Polyquaternium-6 ●
TL;DR. This ingredient is a cationic conditioning polymer used to improve wet combing, reduce static, and leave a light film on hair or skin. It is most common in shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and styling products.
What does Polyquaternium-6 do in a cosmetic formula?
This ingredient is a cationic conditioning polymer used to improve wet combing, reduce static, and leave a light film on hair or skin. It is most common in shampoos, conditioners, body washes, and styling products.
Is Polyquaternium-6 clean?
From a clean-beauty perspective, this ingredient has friction because it is a synthetic quaternary polymer with persistence concerns and potential residual monomer considerations. It is generally not a leading choice in stricter natural-positioned standards.
Is Polyquaternium-6 sustainable?
This material is synthetically produced and is not a renewable plant or mineral ingredient. Its cationic polymer structure is not readily biodegradable, so wastewater and aquatic persistence are the main sustainability issues.
Is Polyquaternium-6 COSMOS-approved?
This ingredient is not permitted in COSMOS-certified natural or organic products. Its synthetic origin and limited biodegradability make it a weak fit with Green Chemistry priorities, especially renewable sourcing and end-of-life design.
How does Polyquaternium-6 work chemically?
The molecule is a water-soluble, permanently cationic polymer with quaternary ammonium groups and chloride counterions, which gives it strong affinity for negatively charged hair and skin surfaces. It is typically used at low levels in rinse-off and leave-on formulas, is stable across common cosmetic pH ranges, and can be incompatible with strongly anionic thickeners or surfactant systems at higher charge densities.
Last updated 2026-05-13