CONDITIONING AGENT
Quaternium-22
- conditioning agent
A quaternary ammonium conditioning agent used in shampoos, leave-ins and styling sprays to reduce static and improve combability and hand-feel.
- products in our library
- 7
- of researched products
- 0.1%
- on the label, in our shampoos
- usually #15
- most common in
- Shampoo
- 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 | High | 5 of 5 |
What it does for a formula
What Quaternium-22 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.
Included for feel and detangling rather than for cleaning or structure.
Water alone removes it, so it does not accumulate between washes.
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 ? |
|---|---|---|
Shampoo
3 products
|
secondary · #15 | |
Finisher: serum
1 product
|
supporting · #4 | |
Mask / treatment
1 product
|
secondary · #20 | |
Styler: gel
1 product
|
secondary · #10 | |
Styler: volumizer
1 product
|
secondary · #10 |
| Product type | Products | Share of category | Median position | Earliest position | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shampoo | 3 | 0% | 15 | 12 | secondary |
| Finisher: serum | 1 | 1% | 4 | 4 | supporting |
| Mask / treatment | 1 | 0% | 20 | 20 | secondary |
| Styler: gel | 1 | 0% | 10 | 10 | secondary |
| Styler: volumizer | 1 | 1% | 10 | 10 | 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 | 4 |
| 16-25 | Lower | 2 |
| 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
- thick or coarse hair
- detangling and less breakage from combing
- easier combing
- 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 shampoos
- 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.
- Caprylyl Glycol · 4
- Xylitylglucoside · 3
- Linalyl Acetate · 3
- Citral · 3
- Disodium EDTA · 3
- Cocamidopropyl Betaine · 3
- Sodium Chloride · 3
- Hexyl Cinnamal · 3
- Ethylhexylglycerin · 3
- Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate · 2
The number beside a name is how many products in our library list both.
These ingredients tend to appear together to hold on to water, give it a scent, 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.
Olaplex · Finisher
No.9 Bond Protector Heat Protection & Frizz Reduction Nourishing Hair Serum
#4 on the label · $10.00/oz
It's a 10 · Styler
Coily Miracle Gelled Oil
#10 on the label · $4.20/oz
Rusk · Styler
Thick Body + Texture Spray
#10 on the label · $3.25/oz
American Crew · Shampoo
Boost Pre-Styling Shampoo
#12 on the label · $1.81/oz
American Crew · Shampoo
Fiber Pre-Styling Shampoo
#15 on the label · $2.02/oz
American Crew · Shampoo
Oil Control Shampoo
#18 on the label · $2.01/oz
Olaplex · Mask / treatment
Weightless Nourishing Mask
#20 on the label · $6.51/oz
Identity
What this entry is, and what our references call it.
No public-domain structure depiction is available for this entry.
Quaternium-22
- conditioning agent
- quaternium-22
For your hair?
Whether Quaternium-22 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
Sourced Backed by a manufacturer or regulatory source.
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 2026-09-23. Product-page methodology: the product library.
