The Beauty Signal
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The ingredient narratives reshaping clean beauty.

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Cetrimonium Chloride

aka hexadecyltrimethylammonium chloride · CTAC · cetyltrimethylammonium chloride

Quaternary ammonium conditioning agent used in haircare and dry shampoo formulations. Provides antistatic conditioning.

Benefits
  • Antistatic conditioning agent
  • Deposits protective film on hair surface
  • Antimicrobial/preservative contribution at higher concentrations
  • Stabilises emulsion systems
  • Widely used in hair setting and conditioning formulas
Example uses
  • Dry shampoo formulas
  • Conditioning sprays
  • Hair setting products
  • Rinse-out conditioners
  • Leave-on hair treatments
Formulation notes

Cationic — incompatible with anionic surfactants in same phase.

Watchouts

Potential aquatic toxicity at discharge concentrations. Some strict clean-beauty frameworks exclude quats.

Clean beauty perception

Mixed in clean-beauty. Excluded from strict quat-free formulations.