Product Overview

• Polyquaternium Kc 400 is a cationic, water-soluble cellulose derivative polymer known industry-wide by its INCI designation, Polyquaternium-10. It is produced by reacting hydroxyethyl cellulose with a quaternary ammonium etherifying agent, resulting in a polymer that carries a permanent positive charge, enabling it to bind effectively to negatively charged substrates such as hair and skin. Polyquaternium-10 is commercially supplied as a light-yellowish, free-flowing powder with a faint characteristic odor, and it is fully water-soluble, forming clear to slightly hazy viscous solutions upon hydration. Unlike single-molecule chemical entities, Polyquaternium-10 is a polymeric material with variable molecular weight and degree of substitution depending on the specific manufacturing grade. Procorbay International supplies cosmetic-grade Polyquaternium-10 widely used as a conditioning, antistatic, and film-forming agent across shampoo, conditioner, and skincare formulations, valued by formulators for its excellent compatibility with anionic surfactant systems.
• Polyquaternium-10 is manufactured through the chemical modification of hydroxyethyl cellulose (itself derived from cellulose, a renewable plant-based polymer), reacted with a cationic quaternizing agent to introduce positively charged trimethylammonium substituent groups along the cellulose backbone. Procorbay sources Polyquaternium-10 from established cosmetic polymer manufacturers who maintain consistent viscosity, charge density, and moisture specifications across production batches, along with documentation supporting cosmetic regulatory compliance.
• Within the personal care industry, Polyquaternium-10 has become one of the most widely used conditioning polymers in 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner formulations, owing to its unique compatibility with anionic surfactant systems (unlike many other cationic conditioners, which can precipitate in the presence of anionic surfactants). Its cationic charge allows it to deposit selectively onto damaged, more negatively charged regions of the hair shaft, providing targeted conditioning benefits including improved wet and dry combability, reduced static, enhanced manageability, and a smoother tactile after-feel. It also functions as a rheology modifier, contributing viscosity-building properties that can reduce or eliminate the need for auxiliary thickeners in formulation.
• Beyond haircare, Polyquaternium-10 finds application in skincare formulations such as lotions and body washes, where it improves texture, spreadability, and moisture retention on the skin surface. Given its central role in modern conditioning shampoo technology, Procorbay maintains a steady supply of Polyquaternium-10 to serve personal care manufacturers and contract formulators requiring consistent polymer performance.