Cetrimonium chloride is one of the essential ingredients of any shampoo or conditioner. It is responsible for the silky, smooth feeling that you get in your hair after shampooing or conditioning it.
Cetrimonium chloride is becoming increasingly popular as a clean, vegan, non-toxic conditioning agent with mild surfactant properties. In this article, we will know more about cetrimonium chloride, how it works, and the benefits of this conditioning substance.
What Is Cetrimonium Chloride?
Chemically speaking, cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary salt of ammonium. It functions as a conditioning agent and surfactant in our products. It is cationic in nature, that is, it has a positive charge to itself. Cetrimonium chloride has an alcohol like odour and appears as a clear, viscous liquid that forms a lather when agitated.
Cetrimonium chloride is used as a hair conditioning agent to soften the hair and improve the products’ rinse-off abilities. It can lower the static charge between the strands of hair and reduce the frizziness and roughness of hair.
- INCI name: Cetrimonium chloride
- Charge: Cationic (positive)
- Appearance: Clear liquid
- Usage Rate: Rinse off products: 0.25-10%
- Leave on products: 0.25%
- pH: 3-9
- Texture: Thin liquid that foams when agitated.
What products contain cetrimonium chloride?
Cetrimonium chloride is widely used in several hair care and body products. The primary applications of cetrimonium chloride are found in:
- Shampoo
- Hair conditioner (Leave-in and rinse-off)
- Hair spray
What Are The Benefits Of Cetrimonium Chloride For Hair?
The benefits of cetrimonium chloride for hair are:
1. Condition The Hair
Cetrimonium chloride has a good conditioning effect on the hair. It can smooth the keratin structure in the strands of the hair. The positively charged quaternary ammonium part binds to the negatively charged hair strands. This creates a smooth, lubricated feel, making hair easier to comb, especially when wet.
The conditioning properties of cetrimonium chloride help in the easy detangling and combing of hair. It also reduces the frizz in hair and promotes sleek, smooth, tangle-free hair.
2. Reduces Static Charge Between Strands
When hair strands rub against each other or against the pillow case, they produce a static charge. This causes flyaway hair, frizz, and damages the hair. Cetrimonium chloride, being a good anti-static agent, has a positive charge. It can neutralise the negative charge on the hair and eliminate the static charges that make the hair look rough.
3. Acts As A Good Surfactant
Cetrimonium chloride is also a good surfactant. It forms mild lather with fatty alcohols that enhances the rinse-off ability of the shampoo or conditioner. As a surfactant, it decreases the surface tension between two liquids, water and oil. Thus the dirt and grease of the scalp separate and get washed away in water.
4. Acts As A Preservative
Centrimonium chloride has mild antimicrobial activity on its own. It boosts the effectiveness of preservatives by improving their spread and distribution in water-based formulations.
Is Cetrimonium Chloride Natural?
No, Cetrimonium Chloride is not considered a natural ingredient. It is a synthetically derived compound made through chemical reactions.
Is Cetrimonium Chloride Safe For Hair?
Cetrimonium Chloride is safe and effective for most hair types when used in small, regulated amounts. It’s a trusted ingredient in many mainstream conditioners, hair masks, and detanglers.
Is cetrimonium chloride a surfactant?
Yes, cetrimonium chloride is a surfactant.
Cetrimonium chloride can lower the surface tension between water and oils and consequently allows the grease to be washed away by water. It also has mild foaming abilities, and together they contribute to cleansing the scalp.
What Type Of Surfactant Is Cetrimonium Chloride?
Cetrimonium chloride is a cationic surfactant.
As a cationic surfactant, cetrimonium chloride cannot form lather very well. However, it can reduce the harshness of other surfactants on the skin and give a soft, smooth feeling.
Additionally, the positive charge on cetrimonium chloride helps to neutralise the static negative charge along the hair strands and prevent flyaway, frizzy hair.
Is Cetrimonium Chloride A Silicone?
Cetrimonium chloride is not a silicone or a silicone derivative.
Chemically, cetrimonium chloride is a quaternary salt of ammonium. Although it has the same smoothening effect on hair as many silicone-based compounds, it does not belong to the silicone family. Instead, cetrimonium chloride is best known as a cationic surfactant with emulsifying properties.
Is Cetrimonium Chloride Biodegradable?
Cetrimonium Chloride is not considered biodegradable by most environmental standards.
While safe and effective for hair care in small concentrations, it’s not suitable for eco-friendly or zero-waste formulations focused on sustainability and biodegradability.
Is Cetrimonium Chloride A Cleanser?
Cetrimonium chloride is only a mild cleanser.
The main purpose of cetrimonium chloride is to act as a conditioning agent. However, its weak cleansing abilities originate from its surfactant nature. Being a cationic surfactant, it can lower the surface tension between water and grease and allow it to be washed away.
Can Cetrimonium Chloride Be Used In Leave-In Conditioners?
Yes, cetrimonium chloride can be used in leave-in conditioners. It can boost the leave-in conditioner’s ability to smooth the hair, and make it look shiny. The usage rate of cetrimonium chloride in leave-in conditioners is 0.25%.
What Can I Substitute Cetrimonium Chloride With?
Cetrimonium chloride can be substituted with other quaternary ammonium salts like cetrimonium bromide and steartrimonium chloride.
Essentially, cetrimonium chloride can be replaced with any substance that is cationic in nature, has conditioning properties, along with negligent toxicity. A good, natural alternative to cetrimonium chloride is Mackine 301, which has the same conditioning properties as cetrimonium chloride.
Another product that can be used as a substitute is Polyquaternium 7.
Is Cetrimonium Chloride Safe For Skin?
Cetrimonium Chloride is safe for skin in well-formulated cosmetic products at low concentrations. It is effective and commonly used in both skincare and haircare. However, if you have sensitive or allergy-prone skin, it’s best to patch test or consult a dermatologist.
