Ingredient glossary / Conditioning agent
Cetrimonium chloride
On the label: Cetrimonium Chloride · Conditioning agent
What it is
A cationic conditioner and antistatic agent; also mildly antimicrobial.
Conditioning agents: Conditioning agents smooth hair or skin and reduce static; most are cationic (positively charged) so they cling to the hair shaft.
Wikidata: Chemical compound. Q1061007 →
In the research
6 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Evolving Surfactant Trends in the Thai Personal Care Market Over 15 Years and Their Association with Clinical Patch Test Reactivity · Dermatitis : contact, atopic, occupational, drug, 2026
- Eyelid Dermatitis: A 5-Year Retrospective Review from a Metropolitan Contact Dermatitis Clinic · Dermatitis : contact, atopic, occupational, drug, 2026
- Allergic or Not: Final Interpretation of Doubtful Patch Test Reactions From the North American Contact Dermatitis Group, 2019-2020 · Dermatitis : contact, atopic, occupational, drug, 2024
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Products whose label lists it
1 on the siteMatched from the ingredient list the supplier printed; the position in the list (first or thirtieth) is on each product page.
Other conditioning agents
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.