Database/Antistatic/Quaternium-18
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Quaternium-18 natural?

Mostly. The hydrogenated tallow fatty chains and chloride are natural-origin; only the small dimethylamino head group is petrochemical.

INCI nameQuaternium-18
CAS61789-80-8
FunctionAntistatic · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockTwo hydrogenated tallow (animal fat) alkyl chains are…

How we scored it

2 tallow-alkyl (modelled as distearyl, 507, natural) + Cl (35, mineral) = 542 natural; N(CH3)2 (44) petrochemical; 542/587 = 0.92.
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.

Where it comes from

Two hydrogenated tallow (animal fat) alkyl chains are attached to a dimethylamino head group made with a petrochemical methylating agent, then neutralised with chloride. The tallow chains supply nearly all of the molecule's mass.

In plain English

A conditioning, anti-static ingredient used in hair conditioners and fabric softeners. Made from two hydrogenated tallow (animal fat) fatty chains attached to a small petrochemical methylamine building block, as a chloride salt. Mostly derived from animal fat.

CosIng definition: Quaternary ammonium compounds, bis(hydrogenated tallow alkyl)dimethyl, chlorides

Natural alternatives with the same function

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. 2QUATERNIUM-18. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3QUATERNIUM-18. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=QUATERNIUM-18