What it is
The register’s chemical name for it: “Benzyldimethyl(octadecyl)ammonium chloride.”
- EU register name (INCI)
- STEARALKONIUM CHLORIDE
- CAS number
- 122-19-0
- EC number
- 204-527-9
What the register lists it for
These are the uses the European Commission’s CosIng register lists for Stearalkonium Chloride 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.
- 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.”
- 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.”
- Cleansing surfactant
-
The washing ingredients: they let water lift oil, product and dirt off hair and scalp. Shampoos list them near the top; some conditioners hold a little.
Register definition: “Wetting body surfaces, emulsifying or solubilizing oils, and suspending soil (generally, such ingredients contribute to the foaming and lathering properties of cleansing products).”
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.
- Shampoos 1 label First five names: 0 of 1 Shampoos without it
- Rinse-out conditioners 4 labels First five names: 0 of 4 Rinse-out conditioners without it
- Deep conditioners 2 labels First five names: 0 of 2 Deep conditioners without it
- Protein treatments 2 labels First five names: 1 of 2 Protein treatments without it
Every label, product by product (9)
- As I Am Coconut CoWash Cleansing Conditioner Shampoo 12th of 25 names
- Innersense Organic Beauty Hydrating Cream Conditioner Rinse-out conditioner 6th of 38 names
- Not Your Mother's Curl Talk Clean Slate Daily Conditioner Rinse-out conditioner 7th of 30 names
- Mielle Pomegranate & Honey Moisturizing and Detangling Conditioner Rinse-out conditioner 7th of 22 names
- Cécred Hydrating Conditioner Rinse-out conditioner 34th of 50 names
- Innersense Organic Beauty Hydrating Hair Mask Deep conditioner 7th of 54 names
- Cécred Moisturizing Deep Conditioner Deep conditioner 25th of 41 names
- ApHogee Keratin 2 Minute Reconstructor Protein treatment 4th of 44 names
- Cécred Reconstructing Treatment Mask Protein treatment 22nd of 37 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 antistatic ingredients on these labels
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride 48 labels
- Polyquaternium-10 30 labels
- Polyquaternium-37 17 labels
- Polyquaternium-7 12 labels
- Polyquaternium-11 7 labels
- Histidine 5 labels
- Cetearamidoethyldiethonium Succinoyl Hydrolyzed Pea Protein 4 labels
- Laureth-4 4 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.