Ingredient glossary / Conditioning agent
Polyquaternium-7
On the label: Polyquaternium-7 · Conditioning agent
What it is
A cationic polymer that leaves hair and skin feeling soft after a wash; common in shampoo and body wash.
Conditioning agents: Conditioning agents smooth hair or skin and reduce static; most are cationic (positively charged) so they cling to the hair shaft.
Wikidata: Polymer. Q28936223 →
In the research
5 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- Interfacial Engineering of Clay-Based Nanohybrids with pH-Responsive Network-like Behavior for Hair Photoprotection and Algal Growth Promotion · Gels (Basel, Switzerland), 2026
- Six-month open-label clinical study of a novel topical solution for mild distal lateral subungual onychomycosis · European journal of dermatology : EJD, 2026
- Conditioning polymers in today's shampoo formulations - efficacy, mechanism and test methods · International journal of cosmetic science, 2000
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.
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.