Is Cetrimonium Bromide safe in cosmetics?
Cetrimonium Bromide has a safety rating of "GOOD" in our database. EU status: restricted. US status: permitted. 1 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Cetrimonium Bromide
Also known as: Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide, Cetrimide, Bromat, Caswell No. 167, Cetaflon (+15 more)
INCI: CETRIMONIUM BROMIDE
Cetrimonium Bromide (CAS 57-09-0) is a cosmetic preservative functioning as Preservative, Antistatic Agent, Surfactant, Hair Conditioning Agent. NOAEL 10 mg/kg bw/day (cross-referenced against ToxValDB ECHA IUCLID); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: restricted, max 0.1% as preservative (Annex V Entry 44); rinse-off up to 2.5%; leave-on hair up to 1.0%; leave-on face up to 0.5%. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data.
View industrial chemical safety profile for CAS 57-09-0 →
Auto-generated CPSR Part A draft with source citations
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Cetrimonium Bromide is classified GHS Danger (H302, H315, H318, H335, H373, H400, H410, H312) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.1% as preservative (Annex V Entry 44); rinse-off up to 2.5%; leave-on hair up to 1.0%; leave-on face up to 0.5%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu_status/eu_max; Chemicals: ghs_classifications.signal_word/hazard_statement_code
Function
Preservative, Antistatic Agent, Surfactant, Hair Conditioning Agent
Safety Rating
GOOD
Chemistry & Identifiers
IUPAC Name
hexadecyl(trimethyl)azanium bromide
InChIKey
LZZYPRNAOMGNLH-UHFFFAOYSA-M
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
restricted
EU Max Conc.
0.1% as preservative (Annex V Entry 44); rinse-off up to 2.5%; leave-on hair up to 1.0%; leave-on face up to 0.5%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR safe in rinse-off and at up to 0.25% in leave-on (1997). 37 VCRP formulations.
For full compliance data across multiple jurisdictions, use the Substance Compliance tool.
Safety Data
Margin of Safety, dermal absorption, and sensitization profile summaries for Cetrimonium Bromide.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
1 study endpoint found for Cetrimonium Bromide. NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) values are used to calculate the Margin of Safety per SCCS methodology.
| Endpoint | Value | Route | Species | Study Type | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAEL | =10 mg/kg bw/day | oral | Rat | chronic | ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID |
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Cetrimonium Bromide across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
Sensitization Profile
Contact sensitization data for Cetrimonium Bromide based on clinical patch test studies and IFRA standards.
Sensitization Rate
low
Allergen Class
surfactant
EU Allergen Listed
no
Patch Test Positive Rate
0.3%
Cross-reactivity Group
quaternary-ammonium-group
Reaction Type
contact-dermatitis
Source: IVDK
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
10 - 100 tonnes
Substance Type
SUBSTANCE
SVHC Candidate
No
Expanded Jurisdictional Detail
Additional regulatory detail beyond the 7-jurisdiction summary: Saudi SFDA, Korea MFDS, ASEAN ACD, Japan/Korea, Brazil/India, and cross-jurisdictional restriction entries.
Additional Jurisdictional Restrictions (1)
| Jurisdiction | Status | Max % | Product Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| CN | permitted_preservative | 0.1 | All cosmetics |
Additional Ingredient Properties
6 property records from structured ingredient metadata.
allergen_detail
{"eu_allergen_listed": "no", "allergen_class": "surfactant", "cross_reactivity_group": "quaternary-ammonium-group", "patch_test_frequency_pct": "0.3", "sensitization_rate": "low", "common_reaction_type": "contact-dermatitis", "ifra_restricted": "no", "source": "IVDK"}
emulsion_hlb
{"hlb_required_as_emulsifier": "yes", "emulsifier_type": "o_w", "critical_packing_parameter": "0.20-0.35", "emulsion_stabilization_mechanism": "electrostatic_repulsion", "co_emulsifier_pairs": "cetyl_alcohol,stearyl_alcohol", "optimal_oil_phase_pct": "3-10", "optimal_water_phase_pct": "90-97", "electrolyte_tolerance": "very_low", "pH_emulsion_stability_range": "3.0-8.0", "viscosity_building_contri…
hair_care
{"hair_function": "conditioning", "hair_type_suitability": "all", "curl_pattern_suitability": "all", "porosity_suitability": "all", "protein_sensitivity": "neutral", "moisture_protein_balance": "yes", "cg_method_approved": "not-a-silicone", "silicone_type": "not-a-sulfate", "sulfate_type": "no", "drying_alcohol": "no", "fatty_alcohol": "no", "heat_protectant": "yes", "color_safe": "neutral", "kera…
hair_conditioning
{"cas_number": "57-09-0", "ingredient_class": "cationic_conditioner", "chemical_type": "quaternary_ammonium", "charge_density_meq_g": "high", "substantivity_to_hair": "excellent", "deposition_from_shampoo": "no", "deposition_from_conditioner": "yes", "conditioning_mechanism": "electrostatic", "hair_penetration": "cuticle", "molecular_weight_effect_on_penetration": "low_MW_penetrates", "wet_combing…
ph_stability
{"optimal_ph_min": "4.0", "optimal_ph_max": "9.0", "stable_ph_min": "3.5", "stable_ph_max": "10.0", "degrades_above_ph": "11.0", "degrades_below_ph": "3.0", "ph_dependent_function": "Cationic conditioning agent", "formulation_note": "Also antimicrobial", "source": "Formulation literature"}
regulatory
{"eu_status": "allowed", "us_status": "allowed"}
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Anti-static agent
Biocide
Emulsifier
Preservative
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Expert Verdict
Expert safety assessment and concern-level summary for Cetrimonium Bromide.
Regulatory Flags
Restricted
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Cetrimonium Bromide by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
4
Lowest NOAEL
10 mg/kg bw/day
Highest NOAEL
10 mg/kg bw/day
ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID
ECHA_REACH_reach_study_results_dossiers_23-05-2023.zip
Known Synonyms
Cetyl trimethyl ammonium bromide
Cetrimide
Bromat
Caswell No. 167
Cetaflon
Cetarol
Cetavlon bromide
Cetrimide bp
Cirrasol-OD
Cycloton V
EINECS 200-311-3
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 069117
Hexadecyl trimethyl ammonium bromide
(1-Hexadecyl)trimethylammonium bromide
Lissolamin V
Lissolamine V
Micol
NSC 32927
Suticide
Cetrimonio bromuro
Chemical Function
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Biocide
Preservative
Anti-static agent
Emulsifier
Regulatory Lists
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
active_ingredient; Australia
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
pharmaceutical
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Cross-Vertical Safety Context
Same-CAS public records found in pharmaceutical data.
SOURCE
ChEMBL / DrugCentral / FAERS
DB_PHARMA CAS match
Pharmaceutical Data
Same-CAS rows from the pharmaceutical spoke database.
Compound
CETRIMONIUM BROMIDE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL307346
Max Phase
2
Adverse Event Associations
1499
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cetrimonium Bromide allowed in the EU?
Cetrimonium Bromide EU regulatory status: restricted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.1% as preservative (Annex V Entry 44); rinse-off up to 2.5%; leave-on hair up to 1.0%; leave-on face up to 0.5%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Cetrimonium Bromide do in cosmetics?
Cetrimonium Bromide functions as: Preservative, Antistatic Agent, Surfactant, Hair Conditioning Agent. It is classified as a Preservative in our database. CAS number: 57-09-0.
What is the NOAEL for Cetrimonium Bromide?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Cetrimonium Bromide is =10 mg/kg bw/day based on a chronic study via oral route in Rat. Source: ToxValDB_ECHA_IUCLID.
Is Cetrimonium Bromide used outside cosmetics?
Cetrimonium Bromide also appears in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data. The cross-vertical cards on this page render same-CAS public rows from the matched databases.
Does Cetrimonium Bromide have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Cetrimonium Bromide is classified GHS Danger (H302, H315, H318, H335, H373, H400, H410, H312) in the chemicals database but is restricted in EU cosmetics at max 0.1% as preservative (Annex V Entry 44); rinse-off up to 2.5%; leave-on hair up to 1.0%; leave-on face up to 0.5%.
Compliance Tools
Check Cetrimonium Bromide compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
Paste a full ingredient list for instant analysis
82 Allergen Checker
Check for EU declarable fragrance allergens
Substance Compliance
Check compliance across multiple jurisdictions
MoS Calculator
Calculate Margin of Safety using SCCS methodology
Heavy Metal Limits
Compare limits across jurisdictions
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