A salt or ester of glycolic acid, commonly used in skincare products for gentle exfoliation and skin renewal.
From 'glycol' or 'glycolic acid' + '-ate' (forming salts or esters). Glycolic acid itself comes from glycerin, and adding the '-ate' suffix converts it to its ionic form.
Alpha hydroxy acids like glycolate are from the 'fruit acid' family—they dissolve the glue holding dead skin cells together, which is why beauty stores market them as 'chemical exfoliants' from sugarcane, grapes, and sour milk!
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