Ingredient intelligence
Glycolic acid
Exfoliant · Glycolic Acid · C2H4O3
Glycolic acid is the smallest alpha hydroxy acid. Its effects are strongly pH- and concentration-dependent and are chiefly described at the level of adhesion.
Any underlined term can be tapped for an everyday-English translation.
Molecular identity
- Formula
- C2H4O3
- Molecular weight
- 76.05 g/mol
- PubChem CID
- 757
- ChEBI
- CHEBI:17497
Biological targets
Kallikrein related peptidase 7 (KLK7)
low confidencemodulates · enzyme
UniProt P49862Corneodesmosin (CDSN)
medium confidenceassociated with · structural protein
UniProt Q15517
How could this ingredient interact with biology?
Biological network
Ingredient → molecule → target → gene/protein → pathway → process → studied outcome. Relationship strength is drawn from the curated confidence tier; nothing is added to make the chain look complete.
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2 lower-confidence relationships are hidden at this filter level. Use “Show more biology” to include them.
Text alternative for this network
- Glycolic acid is molecule Glycolic acid — high confidence
- Glycolic acid associated with Corneodesmosin (CDSN) — medium confidence
- Corneodesmosin (CDSN) encoded by CDSN — medium confidence
- CDSN participates in Formation of the cornified envelope — medium confidence
- Formation of the cornified envelope associated with Desquamation — medium confidence
- Formation of the cornified envelope associated with Epidermal cell turnover — medium confidence
- Desquamation studied in Studied for surface texture and pigment evenness; irritation dose-dependent — medium confidence
- Epidermal cell turnover studied in Studied for surface texture and pigment evenness; irritation dose-dependent — medium confidence
Biological pathways
Formation of the cornified envelope
medium confidencecohesion and .
Reactome R-HSA-6809371
Evidence engine
Strong
Multiple independent human studies point in the same direction.
Skinceptor Evidence Index
73
experimental · of 100
This index is a research-navigation aid describing how much evidence exists and how it was produced. It is not a medical safety score, an efficacy guarantee, or a clinical recommendation.
Study composition
- Human3
- Total studies
- 3
- Human studies
- 3
- Largest sample
- 41
- Range
- 1996–2018
Index breakdown
- Study design quality70% × 28%
Mean design weight across curated studies (meta-analysis 1.0, RCT 0.9, other human 0.7, review 0.45, animal 0.35, in-vitro 0.25).
- Human evidence share100% × 22%
Proportion of curated evidence measured in people rather than cells or animals.
- Evidence volume63% × 14%
Log-scaled count of curated studies, so volume alone cannot dominate the score.
- Largest sample size54% × 12%
Log-scaled largest reported sample size across curated human studies.
- Replication100% × 12%
Independent human studies, capped at three; one study is never treated as replicated.
- Recency60% × 7%
Linear decay over a twenty-year window from the most recent curated publication.
- Source traceability0% × 5%
Share of curated studies with a verified PMID or DOI in this dataset.
Insufficient comparable evidence for quantitative synthesis.
Research timeline
How the evidence accumulated
1996
Alpha hydroxy acids: effects on stratum corneum cohesion and epidermal thickness
Humann = 41 · Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology
2001
Glycolic acid peels and epidermal thickness: a controlled split-face study
Humann = 20 · Dermatologic Surgery
2018
Mandelic acid versus glycolic acid peels for facial pigmentation: a comparative study
Humann = 40 · Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology
Ingredient fingerprint
10 nodes · 11 relationships · seed "glycolic-acid"
The fingerprint is a deterministic visual signature: ridge amplitude comes from the number of entities in each tier, node placement from identifier hashes, and opacity from confidence. Two ingredients can never produce the same figure unless their networks are identical.
Open in Biology as Art →Research
3 curated studies
Mandelic acid versus glycolic acid peels for facial pigmentation: a comparative study
Reported similar pigmentation improvement between the two acids, with fewer irritation events in the mandelic acid arm.
Limitations — Small, unblinded, investigator-graded; identifier not verified during curation.
Glycolic acid peels and epidermal thickness: a controlled split-face study
Reported increased epidermal thickness and improved texture scores on the treated side after a series of glycolic acid applications.
Limitations — Small sample, investigator-graded endpoints; identifier not verified during curation.
Alpha hydroxy acids: effects on stratum corneum cohesion and epidermal thickness
Reported reduced corneocyte cohesion and increased epidermal thickness after repeated glycolic acid application.
Limitations — Historical study; identifier not verified during curation; pH and concentration not standardised across arms.
Community evidence
Submitted by readers
Reader submissions appear here only after review. They are not part of the curated dataset and do not affect the Skinceptor Evidence Index.
No approved community submissions yet.
Sources
- PubChem 757Verified 2026-09-14
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