Bisglycinate, citrate, oxide... we have already covered several faces of magnesium. Now it is the turn of a different one: the only one, of those we have seen here, that also appears in cosmetics.
Magnesium L-pidolate is a magnesium salt of the pidolate anion —also called pyroglutamate, 5-oxoproline or PCA—, highly soluble in water.
That solubility is why it is used as a source of magnesium in drinkable formats —sachets, vials, solutions— and why it is listed as an authorized source in Annex II of Directive 2002/46/EC.
What sets it apart from other forms of magnesium is its anion: that same PCA, bound to other cations —sodium, zinc—, is also a common cosmetic ingredient, a classic humectant in moisturizing formulas.
The cation decides whether we are still talking about a mineral. The anion decides which other sectors it reaches: food, cosmetics.
Here we take a closer look at magnesium pidolate: what it is, in which grade it is manufactured and what to check before choosing it for each sector.
Are you working with this form of magnesium or considering adding it? Let's talk about the right grade for your product.
Search for “magnesium pidolate” in two different databases and you may well get two different CAS numbers. Only one should appear in your documentation.
The international substance registry links magnesium L-pidolate both to CAS 62003-27-4 (EC 263-365-7) and, in other databases, to CAS 135701-98-3.
This is no minor detail: the CAS number is the identifier that must match across the technical data sheet, the safety data sheet and the certificate of analysis. A wrong CAS in the documentation is, in practice, a compliance error.
Beyond the registry number, what really separates one application from another is the manufacturing grade. As a source of magnesium in food supplements, the compound is explicitly listed in Annex II of Directive 2002/46/EC, an entry added by Regulation (EC) 1170/2009: an EU-wide authorization. But that authorization does not by itself set minimum purity, heavy metals or microbiological load — that is determined by each manufacturer's specification.
The same compound, in its cosmetic version —sodium or zinc PCA salts—, falls under a different framework and a completely different data sheet.
Being authorized is not the same as being specified: the authorization says it can be used; the manufacturer's data sheet provides the guarantee.
If you work with this magnesium compound, count on our technical team to check the documentation before taking anything for granted.
Because knowledge is part of the supply, too.
Frequently asked questions
What is magnesium pidolate?
Magnesium L-pidolate is a magnesium salt of the pidolate anion —also called pyroglutamate, 5-oxoproline or PCA—, highly soluble in water. That solubility is why it is used as a source of magnesium in drinkable formats —sachets, vials, solutions— and why it is listed as an authorized source in Annex II of Directive 2002/46/EC.
Why does magnesium pidolate also appear in cosmetics?
What sets it apart from other forms of magnesium is its anion: that same PCA, bound to other cations —sodium, zinc—, is also a common cosmetic ingredient, a classic humectant in moisturizing formulas.
Why can magnesium pidolate have two CAS numbers?
Search for “magnesium pidolate” in two different databases and you may well get two different CAS numbers. Only one should appear in your documentation. The international substance registry links magnesium L-pidolate both to CAS 62003-27-4 (EC 263-365-7) and, in other databases, to CAS 135701-98-3. This is no minor detail: the CAS number is the identifier that must match across the technical data sheet, the safety data sheet and the certificate of analysis. A wrong CAS in the documentation is, in practice, a compliance error.
Is it enough for magnesium pidolate to be authorised in food supplements?
Beyond the registry number, what really separates one application from another is the manufacturing grade. As a source of magnesium in food supplements, the compound is explicitly listed in Annex II of Directive 2002/46/EC, an entry added by Regulation (EC) 1170/2009: an EU-wide authorization. But that authorization does not by itself set minimum purity, heavy metals or microbiological load — that is determined by each manufacturer's specification. Being authorized is not the same as being specified: the authorization says it can be used; the manufacturer's data sheet provides the guarantee.
Sources
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