Database/Antistatic/Quaternium-81
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Quaternium-81 natural?

Mostly. The two fatty chains from oleic acid and the sulfate are natural; the amine framework and the methyl groups are petrochemical.

INCI nameQuaternium-81
CAS97953-16-7
FunctionAntistatic · Hair Conditioning
FeedstockOleic acid condensed with diethylenetriamine to an imidazoline,…

How we scored it

Oleic-acid imidazolinium methosulfate (oleic acid reacted with diethylenetriamine, quaternised with dimethyl sulfate): two oleic-derived fragments (ring carbon and alkyl, plus the amide acyl, about 514 Da) and the SO4 of the methosulfate (96 Da) are natural; the diethylenetriamine-derived ring and arm, the N-methyl and the methyl of the methosulfate are petrochemical → about 0.83. Same method as Quaternium-27 and Quaternium-83, with oleic in place of tallow chains.
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

Oleic acid condensed with diethylenetriamine to an imidazoline, then quaternised with dimethyl sulfate.

In plain English

A conditioning agent made by reacting oleic acid (from plant or animal fat) with a synthetic amine, then treating with a methylating agent. Used in hair care to reduce static and add conditioning.

CosIng definition: 9-Octadecenoic acid (Z)-, reaction products with diethylenetriamine, di-Me sulfate-quaternized

Natural alternatives with the same function

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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-81. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  3. 3QUATERNIUM-81. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=QUATERNIUM-81