Cosmetic ingredient dictionary
Benzethonium Chloride in cosmetics: what it is and what it does
Benzethonium Chloride is a cosmetic ingredient that keeps the product from spoiling. The EU lists it as an allowed preservative, with a maximum amount. Open Beauty Facts finds it in 14 products, most often moist wipes.
By Bravoora teamUpdated Sources checked 3 sourcesHow we check
What does Benzethonium Chloride do in a product?
In a cosmetic product, Benzethonium Chloride keeps the product from spoiling, lets oil and water mix, so the product can wash dirt away, and slows the growth of microbes on the skin. The EU’s CosIng database lists these jobs for it: preservative, surfactant, antimicrobial and deodorant.
What other names and numbers does Benzethonium Chloride have?
- CAS number
- 121-54-0
- EC number
- 204-479-9
- CosIng reference
- 32132
Is Benzethonium Chloride restricted in the EU?
It is allowed, on a list with limits. The EU lists it as an allowed preservative, with a maximum amount (Annex V of Regulation 1223/2009, entry 53).
The annex entry sets the exact limits, the products it may be used in and any warning the label must carry.
Which products contain Benzethonium Chloride?
Open Beauty Facts finds Benzethonium Chloride in the ingredient lists of 14 of the 22,021 products it has a list for, most often moist wipes, skincare and facial creams.
Products with it, by country of sale: Bolivia 3 · Norway 2 · Turkey 2 · Australia 2.
Counted on 13 October 2026 from Open Beauty Facts, which volunteers fill from real packs: it shows where Benzethonium Chloride turns up, not how much of the market it is.
Bravoora reads this ingredient for everyone you shop for: an allergy or intolerance, a vegan or vegetarian diet, a calorie or protein goal, and the labels on supplements and skincare too. Build a profile · For dermatologists, dietitians and doctors
Sources
The job, the description and the EU annex entry are CosIng’s; the fragrance allergens are the EU Annex III names Bravoora’s label checker reads; the product counts are Open Beauty Facts’.
- European Commission: CosIng cosmetic ingredient database (functions, description, EU annex entry)
- Open Beauty Facts: product database, 77,506 products, read 13 October 2026, ODbL
- EU Regulation 1223/2009 on cosmetic products (the annexes)
Contains information from Open Beauty Facts, which is made available here under the Open Database License (ODbL). Read the licence · Download this dictionary’s data · How we check
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