Polyquaternium 7 (PQ7)
| Description | Polyquaternium 7 is a water soluble cationic co-polymer. Low acrylamide, non-paraben, aqueous, cationic copolymer developed for improved compatibility and clarity in anionic surfactant systems. It provide excellent lubricity, softness, light hair conditioning and compatibility enhancing properties to hair without excessive build up. |
| INCI | Polyquaternium-7 |
| Appearance | Clear, very viscous liquid |
| Usage rate | Add to formulas as is ( cool down phase of your projects). Typical use level: 2-10% |
| Applications | Hair conditioners, shampoos, hair rinses, spritzes, mousse, shaving cream, leave-on spritzes |
| Texture | Silky smooth and very thick |
| Scent | Nothing distinguishable |
| pH | 3–4.5 |
| Charge | Positive/cationic |
| Solubility | Soluble in water, glycerin and propylene glycol |
| Why do we use it in formulations? |
Polyquaternium 7 is conditioning, and it has an absolutely incredible skin and hair feel. In hair products it gives substantively without build-up and improves comb-through. It is advertised as having “very good compatibility with many anionic surfactants”, making it useful in body washes and shampoos. Generally speaking, it makes your projects feel divine and leaves skin and hair feeling silky smooth and conditioned without any hint of greasiness. It also functions as a film former, helping keep the skin and hair moisturized. |
| Refined or unrefined? | Polyquaternium 7 only exists as a refined product |
| Strengths | Polyquaternium 7 is an excellent conditioning ingredient with great skin feel—and it doesn’t smell fishy, like some alternatives. |
| Alternatives & Substitutions | Honeyquat would be a decent alternative, but it does have a very distinct fishy smell that is widely considered to be unpleasant. I’ve had readers complain of honeyquat making products unusable due to the scent at 2%. Whatever you use as a substitute, it needs to be positively charged and water soluble as a bare minimum. |
| Tips, Tricks, and Quirks | At 2% I find Polyquaternium 7 adds enough thickness to otherwise watery serums to make them too thick to mist! |
| Benefits |
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This product is a cosmetic raw material and is intended for external use only in cosmetic and personal care formulations. It is not intended for internal consumption or medicinal use.
- Do not ingest.
- Keep out of reach of children.
- Avoid direct contact with eyes.
All product images are for illustrative purposes only. Actual product color, texture, or packaging may vary from batch to batch.
Information provided on this website is for educational purposes only and should not be considered or interpreted as medical advice.
While we do not offer products for internal use, we source only high-quality, pharmaceutical or food-grade ingredients. Ingredient purity and performance are critical in cosmetic applications, just as they are in ingestible products.
Please note:
Just because two products have the same name or CAS number does not guarantee the same grade, purity, or effectiveness. Always choose trusted suppliers. Choose Purenso for premium-grade ingredients you can rely on.
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