Quaternium-22
What Is It?
Quaternium-22 is a light amber-colored liquid. In cosmetics and personal care products, it is used in the formulation of hair care products and preparations, as well as in bath soaps and skin care preparations.
Why Is It Used?
Quaternium-22 enhances the appearance and feel of hair by increasing hair body, suppleness, and sheen; or by improving the texture of hair that has been damaged physically or by chemical treatment. It also prevents or inhibits the buildup of static electricity. Quaternium-22 dries to form a thin coating on the skin, hair, or nails.
Scientific Facts
Quarternium-22 is a quaternary ammonium compound (generally referred to as a “Quat”) that is a positively charged tetra-substituted nitrogen derivative and contains a carbohydrate molecule. Cosmetic grade Quaternium-22 is supplied as a 60% solids solution.
Safety Information
The safety of Quaternium-22 has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient ReviewThe Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) was established in 1976 as an independent safety review program for cosmetic ingredients. The CIR Expert Panel consists of independent experts in dermatology, toxicology, pharmacolgy and veterinary medicine. The CIR includes participation by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration and the Consumer Federation of America. (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that Quaternium-22 was safe for use in cosmetic and personal care products.
CIR Safety Review: Quaternium-22 is used in cosmetic products at concentrations up to 5% solids. Based on its chemical structure, the CIR Expert Panel concluded that Quaternium-22 was poorly absorbed through the skin. The CIR Expert Panel discussed the presence of impurities in commercial samples of Quaternium-22 but concluded that there were no toxic effects of Quaternium-22 due to the presence of impurities. Neverthless, the CIR Expert Panel set recommended limits on the concentrations of 3-dimethylaminopropylamine and ethylene chlorohydrin impurities in Quaternium-22 of 0.2% and 0.008%, respectively, in the finished cosmetic product.
These limitations were established, taking into consideration the maximum concentration of each impurity in the raw material (60% solids) and the maximum use concentration of Quaternium-22 in cosmetic products (5% solids). Quaternium-22 may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Regulation of the European UnionUnder the general provisions of the cosmetics regulation of the EU, ingredients appearing on the following function-specific annexes must comply with the listed restrictions and/or specifications: colorants (Annex IV), preservatives (Annex V), UV filters (Annex VI) and other ingredients with specific concentration limits and/or other restrictions (Annex III). Ingredients specifically prohibited from use in cosmetic products are listed in Annex II. Other ingredients listed in the EU cosmetic ingredient database (CosIng) may be used without restrictions..
Link to the EU Cosmetic Regulation:
http://europa.eu/legislation_summaries/consumers/product_labelling_and_p…
More Scientific Information
Quaternium-22 is a quaternary ammonium salt used as a film former, hair conditioning agentIngredients that enhance the appearance and feel of hair, by increasing hair body, suppleness, or sheen, or by improving the texture of hair that has been damaged physically or by chemical treatment., and an antistatic agentIngredients that prevent or inhibit the buildup of static electricity.. This ingredient has reportedly also been used as an emollient and skin conditioner. The quaternary nitrogen atom in these compounds always carries a cationic charge regardless of the pHA measurement of the acidity or basicity of a substance. pH is the negative logarithm (base 10) of the concentration of hydrogen ions in solution. Water has a concentration of hydrogen ions of 1.0 x 10-7, and thus has a pH of 7. A pH of 7 is considered neutral, a pH lower than 7 is considered acidic, and a pH higher than 7 is considered basic. of the system. At high pHs, the anion may be OH-, which may reduce the normally high water solubility of quaternary ammonium compounds. The positive charge on the quats makes them substantive to the slightly negatively charged skin and hair proteins. This accounts for the use of most monomeric and polymeric quats for all types of hair and skin conditioning purposes, and as antistatics. Some of the polymeric quats find use as hair setting and styling products.
Resources
Search the Code of Federal Regulations http://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/cdrh/cfdocs/cfcfr/cfrsearch.cfm
EU Cosmetics Inventory http://ec.europa.eu/consumers/cosmetics/cosing/