A zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid used in skin-conditioning formulas.
Sources: 1, 2Zinc pyrrolidone carboxylate, Zinc pidolate
Not assessed
No pregnancy- or breastfeeding-specific assessment has been completed for this record. A cosmetic safety review is not a pregnancy rating.
Not assessed
Zinc PCA
What it does
Used in some moisture- and oil-control-focused products. The related PCA salt safety assessment covers other salts, not zinc PCA, and is not evidence of acne treatment or a clinical sebum-control effect for this material.
Sources: 1, 2Good for
- Skin-conditioning formulas
How to use it
Use in a finished product according to its label. Do not use a raw cosmetic ingredient as a treatment.
Sources: 1, 2Who should be careful
May sting or irritate in an individual formula. Do not replace established acne care or assume pregnancy suitability from the word zinc.
Sources: 1, 2Pairs well with
No supported pairings have been documented for this record.
Usage, safety and formulation details
Mechanism of action
Combines zinc with a PCA ligand related to natural moisturizing factor. Effects of a particular grade depend on speciation, concentration and the complete formula.
Sources: 1, 2Potential adverse effects
An individual may experience irritation or a contact reaction despite a product's comfort-focused positioning.
Sources: 1, 2Formulation considerations
Confirm supplier identity, hydration state, solubility and compatibility with the actual formulation. Zinc oxide, zinc salts and sodium PCA must not be treated as equivalent materials.
Sources: 1, 2Pregnancy and breastfeeding
Not assessed
No pregnancy- or breastfeeding-specific assessment has been completed for this record. A cosmetic safety review is not a pregnancy rating.
Safety tags
- Fragrance allergen
- Not assessed
Not separately assessed in this draft.
- Essential oil
- Not assessed
Not separately assessed in this draft.
- Drying alcohol
- Not assessed
Not separately assessed in this draft.
- May irritate sensitive skin
- Not assessed
Not separately assessed in this draft.
What remains uncertain
- Exact concentration, final pH and the full composition of any unprovided finished product
Clinical evidence and research
Clinical evidence
Evidence for its main benefitNot assessed
The cited references support identity, formulation role or safety context. No standalone clinical efficacy rating has been completed for the main benefit in this draft.
Sources: 1, 2Regulation and ingredient label names
Regulatory information
No jurisdiction-specific assessment is recorded. An inventory listing is not blanket approval.
Names on ingredient lists
zinc pca
Chemical identity and molecular structure
Chemical information
Chemical structure
| Detail | Value | Source |
|---|---|---|
| PubChem CID | 11602214 | PubChem compound 11602214: chemical identity |
| molecular formula | C10H12N2O6Zn | PubChem compound 11602214: chemical identity |
| molecular weight | 321.6 g/mol | PubChem compound 11602214: chemical identity |
| iupac name | zinc bis((2S)-5-oxopyrrolidine-2-carboxylate) | PubChem compound 11602214: chemical identity |
| material scope | The structure and formula describe the anhydrous zinc bis(L-pidolate) reference salt. Hydrates, supplier solutions and dispersions need their own composition and mass specifications. | PubChem: Zinc pidolate and Zinc PCA identity |
Content updated 9 November 2026.
Sources (3)
Scientific sources
- PubChem: Zinc pidolate and Zinc PCA identitychemical identity
- CIR: PCA, sodium, calcium, magnesium and potassium PCA; related-salt context onlysafety assessment; does not assess zinc PCA · 2019
- PubChem compound 11602214: chemical identitychemical identity
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