Moderate Surfactant Dermal Penetration

Behentrimonium Chloride

INCI: BEHENTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE

CAS Number
17301-53-0
Function
Conditioning agent; antistatic; detangling agent; cationic surfactant
Safety Rating
MODERATE

Regulatory Status

🇪🇺 EU Status permitted
EU Max Conc. 0.5–3%
🇺🇸 US Status permitted
US Notes CIR assessed behentrimonium chloride as safe as used. C22 long-chain quat — enhanced substantivity to hair shaft vs shorter-chain quats. Preferred conditioning agent for thick, coarse, and curly hair types. Incompatible with anionic surfactants.

For full compliance data across 55 jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.

Safety Data

Margin of Safety (MoS)
adequate
Dermal Absorption
high
Sensitization
low

Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.

Dermal Penetration Profile

Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Behentrimonium Chloride, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.

Absorption %
0.1-0.5%
Penetration Level
surface
Penetration Depth
surface only
Molecular Weight
448.2 Da
Log P
6.8
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
0.05-0.2%
Safety Margin Factor
minimal

Source: CIR

Expert Verdict

Long-chain C22 quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant confirmed safe as used by CIR. Superior conditioning for thick, coarse, and curly hair types due to enhanced substantivity from the C22 hydrophobic tail. Used at 0.5–3% in rinse-off conditioners. Incompatible with anionic surfactants.

⚠️
Concern Level: Low

Regulatory Flags

cationic quat long-chain conditioning anionic-incompatible rinse-off curly-hair eu_children_restricted eu_cosing_listed

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Behentrimonium Chloride safe in cosmetics?

Long-chain C22 quaternary ammonium cationic surfactant confirmed safe as used by CIR. Superior conditioning for thick, coarse, and curly hair types due to enhanced substantivity from the C22 hydrophobic tail. Used at 0.5–3% in rinse-off conditioners. Incompatible with anionic surfactants. The EU classifies Behentrimonium Chloride as "permitted". Safety rating: MODERATE.

Is Behentrimonium Chloride allowed in the EU?

Behentrimonium Chloride EU regulatory status: permitted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.5–3%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.

What does Behentrimonium Chloride do in cosmetics?

Behentrimonium Chloride functions as: Conditioning agent; antistatic; detangling agent; cationic surfactant. It is classified as a Surfactant in our database. CAS number: 17301-53-0.

What is the Margin of Safety for Behentrimonium Chloride?

adequate The Margin of Safety (MoS) is calculated using SCCS methodology. A MoS above 100 is generally considered safe. Use the MoS Calculator tool to calculate MoS for your specific formulation and product category.

Compliance Tools

Check Behentrimonium Chloride compliance across multiple jurisdictions:

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Ingredient Decoder
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82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
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Substance Compliance
Check compliance across 55 jurisdictions
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MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
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Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions

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