Calcium thioglycolate

Calcium thioglycolate (CAS 37457-75-3) is the calcium salt of thioglycolic acid, used primarily as a depilatory and hair-waving agent in personal care formulations. It breaks disulfide bonds in keratin, enabling controlled hair removal. This chemical allows for restructuring without the use of strongly alkaline thioglycolate alternatives. In cosmetic depilatory creams and lotions, it disrupts the protein structure of hair at the skin surface.

This process allows clean removal with minimal irritation compared to sodium or potassium thioglycolate. Cold wave and permanent wave formulations use it as the active reducing agent to reshape the disulfide bond network. In textile processing, it functions as a reducing agent for wool treatments, improving fiber softness and receptivity to dyeing. Leather processing operations employ it during the unhairing stage to loosen hair.

This application helps remove the epidermis from hides before tanning. Calcium thioglycolate is supplied as a white to off-white powder or as an aqueous solution at varying active concentrations for industrial use. Cosmetic-grade material is the most commonly traded specification, with purity levels typically documented to meet formulator requirements. Technical-grade product is available for industrial textile and leather applications.

These industrial versions are suitable where cosmetic compliance is not required. The material is handled according to standard safety protocols for reducing agents to ensure stability and performance in final products.