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Household ingredient · Fabric softener

Fabric softener quats (esterquats)

Cationic softening agents in fabric conditioners and dryer sheets.

  • Quaternary ammonium compound
  • Expert review pending
Low concern Level 1 of 4 How concern levels work

A minor or very limited concern, such as being an ultra-processing marker only. The concern level sets how many points fabric softener quats (esterquats) costs on a product’s receipt.

What the evidence says

  • Antimicrobial resistance (emerging)Emerging evidence

    Quaternary ammonium compounds are reviewed as a class of emerging concern. [1]

Evidence tiers say how sure the evidence is, separately from how much it matters. About evidence tiers.

Names GoodSwap recognizes on labels (14)
  • esterquat
  • esterquats
  • cationic softening agent
  • triethanolamine esterquat
  • fabric softener quats esterquats
  • dialkyl ester ammonium methosulfate
  • ditallow dimethyl ammonium chloride
  • biodegradable cationic softening agents
  • diethylester dimethyl ammonium chloride
  • dihydrogenated tallow dimethyl ammonium chloride
  • dipalmitoylethyl hydroxyethylmonium methosulfate
  • di tallow ester ethyl hydroxyethyl ammonium methosulfate
  • di hydrogenated tallowethyl hydroxyethylmonium methosulfate
  • dihydrogenated palmoylethyl hydroxyethylmonium methosulfate

Sources

  1. Quaternary Ammonium Compounds: A Chemical Class of Emerging Concern

    Environmental Science & Technology · May 23, 2023 · Peer-reviewed

    “Suspected or known adverse health outcomes include dermal and respiratory effects, developmental and reproductive toxicity, disruption of metabolic function such as lipid homeostasis, and impairment of mitochondrial function.”

    doi.org