Polyquaternium-37 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is mainly used as a cationic conditioning polymer and rheology modifier. It helps thicken formulas, improve slip, reduce static, and leave a light film on hair or skin.
What does Polyquaternium-37 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is mainly used as a cationic conditioning polymer and rheology modifier. It helps thicken formulas, improve slip, reduce static, and leave a light film on hair or skin.
Is Polyquaternium-37 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, it has friction because it is a synthetic permanently charged polymer rather than a simple biodegradable ingredient. It is generally used at low levels, but some standards flag this class for persistence and wastewater concerns rather than routine skin irritation.
Is Polyquaternium-37 sustainable?
This material is typically petrochemical-derived and not readily biodegradable. In wastewater, its positive charge can make it bind to negatively charged surfaces such as sludge, sediment, and organic matter, which raises persistence concerns.
Is Polyquaternium-37 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-natural or COSMOS-organic standards because it is a synthetic cationic polymer with poor biodegradability alignment. It fits weakly with Green Chemistry principles because it relies on synthetic feedstocks and does not have a strong end-of-life profile.
How does Polyquaternium-37 work chemically?
The molecule is a high-molecular-weight, permanently charged acrylic polymer, often supplied as a dispersion that swells in water to build viscosity and provide conditioning deposition. Typical use is usually below a few percent, and it is broadly stable across cosmetic pH ranges, while high levels of anionic surfactants can reduce performance through polymer-surfactant complexing.
Last updated 2026-05-13