2 Final Report on the Safety Assessment of Benzalkonium Chloride

Benzalkonium Chloride is a mixture of alkylbenzyldimethylammonium chlorides. The ingredient is used in cosmetic products as a foaming cleansing and bactericidal agent at concentrations up to 5.0%. The compound was nonmuta-genic in several different cell assays. It is a skin and ocular irritant at concentrations greater than 0.1%. This cosmetic ingredient is not a sensitizer to normal humans at concentrations of 0.1%, but may be to individuals with diseased skin. It is concluded that Benzalkonium Chloride can be safely used as an antimicrobial agent at concentrations up to 0.1%.