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The uses of Glycolic acid

Glycolic acid (or hydroxyacetic acid) is the smallest -hydroxy acid (AHA). This colorless, odorless, and hygroscopic crystalline solid is highly soluble in water. It is used in various skin-care products. Glycolic acid is found in some sugar-crops.

Glycolic acid(CAS.NO:79-14-1) is perhaps the best-known of a group of chemicals called fruit acids or alpha-hydroxy acids (AHA). It is derived from sugar cane, so it can be considered a natural product. Citric acid from oranges and other citrus fruits also fall under the same classification as glycolic acid.

Industrial uses for this product include rust removal and degreasing, so pure glycolic acid generally sold in concentrations of 70% or more is extremely dangerous to exposed skin. In fact, the government considers any product with a concentration of over 10% to be a hazardous material.

Most consumers know glycolic acid not from its industrial uses, but from its cosmetic ones. It is generally used as a natural skin exfoliant and moisturizer, although there is much debate over its safety and effectiveness. Some proponents suggest that products with a glycolic acid concentrations of less than 10% are practically useless. The problem is that many large-scale cosmetic producers will not increase the acid levels for fear of liability and class action lawsuits. Some smaller cosmetics companies with high-end clients do offer products with at least a 10% acid concentration.

Due to its excellent capability to penetrate skin, glycolic acid finds applications in skin care products, most often as a chemical peel performed by a dermatologist, plastic surgeon or licensed aesthetician in concentrations of 20 to 70% or at-home kits in lower concentrations between 10 and 20%. In addition to concentration, pH also plays a large part in determining the potency of glycolic acid in solution. Physician-strength peels can have a pH as low as 0.6 (strong enough to completely keratolyze the epidermis), while acidities for home peels can be as high as 2.5. Glycolic acid is used to improve the skin's appearance and texture. It may reduce wrinkles, acne scarring, hyperpigmentation and improve many other skin conditions, including actinic keratosis, hyperkeratosis, and seborrheic keratosis. Once applied, glycolic acid reacts with the upper layer of the epidermis, weakening the binding properties of the lipids that hold the dead skin cells together.

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This allows the stratum corneum to be exfoliated, exposing live skin cells. Highly purified grades of glycolic acid are commercially available for personal care applications.

Glycolic acid is used in the textile industry as a dyeing and tanning agent, in food processing as a flavoring agent and as a preservative, and in the pharmaceutical industry as a skin care agent. It is also used in adhesives and plastics.Glycolic acid is often included into emulsion polymers, solvents and additives for ink and paint in order to improve flow properties and impart gloss.

Glycolic acid is also a useful intermediate for organic synthesis, in a range of reactions including: oxidation-reduction, esterification and long chain polymerization. It is used as a monomer in the preparation of polyglycolic acid and other biocompatible copolymers (e.g. PLGA). From the commercial perspective, important derivatives include the methyl (CAS#[96-35-5) and ethyl (CAS# 623-50-7) esters which are readily distillable (b.p. 147-9 and 158159 C, respectively), unlike the parent acid. The butyl ester (b.p. 178186 C) is a component of some varnishes, being desirable because it is nonvolatile and good dissolving properties.