CONDITIONING AGENT
Behentrimonium Chloride
- conditioning agent
A positively charged conditioning agent that binds to damaged, negatively charged spots on the hair. It is the main detangling ingredient in most rinse-out conditioners.
- products in our library
- 876
- of researched products
- 23%
- on the label, in our conditioners
- usually #4
- most common in
- Conditioner
- in water
- Water-dispersible
At a glance
Four named levels, read from this ingredient’s chemical class, its charge, its solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have. More dots means more of the property named — never “better”.
How much of it is left on hair between washes.
What it takes to get it off the hair again.
Whether hair pulls it in or pushes it away — read from charge.
How much easier it makes a comb pass.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Low | 2 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Stays where hair is damaged | 2 of 5 |
| Adhesion | Clings to damage | 5 of 5 |
| Slip | High | 5 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Behentrimonium Chloride does
The general function first, then how the role changes by product type where we have researched it.
Positive charge is drawn to the negatively charged, worn patches of a strand.
The measurable part of conditioning: less force to pull a comb through.
Positive charge holds it on the hair through the rinse.
It does not truly dissolve, and ordinary shampooing removes it.
Charge
Positively charged, so it is drawn to the negatively charged, damaged areas of hair and stays behind after rinsing. That is why conditioning happens where the wear is.
Solubility
Spreads through water without truly dissolving, and normal shampooing removes it.
Where it appears
Where it appears
One row per product category in our library: how many products list it, what share of that category that is, and where it typically sits on the label.
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Conditioner
391 products
|
supporting · #4 | |
Mask / treatment
196 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Leave-in
139 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Co-wash
35 products
|
supporting · #5 | |
Heat protectant
30 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Styler: curl cream
22 products
|
supporting · #6 | |
Styler: smoothing cream
18 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Finisher: serum
11 products
|
secondary · #10 | |
Scalp treatment
8 products
|
supporting · #4 | |
Shampoo
6 products
|
secondary · #19 |
8 more product types
| Product type | How common | Typical position on label ? |
|---|---|---|
Styler: gel
5 products
|
secondary · #17 | |
Styler: mousse
5 products
|
secondary · #11 | |
Styler: volumizer
3 products
|
secondary · #9 | |
Finisher: anti frizz finish
2 products
|
supporting · #7 | |
Finisher: oil
2 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Styler: hairspray
1 product
|
supporting · #5 | |
Styler: lotion
1 product
|
supporting · #7 | |
Styler: refresh spray
1 product
|
leading · #3 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conditioner | 391 | 56% | 4 | 2 | supporting |
| Mask / treatment | 196 | 51% | 5 | 3 | supporting |
| Leave-in | 139 | 33% | 5 | 2 | supporting |
| Co-wash | 35 | 36% | 5 | 2 | supporting |
| Heat protectant | 30 | 21% | 9 | 3 | secondary |
| Styler: curl cream | 22 | 21% | 6 | 3 | supporting |
| Styler: smoothing cream | 18 | 32% | 7 | 3 | supporting |
| Finisher: serum | 11 | 14% | 10 | 4 | secondary |
| Scalp treatment | 8 | 5% | 4 | 3 | supporting |
| Shampoo | 6 | 1% | 19 | 8 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 5 | 3% | 17 | 7 | secondary |
| Styler: mousse | 5 | 4% | 11 | 7 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 3 | 5% | 9 | 8 | secondary |
| Finisher: anti frizz finish | 2 | 9% | 7 | 6 | supporting |
| Finisher: oil | 2 | 1% | 15 | 7 | secondary |
| Styler: hairspray | 1 | 1% | 5 | 5 | supporting |
| Styler: lotion | 1 | 8% | 7 | 7 | supporting |
| Styler: refresh spray | 1 | 8% | 3 | 3 | leading |
No product-type differences have been researched yet — the reading below is computed from where it sits on the labels in our library.
Position footprint
Every listing in our library, by position on the label.
| Positions | Zone | Listings |
|---|---|---|
| 1-3 | Leading | 247 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 532 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 113 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 63 |
| 26+ | Trace | 15 |
How to read this
US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order.
So position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
Who should pay attention
Conditional formulation guidance, scoped to a hair condition and to the positions where it is meaningful. It is not a conclusion about any finished product, and not a conclusion about you.
Electrokinetic measurement puts the C22 quat ahead of the C16 ones for deposition: the longer chain adds van der Waals stabilisation on top of the charge binding. That extra deposit is what coarse hair usually needs to comb through.
Read where it is listed in the first three ingredients, positions 4–8 or the lower half of the ordered list.A cationic conditioning agent: it binds to the damaged, negatively charged parts of the cuticle and lowers combing friction there.
Substantive by design. A routine with no detergent wash gives it nothing to leave with.
Every detergent removes some sebum along with the product it is there to wash out. Which detergent it is matters more than that there is one.
The same chain length that makes it deposit best makes it the heaviest of the conditioning quats. High on a list, fine hair reaches limp before the detangling is finished.
Read where it is listed in the first three ingredients or positions 4–8.Rows marked “researched” were read for this ingredient and cited below; the rest are read from its chemical class.
Why it matters to shoppers
What this ingredient is evidence of, what it is not evidence of, and what our own method can and cannot tell you.
- detangling
- thick or coarse hair
- detangling and less breakage from combing
- a product ordinary shampooing removes
- an exact safety score — we do not publish one, for any ingredient
- how a finished product performs by itself — that is the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle — label position never converts into a number
- a supporting conditioner alongside the main ingredients in our conditioners
- it was on the label of every product we counted — we read printed ingredient lists, not marketing copy
- it is meant to stay on the hair rather than rinse away
- that a product is right or wrong for you
We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
Commonly paired with
Ingredients that appear alongside this one most often in our library. Near-universal ingredients are excluded — they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Isopropyl Alcohol · 430
- Cetrimonium Chloride · 399
- Cetyl Alcohol · 359
- Benzyl Alcohol · 284
- Tocopherol · 256
- Disodium EDTA · 246
- Dimethicone · 242
- Amodimethicone · 237
- Hexyl Cinnamal · 225
- Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride · 222
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to carry the formula and let it dry, improve feel after rinsing, and soften the strand.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Act+Acre · Conditioner
Daily Hydro™ Hydrating Conditioner
#2 on the label · $3.80/oz
Aveeno · Conditioner
Aveeno Apple Cider Vinegar Blend Clarify & Shine Conditioner
#2 on the label · $1.68/oz
Curlsmith · Conditioner
Shine Conditioner
#2 on the label · $3.13/oz
DevaCurl · Co-wash
No-Poo Blue Anti-Brass Zero Lather Toning Cleanser
#2 on the label · $2.67/oz
Hask · Leave-in
Curls + Coconut Oil 5-in-1 Leave-In Spray
#2 on the label · $1.17/oz
Kerastase · Conditioner
Kerastase Resistance Ciment Anti-Usure Conditioner
#2 on the label · $6.77/oz
Marc Anthony · Leave-in
Repair Bond +Rescuplex Leave-In Treatment
#2 on the label · $1.68/oz
Mixed Chicks · Co-wash
Conditioning Cleansing Co-Wash
#2 on the label · $1.25/oz
MoKnowsHair · Co-wash
Moisturizing Co-Wash
#2 on the label · $2.75/oz
Nexxus · Conditioner
Nexxus Amino Bond Repair Conditioner (Bond Repair, Hydrolink Bonder with Amino5 Complex)
#2 on the label · $1.48/oz
Olaplex · Conditioner
Nº.5FINE Bond Maintenance Conditioner
#2 on the label · $32.21/oz
Oribe · Conditioner
Serene Scalp Densifying Conditioner
#2 on the label · $9.32/oz
See all 876 products in the library that list Behentrimonium Chloride
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
Behentrimonium Chloride
- CAS 17301-53-0
- PubChem 3014969
- cleanser
- behenentruim chloride
- behentrimonium chloride
- behentrimonium chloride (and) isopropyl alcohol
- behentrimonium chloride (plant derived)
For your hair?
Whether Behentrimonium Chloride matters for your hair depends on your hair.
the 2nd most-listed conditioning agent in our libraryWhat this ingredient does, and where it sits on the labels we have researched.
A verdict on any product that contains it, and never a safety grade.
We do not physically test your hair. Everything above is read from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references — the consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
This ingredient
- Manufacturer or regulatory International Journal of Cosmetic Science — Tham et al., Electrokinetic analysis reveals common conditioner ingredient interactions with human hair (2026). Measures adsorption on hair and finds the longer-chain behentrimonium (C22) deposits better than cetrimonium chloride (C16), the extra chain adding van der Waals stabilisation on top of the electrostatic binding; also that conditioners improve manageability without repairing structural damage. · accessed 2026-08-30
- Manufacturer or regulatory PubChem — Compound identity: CID 3014969, CAS 17301-53-0, C25H54ClN · accessed 2026-08-28
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library — 876 of 3889 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are named levels read from an ingredient’s chemical class, charge, solubility, or where it sits on the labels we have — never a score.
- US labelling rules put ingredients above 1% in descending order of amount; below 1% they may be listed in any order. Position tells you about relative amount only above that line, and we never convert a position into a percentage.
- The prominence bands (leading, supporting, secondary) are the same ones the product pages use to read a single label, applied here to the median position across a category.
- We do not publish safety scores or hazard grades. Where a regulator has published a restriction or a use condition, we state it and cite it; otherwise we describe what the ingredient does and stop.
- Identifiers and references appear only when a published source is attached to this entry; where none is, the row is simply absent rather than filled in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-08-31. Product-page methodology: the product library.