Polyquaternium-46 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a cationic film-forming and conditioning polymer used mainly in hair care. It improves hold, reduces static, supports combability, and helps leave a smooth feel on hair fibers.
What does Polyquaternium-46 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a cationic film-forming and conditioning polymer used mainly in hair care. It improves hold, reduces static, supports combability, and helps leave a smooth feel on hair fibers.
Is Polyquaternium-46 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has friction because it is a synthetic quaternary polymer with potential concerns around buildup, residue, and trace monomers from manufacture. It is generally used at low levels, but it is not a simple, readily biodegradable material.
Is Polyquaternium-46 sustainable?
This material is typically made from petrochemical-derived monomers and is not considered readily biodegradable. Its cationic polymer structure can bind strongly to surfaces and wastewater solids, which raises persistence concerns compared with simpler biodegradable conditioning agents.
Is Polyquaternium-46 COSMOS-approved?
It is not permitted under COSMOS-organic or COSMOS-natural standards as a synthetic quaternary ammonium polymer. Its limited biodegradability and petrochemical origin fit poorly with Green Chemistry priorities such as renewable sourcing and benign end-of-life profile.
How does Polyquaternium-46 work chemically?
This material is a cationic vinyl copolymer with permanent quaternary ammonium sites, designed to adsorb onto negatively charged hair keratin and form a flexible film. It is typically used at low single-digit percentages in styling and conditioning formulas, is broadly stable across normal cosmetic pH ranges, and can lose performance or form complexes with strongly anionic ingredients.
Last updated 2026-05-15