Allzone Trading Corp. — Sourcing. Supplying. Solutions.
RFQ

Personal Care & Home Care · Choose a Material / Solution

Hair conditioning ingredient selection: substantivity, deposition and format

Conditioning selection turns on three factual questions: is the material cationic, will it sit in a cleansing base alongside anionic surfactant, and does the format need body as well as deposition. This page sorts the eight conditioning materials in the catalogue on those axes. It does not rank them and it makes no claim about how hair will look or feel.

The short answer

Conditioning selection is a charge decision before it is anything else. Weathered hair carries a net negative surface charge, so the materials that adsorb and stay through rinsing are the cationic ones. After that, only two questions remain: does the formula also contain anionic surfactant — which constrains the simple quats and points to cationic polymers — and does the format need body as well as deposition, which is what a cationic emulsifying wax supplies in a single addition.

Nothing here states that a material repairs, strengthens, restores or protects hair, and nothing here ranks one conditioning agent above another. Charge, supply form and compatibility are factual properties; performance is established only by your own testing.

Step 1 · Charge decides substantivity

Only cationic species have an adsorption mechanism on the hair surface. Everything else is doing another job.

Substantivity is the retention of an adsorbed material through rinsing. It follows from charge, and it is a mechanism — not a result. Materials without charge can be valuable in a formula, but they cannot be the conditioning mechanism.

Cationic — has a deposition mechanism

  • Cetrimonium Chloride

    Cationic surfactant (quat)Constrained in anionic bases
    Supplied as:
    Aqueous solution, typically supplied at a stated active percentage.
    Grade is defined by:
    Active content of the solution, and the residual free amine / chloride profile.
    • · A C16 quaternary ammonium compound. Its positive charge is the reason it adsorbs to the anionic hair surface.
    • · Water-soluble, so it is dosed into the water phase and does not by itself build body.
    • · Because it is supplied as a solution, the number on the drum is not the active number — dose on active.
    • In a base containing anionic surfactant it can form a complex that clouds or precipitates the formula. Compatibility depends on ratio and order of addition and has to be trialled.
    • It contributes no viscosity. A rinse-off conditioner built on it needs a separate structuring system.
    Cetrimonium Chloride

  • Behentrimonium Chloride

    Cationic surfactant (quat)Constrained in anionic bases
    Supplied as:
    Supplied in a carrier (commonly a glycol or alcohol solution) at a stated active level.
    Grade is defined by:
    Active content and the identity of the carrier, both stated on the data sheet.
    • · A longer-chain (C22) quat. Chain length is the factual difference from the C16 material; it changes solubility and how the material is handled.
    • · The carrier is part of the raw material and enters the formula with it — account for it in the water/solvent balance.
    • Same cationic–anionic constraint as other quats in a cleansing base.
    • Carrier identity differs between suppliers under the same INCI name; two grades are not interchangeable without checking it.
    Behentrimonium Chloride

  • BTMS (Behentrimonium Methosulfate)

    Cationic surfactant (quat)Not typical in a cleansing base
    Supplied as:
    Solid pellet or flake, blended with fatty alcohol as supplied.
    Grade is defined by:
    The blend ratio — how much behentrimonium methosulfate versus cetearyl alcohol the grade contains.
    • · A cationic emulsifying wax: it supplies the cationic species and the fatty-alcohol structure in one raw material.
    • · This is why it is the usual route to a rinse-off conditioner base — deposition and body come from the same addition.
    • · Melted into the oil phase rather than dosed into water.
    • Grades differ substantially in the quat/fatty-alcohol ratio. Substituting one grade for another changes both charge and body.
    • Because it also structures the product, changing it changes viscosity — treat a swap as a reformulation, not a substitution.
    BTMS (Behentrimonium Methosulfate)

  • Polyquaternium-7

    Cationic polymerUsed in anionic cleansing bases
    Supplied as:
    Low-solids aqueous solution; a large share of what is added is water.
    Grade is defined by:
    Solids content and charge density, both stated on the data sheet.
    • · A cationic polymer used where conditioning has to survive alongside anionic surfactant, which simple quats normally cannot.
    • · Supplied at low solids, so the added percentage and the delivered polymer are very different numbers.
    • Overloading a cleansing base with cationic polymer is associated with build-up and with clarity loss. Both are formulation outcomes to be checked, not predicted here.
    • Solids differ between suppliers — compare on delivered polymer, not on percentage added.
    Polyquaternium-7

  • Polyquaternium-10

    Cationic polymerUsed in anionic cleansing bases
    Supplied as:
    Powder, requiring controlled hydration.
    Grade is defined by:
    Charge density and viscosity grade; both are specification attributes.
    • · A cationic cellulose polymer. Being a powder, it is dosed on a solids basis directly.
    • · Different charge-density and viscosity grades exist under the same INCI name and behave differently.
    • Dumped into water it lumps. Hydration procedure — dispersion, order of addition, pH — is part of the specification, not an afterthought.
    • It also contributes viscosity, so a grade change can move the product's body as well as its conditioning.
    Polyquaternium-10

  • Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

    Cationic polymerUsed in anionic cleansing bases
    Supplied as:
    Powder; naturally derived cationic guar.
    Grade is defined by:
    Charge density, molecular weight and hydration behaviour.
    • · The naturally derived cationic polymer route for a cleansing base.
    • · Hydration is pH-sensitive; suppliers state the recommended procedure on the data sheet.
    • Incomplete hydration shows up as grit or haze; it is a process issue before it is a formula issue.
    • Being plant-derived, the origin declaration matters for labelling — request it in writing.
    Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

Non-ionic and additives — structuring, humectancy, specification interest

  • Hydrolyzed Keratin

    Additive — not a conditioning agentNot typical in a cleansing base
    Supplied as:
    Solution at a stated solids content.
    Grade is defined by:
    Molecular-weight profile, solids, and the declared source of the protein.
    • · A hydrolysed protein, specified by molecular-weight distribution. It is not a cationic conditioning agent.
    • · Molecular weight is a specification attribute you can request and verify — it is not, on its own, evidence of any effect.
    • Protein-derived material carries source-declaration consequences; get the origin statement in writing.
    • Proteins are a nutrient source in the aqueous phase, so preservation has to be reviewed rather than assumed.
    Hydrolyzed Keratin

  • Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

    Additive — not a conditioning agentNot typical in a cleansing base
    Supplied as:
    Solution at a stated solids content.
    Grade is defined by:
    Molecular-weight profile, solids, and the wheat-derived origin declaration.
    • · The plant-derived hydrolysed protein in the catalogue. Same specification logic as keratin: profile and solids.
    • · Wheat origin is a declared attribute that follows the material through to the finished-product label.
    • Wheat-derived materials attract customer questions about labelling and declaration. Obtain the supplier's written statement.
    • As with any protein, review the preservation of the aqueous phase.
    Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein

  • Panthenol

    Additive — not a conditioning agentNot typical in a cleansing base
    Supplied as:
    Liquid or powder, at a stated purity.
    Grade is defined by:
    Purity, isomer form (D or DL) and supply form.
    • · A humectant additive that is commonly listed among conditioning ingredients but carries no cationic charge and no substantivity mechanism.
    • · It is included here to keep the category boundary clear, not as a conditioning agent.
    • It does not replace a cationic system. If a formula relies on it for conditioning, the conditioning mechanism is missing.
    • D and DL forms are different specifications — state which one the formula assumes.
    Panthenol

  • Cetearyl Alcohol

    Non-ionicNot typical in a cleansing base
    Supplied as:
    Solid flake or pellet.
    Grade is defined by:
    The cetyl/stearyl ratio, which differs by grade and changes the melt and body.
    • · The fatty alcohol behind the body of a rinse-off conditioner. It structures; it does not deposit by charge.
    • · Used with a solution quat, it supplies the body the quat cannot.
    • It is not a conditioning agent on its own — a formula built only on fatty alcohol has body but no cationic deposition.
    • Cetyl/stearyl ratio differs between grades; a substitution changes viscosity and feel.
    Cetearyl Alcohol

  • Dimethicone

    Non-ionicConstrained in anionic bases
    Supplied as:
    Fluid, supplied by viscosity grade (cSt).
    Grade is defined by:
    Viscosity grade in centistokes.
    • · A non-ionic silicone fluid. It has no charge, so it has no substantivity mechanism of its own and is normally deposited with the help of a cationic species.
    • · Viscosity grade is the defining specification and is not interchangeable between grades.
    • Being non-ionic and water-insoluble, it needs an emulsification or deposition route; adding it to a clear base will normally cloud it.
    • Silicone presence is frequently the subject of customer specifications — confirm the brief before designing it in.
    Dimethicone

  • Glycerin

    Additive — not a conditioning agentUsed in anionic cleansing bases
    Supplied as:
    Liquid at a stated purity (commonly 99.5%).
    Grade is defined by:
    Purity, and the declared source (vegetable or synthetic).
    • · A humectant. It is compatible across bases and is not a conditioning agent by charge.
    • · Listed to close the same boundary as panthenol: humectancy is not deposition.
    • It does not provide substantivity, and a formula cannot rely on it for conditioning.
    • Source declaration matters for labelling and for customer specifications.
    Glycerin

Step 2 · The cationic–anionic constraint

This is the single most common cause of a clouded or precipitated conditioning shampoo.

A cationic species and an anionic surfactant can form a complex that comes out of solution. That is why conditioning in a cleansing base is normally built with cationic polymers designed for the purpose rather than with simple quats. It is a constraint, not a prohibition: the outcome depends on the ratio, the order of addition, the electrolyte level and the rest of the formula, so it has to be established by trial in your own base.

Step 3 · Format sets what the system has to deliver

Deposition and body are separate requirements. Some materials supply one, some supply both.

  • Rinse-off conditioner

    Needs both cationic deposition and body, in a base with no anionic surfactant to conflict with.

    In scope: BTMS (Behentrimonium Methosulfate) · Behentrimonium Chloride · Cetrimonium Chloride · Cetearyl Alcohol

    A cationic polymer alone is not the usual route here; the polymers in the catalogue are designed for cleansing bases.

  • Conditioning shampoo (cleansing base)

    The conditioning species has to coexist with anionic surfactant, which rules the simple quats out in most systems.

    In scope: Polyquaternium-7 · Polyquaternium-10 · Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride

    Simple quats are constrained here: cationic–anionic complexation can cloud or precipitate the base. If one is used, the ratio and the order of addition have to be established by trial.

  • Leave-in / spray conditioner

    Usually low-viscosity and often clear, so structuring is limited and clarity governs what can be added.

    In scope: Cetrimonium Chloride · Polyquaternium-7 · Panthenol · Glycerin

    Fatty alcohols and silicone fluids will normally take a clear spray out of clarity; they belong to emulsified formats.

  • Hair mask / intensive treatment

    A heavier emulsion: body and deposition together, with a larger oil phase.

    In scope: BTMS (Behentrimonium Methosulfate) · Cetearyl Alcohol · Behentrimonium Chloride · Dimethicone

    Protein and humectant additives can be part of the formula, but they do not supply the conditioning mechanism.

Step 4 · Compare grades on actives, not on names

Two materials sharing an INCI name are rarely interchangeable.

No use levels or ratios are given. Solids and active content differ by grade and by supplier under the same INCI name, so any level has to be set against the data sheet for the grade you actually buy and confirmed by trial.

  • Cetrimonium Chloride: Active content of the solution, and the residual free amine / chloride profile.
  • Behentrimonium Chloride: Active content and the identity of the carrier, both stated on the data sheet.
  • BTMS (Behentrimonium Methosulfate): The blend ratio — how much behentrimonium methosulfate versus cetearyl alcohol the grade contains.
  • Polyquaternium-7: Solids content and charge density, both stated on the data sheet.
  • Polyquaternium-10: Charge density and viscosity grade; both are specification attributes.
  • Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride: Charge density, molecular weight and hydration behaviour.
  • Hydrolyzed Keratin: Molecular-weight profile, solids, and the declared source of the protein.
  • Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein: Molecular-weight profile, solids, and the wheat-derived origin declaration.
  • Panthenol: Purity, isomer form (D or DL) and supply form.
  • Cetearyl Alcohol: The cetyl/stearyl ratio, which differs by grade and changes the melt and body.
  • Dimethicone: Viscosity grade in centistokes.
  • Glycerin: Purity, and the declared source (vegetable or synthetic).

Before you finalise

Confirm compatibility, clarity, pH and viscosity in your own formula, then run your stability and preservation programme on the finished product in its final packaging.

What this page does not determine

  • · It does not state that any material repairs, strengthens, restores, regrows or protects hair. Those are performance and, in some framings, therapeutic claims.
  • · It gives no use levels, no ratios and no formulation percentages — active and solids content differ by grade.
  • · It does not rank materials or name a best conditioning agent for any format.
  • · It makes no mildness, irritation, allergenicity or safety statement.
  • · It does not establish permitted use in Canada. That is a Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist question for the specific substance and product type.

Use this when

  • You are deciding between a quat, a cationic polymer and a cationic emulsifying wax for a specific format.
  • A conditioning agent clouded or precipitated in a shampoo base and you need the compatibility rule.
  • You need a rinse-off conditioner base and are choosing between BTMS and a quat plus fatty alcohol.
  • You are writing a specification and need to know what defines the grade — solids, chain length, molecular weight.

How this decision is structured

  • Every material is classified by charge, because charge decides substantivity and decides base compatibility.
  • Format is treated as the second axis: a rinse-off conditioner, a leave-in, and a cleansing base impose different constraints.
  • Cationic–anionic interaction is stated as a compatibility constraint, never as a prohibition, because ratio and order of addition change the outcome.
  • Body and deposition are separated: a cationic emulsifying wax supplies both, a solution quat supplies deposition only.
  • Additives that are commonly mistaken for conditioning agents are labelled as additives.
  • Every route ends at your own trial and stability programme.

What this page does not determine

  • It does not state that any material repairs, strengthens, restores, regrows or protects hair. Those are performance and, in some framings, therapeutic claims.
  • It gives no use levels, no ratios and no formulation percentages — active and solids content differ by grade.
  • It does not rank materials or name a best conditioning agent for any format.
  • It makes no mildness, irritation, allergenicity or safety statement.
  • It does not establish permitted use in Canada. That is a Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist question for the specific substance and product type.

Relevant Allzone products

These are catalogue identities relevant to this decision. A listing here is not a statement that the material is suitable for your formula, and it is not a permitted-use, safety or performance claim.

Ask for a quotation or a specification

Where this comes from, and what it cannot tell you

  • Published hair-science literature on the anionic character of the hair surface and the adsorption of cationic species onto it

    Supports: That damaged and weathered hair carries a net negative surface charge, and that cationic surfactants and cationic polymers adsorb onto that surface and are retained through rinsing. This is the mechanism behind the term substantivity.

    Limitation: Adsorption is a mechanism, not a performance result. It does not establish how a specific formula will detangle, feel, or behave on a given hair type, and it makes no claim about repair of the hair fibre.

    Universal · Established hair and colloid science.

  • Manufacturer technical data sheets for quaternary ammonium conditioning agents and cationic polymers

    Supports: That these materials differ by alkyl chain length, by charge density, by supply form (aqueous solution, pellet or wax) and by the solids/active content stated on the data sheet.

    Limitation: Data sheet values apply to the specific grade and lot. Active content differs between suppliers under the same INCI name, so formulas must be compared on active contribution.

    Supplier-specific · Request the current data sheet for the grade being quoted.

  • Published surfactant chemistry on cationic–anionic complex formation

    Supports: That cationic conditioning agents and anionic surfactants can form complexes that precipitate or cloud a formula, which is why conditioning in a cleansing base is normally built with cationic polymers designed for that use rather than with simple quats.

    Limitation: Whether a given pair is compatible depends on the ratio, the order of addition, the electrolyte level and the total formula. Compatibility must be established by trial.

    Universal · Established surfactant chemistry.

  • Supplier specifications for hydrolysed proteins, including molecular-weight profile

    Supports: That hydrolysed proteins are specified by molecular-weight distribution and solids content, and that the profile is a specification attribute you can request and verify.

    Limitation: Molecular weight does not establish penetration, repair, strengthening or any performance outcome. Protein-derived materials also carry labelling and allergen-declaration consequences.

    International · Confirm the profile on the current specification sheet.

  • Health Canada — Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist

    Supports: That restricted and prohibited substances in cosmetics sold in Canada are defined by the Hotlist, and that the Hotlist entry — not this page — is the authority for any concentration limit or labelling condition.

    Limitation: The Hotlist states restrictions. It never states that an unrestricted ingredient is effective, safe in your formula, or approved for your product.

    Canada · Consult the current published Hotlist before every formulation decision.

Related knowledge & tools