Beauty / Society

Why people on TikTok are using glycolic acid as a deodorant

By Fiona Embleton

Photo: Getty

Glycolic acid is lauded as an effective facial exfoliator and for use on ‘backne’. But is it safe to use the powerful alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) on the scalp and on the delicate underarms?

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When it comes to beauty hacks, TikTok walks the gamut of the good, the bad and the plain questionable. So with beauty enthusiasts now deploying glycolic acid toner as a scalp scrub and a replacement for deodorant, where do these new uses sit on the spectrum? And all importantly, are they safe?