Sodium glycolate is a chemical compound, an organic salt of glycolic acid with an equal number of sodium and glycolate ions.

It occurs as a fine white crystalline powder.

What it is used for and where

Sodium Glycolate is considered to be the best alternative in applications requiring glycolic acid, a chemical compound that is rather controversial due to its ability to penetrate the skin and its corrosive action. Sodium Glycolate performs similar functions to glycolic acid, but is milder in action, and is approved by the CIR (Cosmetic Ingredient Review) in concentrations below 10% in anti-UV products.

Cosmetics. Mainly used as a skin conditioning agent, it also serves to soften lines on the skin by acting as a humectant. As an exfoliating agent, it uses the moisture in the air to eliminate dead cells.

Pharmaceutical and medicine. It is an excipient with the function of a disintegrating agent in tablets as it enables the tablet to be dissolved more quickly in the digestive system. It absorbs water quickly and swells the tablet so that the components of the tablet are dispersed. It also acts as a gelling and suspending agent.

In microemulsions with a solid lipid nanoparticulate delivery system, Sodium Glycolate has been used as a co-surfactant together with the main surfactant soy lecithin (1).

Electroplating. Galvanic solution additive, metal pickling

Tanning industry. Involved in the tanning and dyeing of leather.

Sodium glycolate studies

Typical optimal commercial product characteristics Sodium glycolate

• Molecular Formula  C₂H₃NaO₃    ¹³CCH₃NaO₃
• Molecular Weight     98.03 g/mol
• Exact Mass   97.997986
• CAS  2836-32-0
• UNII    B75E535IMI
• EC Number   220-624-9
• DSSTox Substance ID DTXSID6047153
• IUPAC  sodium;2-hydroxyacetate
• InChI=1S/C2H4O3.Na/c3-1-2(4)5;/h3H,1H2,(H,4,5);/q;+1/p-1  
• InChl Key      VILMUCRZVVVJCA-UHFFFAOYSA-M
• SMILES   C(C(=O)[O-])O.[Na+]
• MDL number  MFCD28346977     MFCD00065358
• PubChem Substance ID    329768700
• ChEBI  132094   

Synonyms:

• sodium;2-hydroxyacetate
• Glycolic-1-¹³C acid sodium

References______________________________________________________________________

(1) Doijad RC, Manvi FV, Godhwani DM, Joseph R, Deshmukh NV. Formulation and targeting efficiency of Cisplatin engineered solid lipid nanoparticles. Indian J Pharm Sci. 2008 Mar-Apr;70(2):203-7. doi: 10.4103/0250-474X.41456.