Glycolic Acid
- Products with the EWG VERIFIED mark have met use restrictions and warnings based on EWG review of company data.
Other Concerns
Enhanced skin absorption, Use restrictions (high), Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low), and Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high)SYNONYMS
Restricted
Restricted: EWG VERIFIED products cannot contain this ingredient without adequate substantiation
Gylcolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid; used in chemical peels and anti-aging skin products; can irritate skin.
Common concerns
See how this product scores for common concerns.
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LOWCancer
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LOWAllergies & Immunotoxicity
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LOWDevelopmental and Reproductive Toxicity
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HIGHUse Restrictions
Ingredient concerns
- CONCERNS
- DATA SOURCES
Products with this Ingredient
exfoliant/scrub | 89 products |
facial moisturizer/treatment | 78 products |
serums & essences | 75 products |
mask | 69 products |
facial cleanser | 68 products |
toners/astringents | 55 products |
moisturizer | 23 products |
body wash/cleanser | 19 products |
shampoo | 17 products |
nail polish | 16 products |
hair treatment/serum | 15 products |
nail treatment | 12 products |
foot cleansing | 10 products |
conditioner | 10 products |
around-eye cream | 8 products |
bar soap | 7 products |
daily use with SPF | 5 products |
after shave | 5 products |
anti-aging | 4 products |
hair styling aide | 4 products |
sunless tanning | 4 products |
skin fading/lightener | 4 products |
facial cleansing wipes | 3 products |
recreational sunscreen | 3 products |
body oil | 3 products |
hand sanitizer | 2 products |
hair spray | 2 products |
body firming lotion | 2 products |
hand cream | 2 products |
foot odor control | 2 products |
foot moisturizer | 2 products |
hair color and bleaching | 1 products |
setting powder/spray | 1 products |
shaving cream | 1 products |
body spray | 1 products |
depilatory | 1 products |
baby oil | 1 products |
styling gel/lotion | 1 products |
1 products | |
eye liner | 1 products |
antiperspirant/deodorant | 1 products |
liquid hand soap | 1 products |
concealer | 1 products |
oil controller | 1 products |
cuticle treatment | 1 products |
detangler | 1 products |
shaving cream (men's) | 1 products |
bronzer/highlighter | 1 products |
Enhanced skin absorption
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Penetration enhancer | Open scientific literature |
Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs)
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Classified as skin irritant | Open scientific literature |
Limited evidence of any irritation | Open scientific literature |
Limited evidence of any irritation | Open scientific literature |
One or more animal studies show any irritation at moderate doses | Open scientific literature |
Use restrictions
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Violation of government restrictions - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - any | Open scientific literature |
Violation of industry recommendations - Restricted in cosmetics; use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Allowable pH limits | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Restricted in cosmetics (recommendations or requirements) - use, concentration, or manufacturing restrictions - Use is restricted in Canadian cosmetics | Canada - Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetics Ingredients |
Determined safe for use in cosmetics, subject to concentration or use limitations - Safe for use in cosmetics with some qualifications | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Cancer
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Limited or incomplete evidence of cancer according to safety/hazard data – scientific review cannot classify as human carcinogen due to data gaps | Open scientific literature |
Not likely to be mutagenic in humans | Open scientific literature |
Not likely to be carcinogenic in humans | Open scientific literature |
Organ system toxicity (non-reproductive)
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Classified as toxic or harmful. | Open scientific literature |
Classified as a low human health priority | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Classified as not expected to be potentially toxic or harmful | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Developmental/reproductive toxicity
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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One or more animal studies show any effects at moderate doses | Open scientific literature |
Occupational hazards
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Single case study detailing occupational hazards | National Library of Medicine HazMap |
Data gaps
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Risk assessment method deficiencies and data gaps - Maximum reported "as used" concentration is basis of safety assessment by industry safety panel (Cosmetic Ingredient Review, CIR) - implicit safe concentration limit in product | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
3765 studies in PubMed science library may include information on the toxicity of this chemical | NLM PubMed |
Persistence and bioaccumulation
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Not suspected to be bioaccumulative | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Not suspected to be persistent | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
Informational
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
---|---|
Industry or government recommendations for safe use: restrictions on concentration, impurities, product types, or manufacturing methods - Allowable pH limits | Cosmetic Ingredient Review Assessments |
Ecotoxicology
CONCERN | REFERENCE |
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Not suspected to be an environmental toxin | Environment Canada Domestic Substance List |
- Open scientific/peer reviewed literature
- CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review). 2006. CIR Compendium, containing abstracts, discussions, and conclusions of CIR cosmetic ingredient safety assessments. Washington DC.
- Health Canada. 2007. List of Prohibited and Restricted Cosmetic Ingredients. Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist. March 2007.
- EC (Environment Canada). 2008. Domestic Substances List Categorization. Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) Environmental Registry.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2006. HazMap — Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Agents.
- NLM (National Library of Medicine). 2012. PubMed online scientific bibliography data. http://www.pubmed.gov.
Understanding scores
Cosmetics and personal care products are not required to be tested for safety before being allowed on the market. The Skin Deep® scoring system was designed to help the public understand whether a product is safe to use or whether it contains ingredients of concern.
Every product and ingredient in Skin Deep gets a two-part score – one for hazard and one for data availability. The safest products score well by both measures, with a low hazard rating and a fair or better data availability rating.
HOW WE DETERMINE SCORESHazard score
The Skin Deep ingredient hazard score, from 1 to 10, reflects known and suspected hazards linked to the ingredients. The EWG VERIFIED® mark means a product meets EWG’s strictest criteria for transparency and health.
Data availability
The Skin Deep data availability rating reflects the number of scientific studies about the product or ingredient in the published scientific literature.