The first time I heard of something called “hypochlorous acid” was in a features pitch meeting at Scientific American’s New York office, when Jen Schwartz, a features editor who focuses on the intersection of science, tech and society, asked the group if we had come across the chemical. Most of us shook our heads. Jen smiled and said something like, “I was just checking, because I hadn’t either.”
The only drawback is its instability; the compound remains stable only in a solution with a pH between 4 and 6. Now, with new manufacturing processes to extend its shelf life, hypochlorous acid is proliferating as an ingredient in consumer products from skin-care serums to treat eczema and acne to all-purpose disinfectants. I hope you are as intrigued as I am by Jen’s investigation and lively story.
