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Benzalkonium Chloride
Benzalkonium Chloride
An antiseptic that keeps microbes out of a product and also cuts static.
What it does
It’s a mix of closely related positively charged molecules. Besides preserving, it can fight the germs behind body odor.
The EU’s ingredient database lists it as a preservative (holds back germs in the product) and a dispersing agent (helps spread powders through a liquid).European Commission, CosIng (© European Union, CC BY 4.0) · uses put in plain words by Drop ↗
The evidence, graded
expert consensusUS safety reviewers (1989) judged benzalkonium chloride safe at up to 0.1% of the free active ingredient, and confirmed that cap in 2008. The cap rests on its potential to irritate skin and cause allergy. A 2006 survey found it used at 0.01% to 0.5%, the top figure in a wipe where it is bound and less reaches skin. They also noted it can help other ingredients pass into skin.Cosmetic 2008 · International Journal of Toxicology ↗
Graded per the methodology: strong · moderate · emerging · expert consensus. A weak source on a strong claim gets the weaker label.
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