Cetearyltrimonium chloride

Cetearyltrimonium chloride (CAS 68002-62-0), also marketed as ceteartrimonium chloride, is a mixed C16-C18 quaternary ammonium salt used as a conditioning and emulsifying agent.

Where is Cetearyltrimonium chloride used?

• Hair care: primary conditioning active in rinse-off conditioners, conditioning shampoos and hair masks
• Textile and fabric softeners: coats fiber surfaces during finishing
• Skin care and emulsions: stabilizes oil-in-water creams and lotions
• Paper and leather processing: surface-conditioning agent that modifies charge
• Its cationic charge drives adsorption onto negatively charged surfaces such as hair, fibers and skin.

Good to know: Its cationic charge drives adsorption onto negatively charged surfaces, delivering substantivity that neutral or anionic surfactants cannot achieve. Technical grades suit textile, paper and industrial cleaning where cosmetic specification is not required.

Commercial specifications

• Aqueous solution, typically around 25 to 30 percent active content
• Cosmetic-grade material conforming to standard industry purity requirements is the most common commercial form