Polyquaternium-7

The safety of Polyquaternium-7 has been assessed by the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Expert Panel. The CIR Expert Panel evaluated the scientific data and concluded that Polyquaternium-7 was safe as used in cosmetics and personal care products.CIR Safety Review: At concentrations higher than those used in cosmetics and personal care products, Polyquaternium-7 was not a dermal irritant or sensitizer. It did cause mild eye irritation that cleared after 24 hours. Polyquaternium-7 was not a mutagen.

The CIR Expert Panel considered the structure of Polyquaternium-7 and after reviewing the available data, concluded that Polyquaternium-7 is unlikely to produce general toxicity, developmental toxicity, or mutagenic/carcinogenic effects under use conditions. Polyquaternium-7 is a copolymer of acrylamide and dimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride monomers. The CIR Expert Panel acknowledged the presence of acrylamide as an impurity but the reported maximum concentration of 10 ppm is sufficiently small so that when added to formulations at concentrations of 5% or less, the amount of acrylamide has no toxicological significance. The CIR Expert Panel therefore issued a “safe as used” conclusion.

Polyquaternium-7 may be used in cosmetics and personal care products marketed in Europe according to the general provisions of the Cosmetics Directive of the European Union.
Link to the EU Cosmetics Directive:
http://ec.europa.eu/enterprise/cosmetics/html/consolidated_d...