Body & Beauty / Compounds / Sodium PCA

Sodium PCA on your skin: a safety profile

Low risk

(People-specific data is limited; this page draws from human adult context.) Safety profile for Sodium PCA relevant to people.

What is sodium pca?

The IUPAC name is sodium 2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinecarboxylate.

Also known as: sodium 2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinecarboxylate, sodium pyroglutamate, sodium L-pyroglutamate, sodium salt of pyroglutamic acid.

IUPAC name
sodium 2-oxo-1-pyrrolidinecarboxylate
CAS number
28874-51-3
Molecular formula
C5H7NO4Na
Molecular weight
167.1 g/mol
SMILES
C(CC(CC(CCO)O)O)C=CC=CC(=O)O
PubChem CID
190834

Risk for people

Low risk

Regulatory consensus

2 regulatory and scientific bodies have classified Sodium PCA. The classifications differ — that's the data.

AgencyYearClassificationNotes
EU_CLP—Acute Tox. 4 (Oral)H302: Harmful if swallowed
INCI——Approved cosmetic ingredient; INCI Name: SODIUM PCA

Regulators apply different standards of evidence — animal-data weighting, exposure-pattern assumptions, epidemiological power thresholds — which is why two scientific bodies can review the same data and reach different conclusions. The disagreement is the data.

Where you encounter sodium pca

  • skincare products
  • cleansers
  • moisturizers
  • personal care formulations

Safer alternatives

Lower-risk approaches that achieve a similar outcome to Sodium PCA:

  • Glycerin (plant-derived) — gold standard humectant, excellent safety profile
    Trade-offs: Consumer preference for 'natural' label; many natural fragrance compounds are potent allergens (limonene, linalool, eugenol); 'natural' ≠ 'safe'; often more expensive than synthetic equivalents.
    Relative cost: 2-5× conventional
  • Hyaluronic acid — naturally occurring, very low sensitization potential
    Trade-offs: Removes 95-99% of dissolved contaminants including metals, PFAS, nitrates; wastes 2-4 gallons per gallon produced (improving with newer systems); removes beneficial minerals; $0.05-0.25/gallon; requires pre-treatment for longevity.
    Relative cost: 2-5× conventional
  • Panthenol (provitamin B5) — well-tolerated, additional skin-soothing properties
    Trade-offs: Removes 95-99% of dissolved contaminants including metals, PFAS, nitrates; wastes 2-4 gallons per gallon produced (improving with newer systems); removes beneficial minerals; $0.05-0.25/gallon; requires pre-treatment for longevity.
    Relative cost: 1.2-2×

Frequently asked questions

What products contain sodium pca?

Sodium PCA appears in: skincare products; cleansers; moisturizers.

See Sodium PCA in the body app

Look up products containing sodium pca, compare to alternatives, and explore the full data record.

Open in body View raw API data

Sources (2)
  1. PubChem Compound CID 190834 — database
  2. ATSDR Toxicological Profile — CAS 28874-51-3 — reference

Reference data, not professional advice. Aggregates publicly available regulatory and scientific data; not a substitute for veterinary, medical, legal, or regulatory advice. Why we built ALETHEIA →