What it is
In the register’s words: “Cetrimonium Bromide is a quaternary ammonium salt.”
- EU register name (INCI)
- CETRIMONIUM BROMIDE
- CAS number
- 57-09-0
- EC number
- 200-311-3
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Cetrimonium Bromide in any cosmetic, hair roles first. They say why a maker might add it, not what it does in one formula, and they aren’t a safety rating.
- Antimicrobial
-
Slows the growth of microbes, in the product or on the surface it touches. Some preservatives, extracts and essential oils carry this role.
Register definition: “Preventing and/or slowing down microbial growth.”
- Antistatic
-
Cuts the static that makes dry hair fly away. Many conditioning ingredients carry this role too, because both work at the hair’s surface.
Register definition: “Preventing and/or reducing static electricity by neutralising electrical charge on surfaces.”
- Emulsifying surfactant
-
Lets oil and water mix into one cream or lotion and stay mixed. Conditioners and creams rely on them.
Register definition: “Helping suspensions or dispersions of liquids in a second liquid by reducing the surface tension of the substances to be emulsified.”
- Preservative
-
Stops bacteria, mold and yeast growing in the bottle. EU law allows only the preservatives on its own list for this role.
Register definition: “Exclusively or mainly intended to inhibit the development of micro-organisms in the cosmetic product. All authorised preservatives are substances in the positive list of Annex V to the Cosmetics Regulation 1223/2009.”
Where it sits on each label
US labels list ingredients from most to least, except that those at 1% or less may follow in any order. A name near the top is a large part of the formula. A label doesn’t mark where the 1% point falls, so further down, the order says little about how much is in it.
- Rinse-out conditioners 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Rinse-out conditioners without it
- Deep conditioners 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Deep conditioners without it
- Leave-in conditioners 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Leave-in conditioners without it
Every label, product by product (3)
- Giovanni Smooth As Silk Deeper Moisture Conditioner Rinse-out conditioner 18th of 20 names
- Kristin Ess Strand Strengthening Reconstructive Moisture Mask Deep conditioner 36th of 50 names
- Giovanni Direct Leave-In Weightless Moisture Conditioner Leave-in conditioner 15th of 20 names
Each line runs from the first name on a label to the last; a dot is where this ingredient sits. Makers change formulas now and then; if the list on your bottle differs, go by your bottle.
Your next step
Other antimicrobial ingredients on these labels
- Phenoxyethanol 120 labels
- Cetrimonium Chloride 39 labels
- Rosmarinus Officinalis (Rosemary) Leaf Extract 25 labels
- Benzyl Benzoate 22 labels
- Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract 15 labels
- C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate 6 labels
- Chlorphenesin 5 labels
- Alcohol Denat. 3 labels
Updated · The name, numbers and uses come from the European Commission’s CosIng entry (CC BY 4.0); we write the uses in US spelling and put the hair ones first. The labels are each maker’s own. The order rule is the FDA’s Cosmetics Labeling Guide. All our sources are on the Sources page.