Is Cetrimonium Chloride safe in cosmetics?
Cetrimonium Chloride has a safety rating of "MODERATE" in our database. EU status: permitted. US status: permitted. 10 toxicological study endpoint(s) are available in our database.
Cetrimonium Chloride
Also known as: Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride, 1-Hexadecanaminium, N,N,N-trimethyl-, chloride, Arquad 16/28, Caswell No. 167A, EINECS 203-928-6 (+6 more)
INCI: CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE
Cetrimonium Chloride (CAS 112-02-7) is a cosmetic surfactant functioning as Conditioning agent; antistatic; detangling agent; cationic surfactant. NOAEL 10 mg/kg bw/day (primary-source verified against the SCCS opinion); EU Regulation 1223/2009 status: permitted, max 0.5–3%. Industrial safety data is also available in the chemical safety database. Same-CAS public records also appear in industrial chemical safety and pharmaceutical data.
Cross-Vertical Regulatory Divergence
Cetrimonium Chloride is classified GHS Danger (H302, H311, H314, H315, H318, H335, H400, H410) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics at max 0.5–3%.
Source: Cosmetics: ingredients.eu status/eu max; Chemicals: ghs classifications.signal word/hazard statement code
Function
Conditioning agent; antistatic; detangling agent; cationic surfactant
Editorial assessment
MODERATE
Preliminary editorial note — not a computed safety verdict.
Regulatory Status
EU EU Status
permitted
EU Max Conc.
0.5–3%
US US Status
permitted
US Notes
CIR assessed safe as used in rinse-off formulations at up to 0.25% in leave-on and higher in rinse-off. Cationic quaternary ammonium compound incompatible with anionic surfactants; must be formulated in separate conditioning systems.
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 Chloride.
Calculate MoS for your specific formulation with the MoS Calculator.
Toxicological Studies
10 study endpoints found for Cetrimonium Chloride. 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 | =0.052 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | NOAEL study | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.052 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | NOAEL study | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.052 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | NOAEL study | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.052 mg/kg bw/day | oral | rat | NOAEL study | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.8 mg/kg | oral | rat | developmental toxicity | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.8 mg/kg | oral | rat | developmental toxicity | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.8 mg/kg | oral | rat | developmental toxicity | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =0.8 mg/kg | oral | rat | developmental toxicity | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =10 mg/kg | oral | rat | reproductive toxicity | SCCS Opinion |
| NOAEL | =10 mg/kg bw/day | oral | - | irritation | SCCS Opinion |
Pre-Calculated Safety Assessment
Conditional — safe only within SCCS limits: MoS does not apply to skin-irritating final formulations; rinse-off: sum of cetrimonium + steartrimonium chloride <=0.5%, total quats (with behentrimonium) <=3%; leave-on <=0.1% (leave-on face creams assessed case-by-case); quaternary ammonium compounds are known irritants
Pre-calculated NOAEL → SED → MoS audit trail for Cetrimonium Chloride across SCCS product categories, with measured dermal absorption where available.
Dermal Penetration Profile
Skin absorption and penetration characteristics of Cetrimonium Chloride, relevant to systemic exposure and MoS calculations.
Absorption %
0.5-2%
Penetration Level
surface
Penetration Depth
surface only
Molecular Weight
320.0 Da
Log P
5.2
Systemic Absorption
minimal
Topical Bioavailability
0.2-1%
Safety Margin Factor
low
Vehicle Dependent
Yes — absorption varies by formulation
Source: CIR Expert Panel
ECHA REACH Registration
European Chemicals Agency REACH dossier and Substances of Very High Concern listing.
Registration Type
Full
Tonnage Band
1,000 - 10,000 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.
SA Saudi SFDA (III - Restricted)
Product type: (a) Rinse-off hair products (b) Leave-on hair products (c) Leave-on face products. Max: (a) 2,5% for the individual concentrarions or the sum of the individual concentrations of cetrimonium chloride and streartrimonium chloride (b) 1,0% for the individual concentrarions or the sum of the individual concentrations of cetrimonium chloride and streartrimonium chloride (c) 0,5% for the individual concentrarions or the sum of the individual concentrations of cetrimonium chloride and streartrimonium chloride.
BRIN Brazil/India Cosmetics
India: Restricted · max (a) 2,5% for the individual concentrarions or the sum of the individual concentrations of cetrimonium chloride and streartrimonium chloride (b) 1,0% for the individual concentrarions or the sum of the individual concentrations of cetrimonium chloride and streartrimonium chloride (c) 0,5% for the individual concentrarions or the sum of the individual concentrations of cetrimonium chloride and streartrimonium chloride
Expanded Dermal Absorption Data
Cross-database dermal penetration: EPA Dryad physics-based, Roberts Mendeley permeation, and SCCS-aggregated measured values.
Aggregated DA Values (2 records across 5 sources)
| Type | DA % | Method | Skin Model | SCCS Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| measured | 3.15% | - | - | SCCP/0096 |
| measured | 0.35% | - | - | SCCP/0096 |
Typical Use Concentrations
Reported concentration ranges per product category from SCCS/CIR/industry sources.
| Product Category | Typical Range | Max Reported | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Conditioner | 0.1–1 | 2 | CIR Safety Assessment |
Function Categories & List Membership
Cosmetic/Chemical Function Categories
Anti-caking agent
Anti-static agent
Biocide
Emulsifier
Preservative
Softener and conditioner
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Viscosity modifier
Regulatory List Membership (3)
EU Regulated in Personal Care
EU Restricted for Children (Cosmetics)
EU CosIng Cosmetics Ingredient Database
Editorial summary
Preliminary editorial summary for Cetrimonium Chloride — not a computed safety verdict. See the sourced toxicological data above.
Regulatory Flags
cationic
quat
conditioning
anionic-incompatible
rinse-off
moderate-irritant
eu_children_restricted
eu_cosing_listed
NOAEL Studies Summary
View details ->Public NOAEL study rows linked to Cetrimonium Chloride by CAS number or substance name.
Studies
40
Lowest NOAEL
0.052
Highest NOAEL
100
Units vary across source rows: mg/kg bw/day, mg/kg, mg/kg/day
SCCS Opinion
Dermal Absorption
View details ->| Absorption % | Method | Vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| 3.15% | - | - |
| 0.35% | - | - |
Known Synonyms
Cetyl trimethyl ammonium chloride
1-Hexadecanaminium, N,N,N-trimethyl-, chloride
Arquad 16/28
Caswell No. 167A
EINECS 203-928-6
EPA Pesticide Chemical Code 069133
UNII-UC9PE95IBP
CTAC
Trimethylhexadecylammonium chloride
cetyl(trimethyl)ammonium chloride
hexadecyl(trimethyl)ammonium chloride
Chemical Function
Surfactant (surface active agent)
Softener and conditioner
Regulatory Lists
Europe; Personal care; restricted
children; Europe; Personal care
children; Europe; Personal care
children; Europe; Personal care
children; Europe; Personal care
Europe; Personal care
Europe; Personal care
Europe; Personal care
active_ingredient; Europe; Pesticides
inert_ingredient; non_food_use; Pesticides
Australian Status
AICIS status: listed
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
HEXADECYLTRIMETHYLAMMONIUM CHLORIDE
ChEMBL ID
CHEMBL1895807
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Cetrimonium Chloride allowed in the EU?
Cetrimonium Chloride EU regulatory status: permitted. Maximum allowed concentration: 0.5–3%. This is based on EU Regulation 1223/2009 and its amendments.
What does Cetrimonium Chloride do in cosmetics?
Cetrimonium Chloride functions as: Conditioning agent; antistatic; detangling agent; cationic surfactant. It is classified as a Surfactant in our database. CAS number: 112-02-7.
What is the NOAEL for Cetrimonium Chloride?
The NOAEL (No Observed Adverse Effect Level) for Cetrimonium Chloride is =0.052 mg/kg bw/day based on a NOAEL study study via oral route in rat. A total of 10 study endpoints are available. Source: SCCS Opinion.
Is Cetrimonium Chloride used outside cosmetics?
Cetrimonium Chloride 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 Chloride have different safety status in cosmetics vs industrial chemicals?
Cetrimonium Chloride is classified GHS Danger (H302, H311, H314, H315, H318, H335, H400, H410) in the chemicals database but is allowed in EU cosmetics at max 0.5–3%.
Compliance Tools
Check Cetrimonium Chloride compliance across multiple jurisdictions:
Ingredient Decoder
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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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