Calcium thioglycolate trihydrate

Calcium thioglycolate trihydrate (CAS 65208-41-5), also known as thioglycolic acid calcium salt trihydrate, is an inorganic salt used as a reducing and depilatory active in personal care and pharmaceutical formulations. It disrupts disulfide bonds in keratin, enabling hair removal and protein modification at controlled pH levels. In depilatory creams and lotions, it functions as the primary active ingredient.

The compound breaks down the structural integrity of hair at the skin surface for chemical removal without mechanical action. Pharmaceutical formulators use it where controlled keratin-disrupting activity is required in topical preparations. It also appears in professional cosmetic treatments targeting hair restructuring, where precise bond reduction is needed before neutralization. Cold wave and permanent wave formulations represent another documented end-use.

In professional salon products, bond reduction must be consistent across hair types. Calcium thioglycolate trihydrate is supplied as a white to off-white crystalline powder for industrial use. It is available in technical and cosmetic grades, with purity specifications typically aligned to personal care manufacturing requirements. Packaging is offered in kilogram-scale quantities suited to procurement.