What does Ammonium glycolate do?

Used in cosmetics as a keratolytic and a pH buffer.

Is Ammonium glycolate safe?

We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

beauty
cleaning

Ammonium glycolate

CAS 859980-43-1

Also registered as 1 other CAS number

35249-89-9

Concern score

Not assessed — no hazard data yet.

Ammonium glycolate in plain language

What it is: Also known as Hydroxy acetic acid ammonium salt · Acetic acid, 2-HYDROXY-, ammonium salt (1:1) · Acetic acid, hydroxy-, monoammonium salt · Ammonium hydroxyacetate · Gliconol l · Hydroxyacetic acid ammonium salt
Show all 16 names
azanium 2-hydroxyacetate · Ammonium hydroxyacetic acid · Acetic acid, 2-hydroxy-, ammonium salt · Acetic acid, 2hydroxy, ammonium salt (1:1) · Ammonium 2-hydroxyacetate · DuPont Glyclean OS · Ec 609-106-7 · ammoniuum salt Hydroxyacetic acid · UNII-8G1X5P7GIL · azanium;2-hydroxyacetate
What it does: Used in cosmetics as a keratolytic and a pH buffer.
Keratolytic
Buffering
pH adjuster
Abrasive
Is it a concern?: We haven't assessed a concern score for this ingredient yet. It is listed for cosmetic use in the EU.

Regulation

No restrictions found. Ammonium glycolate appears in these published regulatory listings.

Recorded in these product areas

Found in consumer products
Beauty
Cleaning

EUCosIngActiveListed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.
- Listed in CosIng inventory for cosmetic use.Source →
USEPAcommercial use observedEPA CPDat observed this chemical in 53 composition records across product categories including Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including pH regulating agent, Pharmaceutical, Abrasive.
- EPA CPDat observed this chemical in 53 composition records across product categories including Personal care. EPA CPDat classifies this chemical for functional uses including pH regulating agent, Pharmaceutical, Abrasive.Source →
USFDAlisted in openFDA substanceopenFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.
- openFDA substance registry classifies this ingredient as chemical.Source →

Expert safety opinions

No expert opinion on file for Ammonium glycolate. These are the independent scientific bodies that assess ingredients like this one; we show an opinion only when a record we hold cites it.

SCCS
EU Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety
No SCCS opinion on file.
CIR
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (US expert panel)
No CIR safety assessment on file.

Evidence & sources

No graded research studies for Ammonium glycolate yet. This record is compiled from the published data sources below — registries and regulatory listings, not study findings.

6 data sources

Where this comes from

CosIng
regulatory · updated 2026-09-23
Open →
EPA Chemical and Products Database
exposure · updated September 2013
Open →
EPA DSSTox Identifiers
chemistry · updated 2025-12-29
Open →
FDA GSRS UNII
registry · updated 2026-02-26
Open →
openFDA Substance
registry · updated 2026-05-24
Open →
PubChem Live Enrichment
chemistry · updated 2026-05-17
Open →

Reference links (1)

Openfda substance

chemicalbook.com

Read →

Suitability

Context-specific fit derived from published classifications and the current ingredient evidence profile.

Fragrance avoidance

Nothing to weigh for this context yet.

No signal in this context

We have no published hazard signal for this ingredient, so we cannot say how it behaves in this context — that is missing evidence, not a clean result.

Where it has been recorded

How often EPA CPDat has listed Ammonium glycolate in a product composition. These are source records, not Greenveil catalog products.

Source records

Named organisations

Personal care

Typical roles

KeratolyticBufferingpH adjusterAbrasive

See products using Ammonium glycolate →