Formaldehyde-releasing preservative. Gradually releases formaldehyde inside the product and often triggers contact allergy.
Topical application
DVery weak or conflicting data.
Strong contact sensitizer that tops patch-test clinic lists. Modern brands replace it with phenoxyethanol and organic acids.
Quaternium-15 (cis-1-(3-chloroallyl)-3,5,7-triaza-1-azoniaadamantane chloride) is a formaldehyde-releasing preservative. Gradually releases formaldehyde inside the product, protecting the formula from microbes. Where applied. Older shampoo, lotion, cleanser, paper-wipe formulas (EU concentration up to 0.2%). Rare in modern premium cosmetics due to allergenic potential. Controversy – allergenicity. Quaternium-15 is recognised as one of the most frequent preservative allergens. Contact dermatitis in 2-9% of the general population (Schnuch 2013), in eczema patients up to 15%. NACDG named it "allergen of the year" in 2005. EU Regulation 1223/2009 restricted use; ANSM (France) in 2014 removed it from the list of preservatives allowed in leave-on products. Formaldehyde release. Modern studies (Latorre 2011) showed quaternium-15 releases the highest amount of formaldehyde among formaldehyde-releasers (DMDM hydantoin, imidazolidinyl urea, diazolidinyl urea). Formaldehyde – IARC class 1 (human carcinogen). In finished products under normal conditions formaldehyde concentration is low (micrograms per gram), but contraindicated in patients with known formaldehyde allergy. Safety – patch test. Included in the standard European patch test panel (European Baseline Series). A positive formaldehyde test excludes quaternium-15 as well. Pregnancy and lactation – use with caution. EU does not ban, but during pregnancy avoidance of formaldehyde-releasers is recommended due to theoretical risk. Alternatives – phenoxyethanol, pentylene glycol, sodium benzoate with potassium sorbate.
Irritation potential
MediumAllergen risk
HighPregnancy
CautionUse with caution
The Evigrade extension adds an evidence panel to Wildberries, Goldapple, Letu, iHerb, Sephora and 12 more stores. This ingredient and every other one in the product show evidence-tier, allergen risk and pregnancy/lactation flags at a glance.
Quaternium-15 should be used with caution during pregnancy. Consulting a dermatologist or OB-GYN is advisable.
Use with caution in: sensitive.
Quaternium-15 has moderate irritation potential. Sensitive skin may show a transient reaction that usually settles with adaptation.
Quaternium-15 has high allergen potential. Perform a patch test on the inner forearm 24 hours before facial application.
Formaldehyde-releasing preservative.
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The INCI name is Quaternium-15.