Polyquaternium-39
AKA “PQ-39, Polyquaternium-39”
Ingredient
Ingredient Facts
Polyquaternium-39
AKA: PQ-39
Ingredient · Film Forming · EWG: 4
Synthetic
Occlusive
Not Clean
2-Propenamide, polymer with N, N-dimethyl-N-2-propenyl-2-propen-1-aminium chloride and 2-propenoic acid
CAS #
25136-75-8
Form
Powder
See origin →
Functions
Antistatic
Film Forming
Creates a physical seal on skin to lock moisture in and keep irritants out. The "slugging" ingredient — barrier protection.
Reduces Static
Creates Protective Barrier
Locks In Moisture
Reduces Inflammation
Fights Bacteria
Creates protective layer
Reduces flyaways
Traditional Use
A modern synthetic cationic polymer developed in the 2000s. Engineered to provide conditioning, anti-static, and smoothing benefits in advanced haircare and skincare formulations.
Skin Types
●all-skin-types
Best For
General
Pregnancy & Breastfeeding Safe
Yes
Safety Assessment of Polyquaternium-22 and Polyquaternium-39 as Used in Cosmetics
Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel
International Journal of Toxicology
Polyquaternium-39
European Commission
EU Cosmetic Ingredient Database (CosIng)
Polyquaternium-39
Environmental Working Group (EWG)
EWG Skin Deep Cosmetics Database
Verified Jun 2026
Data: CosIng · EWG · CIR