Is Glycolic Acid safe in cosmetics?
Glycolic Acid has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted.
GOOD
Active Ingredient
Glycolic Acid
INCI: GLYCOLIC ACID
Glycolic Acid (CAS 79-14-1) is a cosmetic active ingredient functioning as Smallest AHA (MW 76 Da) enabling the deepest epidermal penetration of the AHA. EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 10% at pH ≥3.5 (twice-daily leave-on); professional peel concentrations up to 50–75% under controlled conditions only. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in pharmaceutical data.
Function
Smallest AHA (MW 76 Da) enabling the deepest epidermal penetration of the AHA class. At <25% produces superficial exfoliation; 25–50% causes keratinocyte discontinuity; 50–75% causes epidermolysis. Disrupts desmosomal cohesion via calcium ion chelation, thinning the stratum corneum and promoting cell turnover. Efficacy governed by free (undissociated) acid concentration per Henderson-Hasselbalch: at pH 3.5 (~68% free acid) vs pH 4.5 (~18% free acid). Also used as pH adjuster.
Editorial assessment
GOOD
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
10% at pH ≥3.5 (twice-daily leave-on); professional peel concentrations up to 50–75% under controlled conditions only
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR (1998, reaffirmed 2013): safe ≤10% at pH ≥3.5 for consumer cosmetics; ≤30% at pH ≥3.0 for professional use. FDA endorses CIR guidance; no binding statutory limit but references CIR in guidance. FDA-sponsored studies confirm up to 18% increased UV sensitivity persisting one week post-discontinuation; SPF labelling strongly advised. Optimal pH range 3.5–4.5.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Glycolic Acid.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000 - 10,000 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Glycolic Acid — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
photosensitizing
ph-critical
concentration-dependent-safety
barrier-disrupting
eu-restricted
piH-risk-dark-skin-tones
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
GLYCOLIC ACID
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL252557
Max Phase
2
Adverse Event Associations
437
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Glycolic Acid allowed in the EU?
Glycolic Acid EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 10% at pH ≥3.5 (twice-daily leave-on); professional peel concentrations up to 50–75% under controlled conditions only. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Glycolic Acid do in cosmetics?
Glycolic Acid functions as: Smallest AHA (MW 76 Da) enabling the deepest epidermal penetration of the AHA class. At <25% produces superficial exfoliation; 25–50% causes keratinocyte discontinuity; 50–75% causes epidermolysis. Disrupts desmosomal cohesion via calcium ion chelation, thinning the stratum corneum and promoting cell turnover. Efficacy governed by free (undissociated) acid concentration per Henderson-Hasselbalch: at pH 3.5 (~68% free acid) vs pH 4.5 (~18% free acid). Also used as pH adjuster.. It is classified as a Active Ingredient in our database. CAS number: 79-14-1.
Is Glycolic Acid used outside cosmetics?
Glycolic Acid also appears in pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Compliance Tools
Check Glycolic Acid compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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