in conventional sunscreen products. Acid environment will decompose partial organic sunscreen filters and reduce SPF protection effect. If it needs to be added in rejuvenating sunscreen products, the dosage shall not exceed 2%, and compatibility test with sunscreen filters must be done in advance.
Contact Us
💌 Contact us today for technical data, formulation guidance, and competitive pricing! E-mail:
You Might Also Like
1.ur Products A full range of high-quality cosmetic raw materials, including plant extracts, natural active ingredients, skin care actives and formulation additives. Stable supply & strict quality control.
