Know Your Ingredients: Quaternium-15

Posted by beautifulwithbrains | May 2, 2009 .

quaternium-15

What it is
Quaternium-15 (also known as methanamine 3-chloroallylochloride), a quaternary ammonium salt, is a cream-coloured powder.

What it does
Quaternium-15 is a preservative: it kills yeast, molds and bacteria and prevents them from growing, so that cosmetics and skincare products will last longer. It works by releasing formaldehyde.

Side effects
As stated above, Quaternium-15 releases small amounts of formaldehyde, a toxic and carcinogenic substance also used to embalm dead bodies. In the USA, quaternium-15 can be used in concentrations of 1% or less, while the maximum concentration allowed to be used in Europe is of 0.2%. And if the finished product releases more than 0.5% of formaldehyde, the label has to state “contains formaldehyde”.
Quaternium-15 can also be a skin sensitizer. It can cause allergies, irritations and contact dermatitis esp if you have sensitive skin.