Roll Call

“Cetrimonium Chloride?”Here!

PreservativeConditioning agentEmulsifierSurfactantSynthetic

Appears in 1 scanned product.

In personal care

A quaternary ammonium compound — a positively charged molecule derived from a fatty alcohol (cetyl alcohol) combined with a chloride salt. It is manufactured rather than extracted, though its fatty backbone traces back to coconut or palm sources.

Why it’s used

Hair and skin have a slight negative charge, and this ingredient's positive charge lets it cling to both, which is why it shows up in conditioners and detangling products. It smooths the hair surface, cuts static, and makes wet or dry hair easier to comb. It also has mild antimicrobial properties, which is why diluted forms appear in some antiseptic formulations.

What the evidence says

We haven’t found a source for this one that you can open and check, so we’re not summarizing the evidence.

Look it up yourself

We would rather point you at the shelf than summarize something you can’t check. These are the same places we search:

  • PubChem — what the substance is, chemically — names, synonyms and structure
  • PubMed — every paper indexed by the US National Library of Medicine that names it

These are starting points, not our findings — we haven’t run them for you. A substance whose name is also an ordinary word (“Heart”, “Alanine”, “Water”) will return papers that are not about the ingredient at all.

Context

The CIR safety assessment distinguishes between the low concentrations used in finished hair care products, which it considers safe, and the much higher concentrations found in concentrated or industrial forms, which can be irritating to skin and eyes.

Rumors

  1. Cetrimonium chloride causes skin irritation, especially in leave-on products.

    Supports — suggestivehealth and safety evidence

    Measured as an outcome.

    Who’s saying this

  2. Cetrimonium chloride is toxic to fish and aquatic life.

    We haven’t found evidence strong enough to support this or rule it out.

    What was measured is not yet noted.

    Who’s saying this

  3. Cetrimonium chloride repairs damaged hair.

    Does not supporthealth and safety evidence

    Measured as an outcome.

    Who’s saying this

    • Coco Curls — a brand: sells hair care products for curly and wavy hair
      How we know who this is
      • “Coco Curls helps people embrace their naturally curly, wavy or textured hair.” (their page)
      • “At Coco Curls, we create products that are made for curls and waves so you no longer have to feel left out.” (their page)

  4. Cetrimonium chloride reduces frizz and static and detangles hair.

    Sources cited — check not cleared.

    Measured as an outcome.

    Who’s saying this

    • Paula's Choice — a brand: sells its own skincare products
      How we know who this is
      • “Copyright © Paula's Choice GENERAL CONDITIONS PRIVACY POLICY COOKIE POLICY COOKIE SETTINGS” (their page)
      • “Our formulas do what they say, every single time.” (their page)

  5. Quaternary ammonium compounds such as cetrimonium chloride release formaldehyde and cause skin, eye and respiratory irritation.

    Does not supporthealth and safety evidence

    A claim about quaternary ammonium compounds (QACs) as a group, not this substance alone.

    Measured as an outcome.

    Who’s saying this

    • Fortune — a publisher: business news and rankings
      How we know who this is
      • “Our goal is to make Fortune a force for good through its second century and beyond.” (their page)
      • “We measure performance by rigorous benchmarks, and we hold companies accountable.” (their page)

Where it shows up