Cetrimoniumchloride ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a cationic surfactant and conditioning agent used mainly in hair care to reduce static, improve wet combing, and leave a smoother feel on fibers.
What does Cetrimoniumchloride do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a cationic surfactant and conditioning agent used mainly in hair care to reduce static, improve wet combing, and leave a smoother feel on fibers.
Is Cetrimoniumchloride clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it has friction because quaternary ammonium conditioners can be irritating to skin or eyes at higher levels and are concentration-limited in cosmetics. It is generally accepted in conventional formulas when used within regulatory limits, but it is not an easy fit for stricter clean standards.
Is Cetrimoniumchloride sustainable?
This material is typically made from fatty-alcohol and petrochemical inputs, with possible palm or coconut-derived portions depending on the supplier. Its cationic charge makes it bind strongly to surfaces, sludge, and sediment, so aquatic-release profile is a key sustainability drawback.
Is Cetrimoniumchloride COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic as a standard cosmetic ingredient. Its synthetic quaternary ammonium chemistry and environmental profile align poorly with Green Chemistry preferences for readily biodegradable, renewable, low-impact ingredients.
How does Cetrimoniumchloride work chemically?
The molecule has a long C16 hydrophobic tail attached to a permanently positively charged trimethylammonium head, with chloride as the counterion. It is cationic across the normal cosmetic pH range, incompatible with many anionic surfactants and polymers, and is commonly limited by regulation to low use levels, such as 0.1% when used as a preservative and higher capped levels for specific hair-conditioning uses.
Last updated 2026-08-17