Polyquaternium-22 ●
TL;DR. It is used as a conditioning and anti-static polymer, especially in shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. It helps improve wet combing, reduce flyaway, add slip, and leave a light film on hair.
What does Polyquaternium-22 do in a cosmetic formula?
It is used as a conditioning and anti-static polymer, especially in shampoos, conditioners, and styling products. It helps improve wet combing, reduce flyaway, add slip, and leave a light film on hair.
Is Polyquaternium-22 clean?
From a clean beauty perspective, it has friction because it is a fully synthetic quaternary polymer rather than a simple biodegradable conditioning agent. It is generally considered low in direct skin irritation at normal use levels, but residual monomers and polymer persistence are the main scrutiny points.
Is Polyquaternium-22 sustainable?
This material is typically made from petrochemical-derived feedstocks and is not readily biodegradable. As a water-soluble synthetic polymer, it can be difficult to fully remove in conventional wastewater systems and has a weaker environmental profile than plant-derived or readily degradable conditioners.
Is Polyquaternium-22 COSMOS-approved?
It is not aligned with COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because it is a synthetic quaternary polymer. Its Green Chemistry fit is limited by non-renewable feedstocks, low biodegradability, and a synthesis route that depends on conventional polymer chemistry.
How does Polyquaternium-22 work chemically?
The molecule is a water-soluble amphoteric copolymer with both anionic carboxylate groups and permanently cationic quaternary ammonium sites, which gives it strong deposition on negatively charged hair fibers. It is typically used at low levels in rinse-off and leave-on hair formulas, remains functional across common cosmetic pH ranges, and is often paired with anionic surfactants to improve conditioning without heavy buildup.
Last updated 2026-05-13