PEG-5 Stearyl Ammonium Chloride is a quaternary ammonium compound with a PEG-5 chain attached to stearyl alcohol. It functions as a cationic conditioning agent and antistatic agent in hair care and body care formulations. The long stearyl chain provides substantivity to hair and skin, while the PEG chain improves water solubility.
Key Skin Benefits
+ Hair conditioning — improves softness and manageability
+ Antistatic — reduces static charge and flyaway hair
+ Skin feel — leaves skin smooth, non-greasy
Pros
+ Effective conditioning at low use levels (0.5-2%)
+ Better water solubility than non-ethoxylated quats
+ Mild — suitable for daily-use conditioners
Cons
− Synthetic — chemically manufactured
− Potential build-up on fine hair
− Incompatible with strong anionic surfactants
Specifications
Property
Value
Usage Areas
Body, 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%
Shampoos
0.3 - 1%
Body washes
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/