Glycolic Acid

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  • Identifiers

    CAS number
    79-14-1

    Molecular formula
    C2H4O3

    SMILES
    C(C(=O)O)O

    Safety labels

    Corrosive
    Corrosive

    Irritant
    Irritant

  • Odor profile

    Fragrance
    Odorless 68.79%
    Sour 45.96%
    Caramellic 38.56%
    Sharp 30.0%
    Buttery 28.26%
    Burnt 24.73%
    Milky 20.63%
    Clean 19.66%
    Ethereal 18.86%
    Creamy 18.59%

     

    Flavor
    Odorless 69.33%
    Sour 51.93%
    Acidic 40.39%
    Vinegar 31.74%
    Pungent 31.33%
    Caramellic 28.0%
    Rancid 27.93%
    Sharp 27.06%
    Very mild 24.55%
    Soy 22.94%

     

    Odor impact est.
    Low

  • Properties

    XLogP3-AA
    -1.1

    pKa est.
    5.73 (weak acid)

    Molecular weight
    76.05 g/mol

    Vapor pressure est.

    • hPa @ 20°C
    • hPa @ 25°C

    Evaporation rate
    Very slow

    Melting point expt.

    • 79.5 °C
    • 78-80 °C (alpha-modification); 63 °C (beta-modification, metastable)
    • MP: 79.5 °C
    • 75 - 80 °C
    • 80 °C

    Boiling point

    • 100 °C
    • BP: decomposes

    Flash point

    • 134.5 ˚C est.

    Solubility expt.

    • Soluble in ethanol, ethyl ether
    • Soluble in methanol, acetone, acetic acid
    • Solubility in water: very good

  • Synonyms

    • glycolic acid
    • 2-Hydroxyacetic acid
    • hydroxyacetic acid
    • 79-14-1
    • Hydroxyethanoic acid
    • Glycollic acid
    • Acetic acid, hydroxy-
    • glycolate
    • Polyglycolide
    • Acetic acid, 2-hydroxy-
    • Caswell No. 470
    • Kyselina glykolova
    • Kyselina hydroxyoctova
    • 2-Hydroxyethanoic acid
    • HOCH2COOH
    • alpha-Hydroxyacetic acid
    • EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 000101
    • HSDB 5227
    • NSC 166
    • Kyselina glykolova [Czech]
    • AI3-15362
    • MFCD00004312
    • Kyselina hydroxyoctova [Czech]
    • Glycocide
    • GlyPure
    • BRN 1209322
    • NSC-166
    • EINECS 201-180-5
    • UNII-0WT12SX38S
    • GlyPure 70
    • 0WT12SX38S
    • CCRIS 9474
    • DTXSID0025363
    • CHEBI:17497
    • .alpha.-Hydroxyacetic acid
    • GLYCOLLATE
    • DTXCID105363
    • NSC166
    • EC 201-180-5
    • 4-03-00-00571 (Beilstein Handbook Reference)
    • GOA
    • GLYCOLIC ACID (MART.)
    • GLYCOLIC ACID [MART.]
    • C2H3O3-
    • Glycolate Standard: C2H3O3- @ 1000 microg/mL in H2O
    • glycolicacid
    • C2H4O3
    • 2-Hydroxyacetic acid;2-Hydroxyethanoic acid;GlyPure
    • Hydroxyethanoate
    • a-Hydroxyacetate
    • OceanBlu Barrier
    • OceanBlu Pre-Post
    • hydroxy-acetic acid
    • 2-Hydroxyaceticacid
    • 3-((3S,8R,9S,10R,13S,14S)-3-ethoxy-10,13-dimethyl-2,3,4,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,15-dodecahydro-1H-cyclopenta[a]phenanthren-17-yl)pyridine
    • alpha-Hydroxyacetate
    • (R)-hydroxy ester
    • a-Hydroxyacetic acid
    • 2-hydroxy acetic acid
    • 2-hydroxy-acetic acid
    • 2-hydroxyl ethanoic acid
    • Glycolic acid (Standard)
    • HO-CH2-COOH
    • Glycolic acid 100 microg/mL in Acetonitrile
    • Hydroxyacetic acid solution
    • bmse000245
    • WLN: QV1Q
    • GLYCOLIC ACID [MI]
    • Glycolic acid (7CI,8CI)
    • GLYCOLIC ACID [VANDF]
    • Glycolic acid, p.a., 98%
    • pari 30% Glycolic Acid Peel
    • pari 70% Glycolic Acid Peel
    • Acetic acid, hydroxy- (9CI)
    • CHEMBL252557
    • GLYCOLIC ACID [WHO-DD]
    • CHEBI:17375
    • Glycolic Acid, Crystal, Reagent
    • HYDROXYACETIC ACID [HSDB]
    • CHEBI:231641
    • BCP28762
    • Glycolic acid, >=97.0% (T)
    • HY-W015967R
    • STR00936
    • (2S)-2-hydroxy monocarboxylic acid
    • Tox21_301298
    • (2S)-2-hydroxy monocarboxylic acids
    • MSK000963
    • s6272
    • STL197955
    • AKOS000118921
    • Glycolic acid - 70% aqueous solution
    • Glycolic acid, ReagentPlus(R), 99%
    • CS-W016683
    • DB03085
    • FG23693
    • FG59493
    • HY-W015967
    • SB83760
    • CAS-79-14-1
    • USEPA/OPP Pesticide Code: 000101
    • NCGC00160612-01
    • NCGC00160612-02
    • NCGC00257533-01
    • DA-73802
    • Glycolic acid solution, 70 wt. % in H2O
    • G0110
    • G0196
    • NS00009686
    • EN300-19242
    • Glycolic acid, SAJ special grade, >=98.0%
    • C00160
    • C03547
    • D78078
    • Glycolic acid, Vetec(TM) reagent grade, 98%
    • HYDROXYACETIC ACID; HYDROXYETHANOIC ACID
    • Glycolic acid, BioXtra, >=98.0% (titration)
    • Q409373
    • F2191-0224
    • Hydroxyacetic acid; Hydroxyethanoic acid; Glycollic acid
    • Z104473274
    • 287EB351-FF9F-4A67-B4B9-D626406C9B13
    • Glycolic acid, certified reference material, TraceCERT(R)
    • InChI=1/C2H4O3/c3-1-2(4)5/h3H,1H2,(H,4,5
    • VILLAGE 11 FACTORY RELAX DAY AHA EXFOLIATING BODY
    • Glycolic acid, anhydrous, free-flowing, Redi-Dri(TM), ReagentPlus(R), 99%
    • Glycolic Acid, Pharmaceutical Secondary Standard; Certified Reference Material
    • 201-180-5

  • Applications

    Glycolic acid (CAS 79-14-1) is widely used in cosmetics and personal care as an alpha-hydroxy acid for gentle exfoliation and to adjust formulation pH; it serves as a key monomer for the biodegradable polymer poly(glycolic acid) (PGA), used in medical devices and sutures; it is employed as a solvent and processing aid in industrial formulations, including cleaners and coatings, and appears in household and industrial cleaning products as a descaler and pH-adjusting ingredient; it also functions as an intermediate in chemical synthesis, including pharmaceutical products and polymer precursors.

    gpt-5-nano

  • Solubility @25˚C

    Solvent Solubility (g/L)
    ethanol 59.67
    methanol 157.53
    isopropanol 24.35
    water 2076.87
    ethyl acetate 3.91
    n-propanol 28.7
    acetone 26.47
    n-butanol 19.26
    acetonitrile 16.36
    DMF 475.93
    toluene 0.89
    isobutanol 13.91
    1,4-dioxane 19.89
    methyl acetate 7.49
    THF 19.22
    2-butanone 8.99
    n-pentanol 8.74
    sec-butanol 15.27
    n-hexane 0.86
    ethylene glycol 207.56
    NMP 124.56
    cyclohexane 1.86
    DMSO 288.63
    n-butyl acetate 1.8
    n-octanol 2.98
    chloroform 1.46
    n-propyl acetate 2.47
    acetic acid 138.62
    dichloromethane 3.16
    cyclohexanone 9.41
    propylene glycol 93.26
    isopropyl acetate 2.44
    DMAc 160.13
    2-ethoxyethanol 52.97
    isopentanol 13.01
    n-heptane 1.33
    ethyl formate 21.61
    1,2-dichloroethane 3.39
    n-hexanol 4.61
    2-methoxyethanol 158.24
    isobutyl acetate 0.87
    tetrachloromethane 1.25
    n-pentyl acetate 1.9
    transcutol 37.49
    n-heptanol 4.1
    ethylbenzene 0.64
    MIBK 3.43
    2-propoxyethanol 20.2
    tert-butanol 26.86
    MTBE 5.65
    2-butoxyethanol 16.1
    propionic acid 30.31
    o-xylene 1.68
    formic acid 523.04
    diethyl ether 5.31
    m-xylene 0.96
    p-xylene 0.84
    chlorobenzene 0.53
    dimethyl carbonate 10.58
    n-octane 0.55
    formamide 474.02
    cyclopentanone 14.61
    2-pentanone 6.53
    anisole 2.49
    cyclopentyl methyl ether 5.93
    gamma-butyrolactone 20.4
    1-methoxy-2-propanol 56.43
    pyridine 7.01
    3-pentanone 4.71
    furfural 32.99
    n-dodecane 0.29
    diethylene glycol 57.29
    diisopropyl ether 1.42
    tert-amyl alcohol 18.49
    acetylacetone 8.8
    n-hexadecane 0.29
    acetophenone 3.15
    methyl propionate 6.76
    isopentyl acetate 1.35
    trichloroethylene 3.19
    n-nonanol 2.73
    cyclohexanol 9.83
    benzyl alcohol 5.65
    2-ethylhexanol 2.29
    isooctanol 2.95
    dipropyl ether 3.08
    1,2-dichlorobenzene 0.61
    ethyl lactate 6.11
    propylene carbonate 7.93
    n-methylformamide 214.87
    2-pentanol 8.38
    n-pentane 1.39
    1-propoxy-2-propanol 10.96
    1-methoxy-2-propyl acetate 3.47
    2-(2-methoxypropoxy) propanol 12.61
    mesitylene 0.96
    ε-caprolactone 9.42
    p-cymene 0.86
    epichlorohydrin 12.03
    1,1,1-trichloroethane 1.07
    2-aminoethanol 176.46
    morpholine-4-carbaldehyde 109.36
    sulfolane 43.84
    2,2,4-trimethylpentane 0.67
    2-methyltetrahydrofuran 8.78
    n-hexyl acetate 2.06
    isooctane 0.34
    2-(2-butoxyethoxy)ethanol 17.87
    sec-butyl acetate 1.19
    tert-butyl acetate 2.89
    decalin 0.47
    glycerin 204.08
    diglyme 36.28
    acrylic acid 51.43
    isopropyl myristate 0.97
    n-butyric acid 21.85
    acetyl acetate 2.97
    di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate 1.81
    ethyl propionate 2.46
    nitromethane 115.84
    1,2-diethoxyethane 4.63
    benzonitrile 2.26
    trioctyl phosphate 1.64
    1-bromopropane 1.38
    gamma-valerolactone 40.71
    n-decanol 2.16
    triethyl phosphate 1.92
    4-methyl-2-pentanol 4.09
    propionitrile 6.52
    vinylene carbonate 9.53
    1,1,2-trichlorotrifluoroethane 30.43
    DMS 1.97
    cumene 0.67
    2-octanol 2.15
    2-hexanone 2.75
    octyl acetate 1.53
    limonene 1.4
    1,2-dimethoxyethane 48.23
    ethyl orthosilicate 1.97
    tributyl phosphate 1.61
    diacetone alcohol 12.98
    N,N-dimethylaniline 4.29
    acrylonitrile 12.49
    aniline 4.09
    1,3-propanediol 115.93
    bromobenzene 0.33
    dibromomethane 1.77
    1,1,2,2-tetrachloroethane 3.15
    2-methyl-cyclohexyl acetate 1.41
    tetrabutyl urea 4.1
    diisobutyl methanol 2.04
    2-phenylethanol 3.01
    styrene 0.73
    dioctyl adipate 1.98
    dimethyl sulfate 24.33
    ethyl butyrate 2.3
    methyl lactate 22.16
    butyl lactate 4.88
    diethyl carbonate 1.54
    propanediol butyl ether 18.42
    triethyl orthoformate 2.42
    p-tert-butyltoluene 0.9
    methyl 4-tert-butylbenzoate 5.54
    morpholine 33.58
    tert-butylamine 11.03
    n-dodecanol 1.75
    dimethoxymethane 50.05
    ethylene carbonate 7.16
    cyrene 15.24
    2-ethoxyethyl acetate 3.21
    2-ethylhexyl acetate 0.94
    1,2,4-trichlorobenzene 0.77
    4-methylpyridine 5.73
    dibutyl ether 1.86
    2,6-dimethyl-4-heptanol 2.04
    DEF 32.87
    dimethyl isosorbide 10.93
    tetrachloroethylene 3.77
    eugenol 7.98
    triacetin 3.45
    span 80 9.09
    1,4-butanediol 43.74
    1,1-dichloroethane 1.33
    2-methyl-1-pentanol 6.03
    methyl formate 112.05
    2-methyl-1-butanol 13.12
    n-decane 0.45
    butyronitrile 6.42
    3,7-dimethyl-1-octanol 2.12
    1-chlorooctane 0.68
    1-chlorotetradecane 0.37
    n-nonane 0.5
    undecane 0.35
    tert-butylcyclohexane 0.32
    cyclooctane 0.94
    cyclopentanol 14.93
    tetrahydropyran 7.41
    tert-amyl methyl ether 5.25
    2,5,8-trioxanonane 26.35
    1-hexene 1.21
    2-isopropoxyethanol 17.19
    2,2,2-trifluoroethanol 84.02
    methyl butyrate 5.29

    Scent© AI

1 4

IFRA standard 51

Recommendation
No restriction
Maximum acceptable concentrations in the finished product (%)
Category 1
Products applied to the lips
 No restriction Category 7A
Rinse-off products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 2
Products applied to the axillae
 No restriction Category 7B
Leave-on products applied to the hair with some hand contact
 No restriction
Category 3
Products applied to the face/body using fingertips
 No restriction Category 8
Products with significant anogenital exposure
 No restriction
Category 4
Products related to fine fragrance
 No restriction Category 9
Products with body and hand exposure, primarily rinse off
 No restriction
Category 5A
Body lotion products applied to the body using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10A
Household care products with mostly hand contact
 No restriction
Category 5B
Face moisturizer products applied to the face using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 10B
Household care products with mostly hand contact, including aerosol/spray products (with potential leave-on skin contact)
 No restriction
Category 5C
Hand cream products applied to the hands using the hands (palms), primarily leave on
 No restriction Category 11A
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate without UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 5D
Baby Creams, baby Oils and baby talc
 No restriction Category 11B
Products with intended skin contact but minimal transfer of fragrance to skin from inert substrate with potential UV exposure
 No restriction
Category 6
Products with oral and lip exposure
 No restriction Category 12
Products not intended for direct skin contact, minimal or insignificant transfer to skin
 No restriction