Thioglycolic acid

Thioglycolic acid (TGA), also known as mercaptoacetic acid (MAA), is an organic compound characterized by the presence of both a thiol (mercaptan) and a carboxylic acid functional group. It is a clear, colorless liquid with a strong, unpleasant odor. TGA is widely utilized across various industries, including cosmetics for hair treatments, depilatories, and permanent wave solutions, as well as in the oil and gas sector for corrosion inhibition and metal complexing. It also finds applications in cleaning formulations, leather processing, and chemical synthesis. In cosmetic and dermatological applications, its primary mechanism involves acting as a reducing agent to break disulfide bonds in keratin proteins, facilitating hair reshaping, depilation, or exfoliation as a keratolytic agent in chemical peels. Additionally, it functions as a powerful complexing and chelating agent with various metal ions.

Other names

mercaptoacetic acid2-mercaptoacetate2-thioglycolic acidAcetyl mercaptan