glycolic acid
noun
gly·col·ic acid
(ˌ)glī-ˈkä-lik- 
variants
or glycollic acid
: an alpha hydroxy acid C2H4O3 found especially in unripe grapes and sugar beets and used especially in textile and leather processing and in skin-care treatments especially as an exfoliant
Examples of glycolic acid in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Hyaluronic acid and glycolic acid are cult favorites, but recently azelaic acid has been getting some well-deserved attention.
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Lottie Winter, Glamour, 6 Oct. 2025
With both physical exfoliants and chemical exfoliants—including volcanic pumice, salicylic acid, and glycolic acid—the product doesn’t just make skin smooth.
—Jenny Berg, Allure, 19 Sep. 2025
The method can also produce other commercially important chemicals like glycolic acid (GA), which presents additional economic opportunities.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
The siblings — Brooks, Mary Holland, Grace Ann and Sarah Jane Nader — all star in a new Clarins campaign celebrity the brand's Multi-Active Glow Serum, which promises megawatt glow with its vitamin C and and glycolic acid ingredients.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
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Lottie Winter, Glamour, 6 Oct. 2025
With both physical exfoliants and chemical exfoliants—including volcanic pumice, salicylic acid, and glycolic acid—the product doesn’t just make skin smooth.
—Jenny Berg, Allure, 19 Sep. 2025
The method can also produce other commercially important chemicals like glycolic acid (GA), which presents additional economic opportunities.
—Hannah Millington, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Sep. 2025
The siblings — Brooks, Mary Holland, Grace Ann and Sarah Jane Nader — all star in a new Clarins campaign celebrity the brand's Multi-Active Glow Serum, which promises megawatt glow with its vitamin C and and glycolic acid ingredients.
—Michelle Lee, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for glycolic acid
Cite this Entry
“Glycolic acid.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/glycolic%20acid. Accessed 4 Nov. 2025.
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