CONDITIONING AGENT
Polyquaternium-81
- conditioning agent
A positively charged conditioning polymer. It leaves a thin film that cuts static and eases combing, and it survives rinsing better than a simple conditioner.
- products in our library
- 7
- of researched products
- 0.1%
- on the label, in our leave-ins
- usually #13
- most common in
- Leave-in
- in water
- Water-soluble
At a glance
Four things worth knowing about how this ingredient behaves on hair.
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 its charge.
How much easier it makes a comb pass.
| Property | Level | Out of |
|---|---|---|
| Buildup risk | Low | 1 of 5 |
| Rinse-out behaviour | Stays where hair is damaged | 2 of 5 |
| Adhesion | Clings to damage | 5 of 5 |
| Slip | Moderate | 3 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Polyquaternium-81 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.
The film is what holds a shape once the water has gone.
How firmly depends on the polymer class and how much of it is used.
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
Rinses out with water alone, so it does not build up on hair between washes.
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 ? |
|---|---|---|
Leave-in
3 products
|
secondary · #13 | |
Styler: mousse
2 products
|
secondary · #12 | |
Conditioner
1 product
|
supporting · #5 | |
Scalp treatment
1 product
|
secondary · #12 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Leave-in | 3 | 0% | 13 | 13 | secondary |
| Styler: mousse | 2 | 1% | 12 | 12 | secondary |
| Conditioner | 1 | 0% | 5 | 5 | supporting |
| Scalp treatment | 1 | 0% | 12 | 12 | secondary |
We have not researched differences by product type yet. The reading below comes 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 | 0 |
| 4-8 | Supporting | 1 |
| 9-15 | Secondary | 6 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 0 |
| 26+ | Trace | 0 |
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.
Why it matters to shoppers
What seeing this ingredient tells you, what it does not, and the limits of our own method.
- detangling and less breakage from combing
- a style that holds
- a rinse-clean feel
- an exact safety score (we do not publish one for any ingredient)
- how a finished product performs, which depends on the whole formula, not one line of it
- the exact percentage in a bottle, because label position never converts into a number
- a secondary conditioner, listed below the main ingredients in our leave-ins
- it was on the printed ingredient list of every product we counted (we read labels, 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
The ingredients that most often appear alongside this one in our library. We leave out the near-universal ones, because they pair with everything and tell you nothing.
- Propanediol · 5
- Cetrimonium Chloride · 5
- Tetrasodium Glutamate Diacetate · 4
- Polysorbate 20 · 4
- Tocopheryl Acetate · 4
- Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil · 3
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice · 3
- Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil · 3
- Rosa Centifolia Flower Extract · 2
- DMDM Hydantoin · 2
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 keep the formula stable.
Found in these products
The most prominent placements first. The badge is the position on that product’s own ingredient list.
Pura d'or · Conditioner
Renewal Argan Oil Conditioner
#5 on the label · $1.25/oz
Odele · Scalp treatment
Rejuvenating Scalp Serum
#12 on the label · $6.50/oz
tgin · Styler
Rose Water Curl Defining Mousse
#12 on the label · $1.75/oz
TGIN · Styler
Honey Whip Hydrating Mousse
#12 on the label · $1.87/oz
Raw Sugar · Leave-in
Kids' Detangler – Strawberry + Oat Milk
#13 on the label · $1.00/oz
Raw Sugar · Leave-in
The Multi Miracle Leave-In Conditioner & Heat Protectant - Coconut + Agave
#13 on the label · $2.00/oz
Raw Sugar · Leave-in
Kids' Detangler – Coconut Milk + Banana
#14 on the label · $1.00/oz
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
No public-domain structure depiction is available for this entry.
Polyquaternium-81
- film former
- polymer
- polyquaternium-81
For your hair?
Whether Polyquaternium-81 matters for your hair depends on your hair.
7 products in our library list itWhat 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 comes from the ingredient lists in our library and from published references. The consultation is what turns it into a plan.
References
Seed entry, sourcing in progress Written from our reference work; primary sourcing is still being attached.
No published source is attached to this entry yet.
How this page was made
- Every number above is counted from the ingredient lists in our own product library: 7 of 6816 researched products list this ingredient. Nothing on this page is written per ingredient.
- The dots are levels, not scores. Each one comes from what kind of ingredient it is (its chemical class, charge and solubility) or from where it sits on the labels we have.
- 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. Without one, we leave the row out rather than fill it in.
- This is cosmetic information, not medical advice, and nothing here diagnoses or treats a health condition.
- Entry last updated 2026-09-22. Product-page methodology: the product library.
