PEG-15 Stearmonium Chloride is a quaternary ammonium compound derived from stearic acid with a PEG-15 chain. It functions as a cationic surfactant and antistatic agent in hair care formulations. The quaternary ammonium group provides strong conditioning and static control for hair.
Key Skin Benefits
+ Antistatic — reduces flyaway and static in hair
+ Conditioning — improves wet and dry combability
+ Softening — leaves hair feeling soft and smooth
Pros
+ Effective at low concentrations (0.5-2%)
+ Good compatibility with other conditioning agents
+ Improves hair manageability
Cons
− Synthetic — chemically modified from stearic acid
− Can build up on hair with repeated use
− Incompatible with anionic surfactants in same phase
Specifications
Property
Value
Usage Areas
Hair
Product Type
Rinse-Off
Source
Synthetic
Natural Level
Synthetic
Safety Ratings
Metric
Rating
Skin Sensitivity
2/5
Comedogenic Rating
1/5
EWG Score
3/10
Regional Regulatory Limits
Region
Leave-on %
Rinse-off %
Status
EU (CosIng)
No limit
No limit
Allowed
US (CIR/FDA)
No limit
No limit
Allowed
Japan (MHLW)
No limit
No limit
Allowed
ASEAN
No limit
No limit
Allowed
China (NMPA)
No limit
No limit
Allowed
Typical Usage % by Product Type
Product Type
Typical %
Conditioners
0.5 - 2%
Hair masks
1 - 3%
Leave-in treatments
0.3 - 1%
References
CIR (2010) — Safety Assessment of PEGs. https://www.cir-safety.org/
CosIng (2025) — European Commission Cosmetic Ingredient Database. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/