Database/Depilatory/Calcium Thioglycolate
Mostly petroleum · ISO 16128

Is Calcium Thioglycolate natural?

Mostly not. Calcium counter-ion is a natural mineral; the thioglycolate backbone derives from petrochemical chloroacetic acid with no natural route.

INCI nameCalcium Thioglycolate
CAS814-71-1
FormulaC4H6CaO4S2 · 222.3 Da
FunctionDepilatory · Keratolytic
FeedstockMade by reacting chloroacetic acid (petrochemical) with sodium…

How we scored it

Ca(SCH2COO)2: Ca 40Da natural metal ion; 2x thioglycolate C2H3O2S backbone 182Da petrochemical (chloroacetic acid route) -> 40/222 = 0.18.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

Where it comes from

Made by reacting chloroacetic acid (petrochemical) with sodium hydrosulfide to give thioglycolic acid, then neutralising with calcium hydroxide (mineral). Used as a depilatory reducing agent.

In plain English

A reducing agent used in hair-removal creams to break hair's structural bonds. Its calcium comes from a natural mineral, but the active thioglycolate part is made from petrochemical chemistry.

Natural alternatives with the same function

Barium Sulfide 100% natural origin

An inorganic mineral salt made by reducing barite ore with carbon. Used as a chemical depilatory that breaks…

 Calcium Sulfide 100% natural origin

An inorganic mineral salt used in depilatory products to break down hair at the skin surface. Derived from…

 Potassium Sulfide 100% natural origin

An inorganic mineral salt used as a depilatory. Made from mined potassium and sulfur sources, classed as mineral…

 Sodium Sulfide 100% natural origin

An inorganic mineral salt used as a depilatory to chemically loosen hair. Manufactured from mined sulfur and sodium…

 Strontium Sulfide 100% natural origin

An inorganic mineral compound used in depilatory (hair-removal) creams to help break down hair. It is produced from…

 Zinc Sulfide 100% natural origin

A mineral powder used in some hair-removal depilatory products. It is an inorganic zinc compound, similar in origin…

Structure

2D structure of Calcium Thioglycolate

calcium bis(2-sulfanylacetate)

PubChem CID 13141 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Calcium Thioglycolate. PubChem CID 13141. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3CALCIUM THIOGLYCOLATE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4CALCIUM THIOGLYCOLATE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CALCIUM%20THIOGLYCOLATE