Ammonium Thioglycolate acts as a powerful reducing agent that selectively cleaves disulfide bonds in hair keratin. This allows hair to be reshaped for perming, straightening, or softened for gentle hair removal.

It features a neutral to mild pH range (6.0-6.8) which is much closer to human skin and hair pH. This results in significantly less skin irritation and reduced hair damage compared to harsher acid alternatives.

For cold perms and hair straightening lotions, the recommended concentration is typically between 5% and 15%. For milder depilatory products, a dosage of 2% to 8% is generally advised.

Beyond cosmetics, it is utilized as a metal corrosion inhibitor in high-temperature brine solutions, a masking agent in chemical analysis, a thiolating agent for polymer modification, and a cleaning agent for electronic metal surfaces.

It should be kept in a cool, dry, and dark environment, ideally refrigerated at 2-8°C. It is critical to keep the product out of direct contact with metals like iron and copper to prevent degradation.