Sodium PCA

Sodium PCA molecular structure
molecular structure · PubChem
AKA: Sodium L-pyroglutamate, 28874-51-3, Sodium pyroglutamate, Sodium pidolate, L-Proline, Monosodium salt, L-5-Oxoproline monosodium salt, Sodium pyrrolidone-5-carboxylate, 5-Oxo-L-proline monosodium salt, Sodium L-pyrrolidonecarboxylate
Synthetic
Humectant
Skin Conditioner
Hair Care
Amino Acid
Clean
Sodium 5-oxo-2-pyrrolidinecarboxylate
Effective at 25.0%
Formula
C5H6NNaO3
Mol. Weight
151.10
CAS #
28874-51-3
Form
Liquid
Functions
Antistatic
Hair Conditioning
A catch-all term for ingredients that improve how skin looks and feels — softer, smoother, more supple. The workhorse behind most moisturizers.
Humectant
A moisture magnet. Pulls water from the air and deeper skin layers up to the surface to keep skin plump and hydrated.
Skin Conditioning
A catch-all term for ingredients that improve how skin looks and feels — softer, smoother, more supple. The workhorse behind most moisturizers.
Locks In Moisture
Traditional Use
Sodium PCA is the salt form of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a natural humectant found in human skin. Identified in the 1970s as a key component of the skin's natural moisture factor and incorporated into moisturizers to mimic skin's natural hydration mechanism.
EWG
1
CIR
Reviewed by CIR
Pregnancy
Yes
CIR Safety Findings
Not a Sensitizer
all-shades-safe
Concentration Guide
5e-05%
50.0%
0%100%
Reported use
CIR reported use: 0.00005-0.05 | 0.001 (as 50% conc)
Regulatory Status
USAunder review
EU⚠ restricted
JAPAN⚠ restricted
CANADA⚠ restricted
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
Dryness
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Yes
The paper trail
🔬Peer-reviewednone on file
⚖️Regulatory1 listing →
🛡️Safety-assessed4 reviews →
Counts, not a verdict. A listing isn't a study. The trail, you decide.
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Verified Jun 2026
Data: PubChem · CosIng · EWG · CIR