Database/Antimicrobial/Cetrimonium Chloride
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Cetrimonium Chloride natural?

Mostly. Cetyl chain is coconut/palm-derived; chloride is mineral; the trimethylammonium head comes from petrochemical methanol and ammonia.

INCI nameCetrimonium Chloride
CAS112-02-7
FormulaC19H42ClN · 320.0 Da
FunctionAntimicrobial · Antistatic
FeedstockQuaternary ammonium salt of cetyl alcohol, a natural…

How we scored it

Cetyl C16H33 225.4 Da (natural) + Cl 35.5 Da (natural, mineral) = 260.9 Da; N(CH3)3 59.1 Da (petrochemical). 260.9/320.0=0.82.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

How it’s made

Menshutkin quaternisation (SN2). Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Quaternary ammonium salt of cetyl alcohol, a natural C16 fatty alcohol, with a trimethylammonium chloride head group. As with other quats, the methylated nitrogen head is conventionally petrochemical.

In plain English

A conditioning and antistatic agent combining a coconut or palm-derived fatty chain with a synthetic quaternary ammonium head group. It is common in hair conditioners and some preservative systems.

CosIng definition: Cetrimonium Chloride is a quaternary ammonium salt that conforms generally to the formula:

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Structure

2D structure of Cetrimonium Chloride

hexadecyl(trimethyl)azanium chloride

PubChem CID 8154 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Cetrimonium Chloride. PubChem CID 8154. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=CETRIMONIUM%20CHLORIDE