So
Sodium Glycolate
Sodium Glycolate
A salt of glycolic acid that keeps a product’s acidity steady.
What it does
It’s glycolic acid paired with sodium, a mineral found in table salt.
The evidence, graded
expert consensusUS safety reviewers (1998) assessed glycolic and lactic acid with their common salts and simple esters; the report’s title names sodium glycolate and potassium lactate. They judged them safe in products at up to 10% and pH 3.5 or higher, made not to raise sun sensitivity or with directions to use sun protection daily. Salon products may go to 30% and pH 3.0 if brief, rinsed off, applied by trained staff and paired with daily sun protection. In 2017 they kept that conclusion.Fiume 2017 · International Journal of Toxicology ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
Browse all 1238 ingredients — grouped by what they do, each with whatever evidence we can cite.
This page is public so a shared ingredient card always has its sources behind it — and so you can check them without an account.
Want more like this?
Every evidence-based flag cites its source, Drop tells you when your routine is complete, and it helps you simplify — instead of selling you more. The app launches on iOS and Android in October 2026. Rate my routine works today at /rate — no sign-in.