What is Cetrimonium Bromide?
Cetrimonium Bromide falls into the surfactant category — a cleansing surfactant. A quaternary conditioning surfactant named on pore-clogging lists in the moderate range.
You may see it on labels as Cetrimonium Bromide, Myrtrimonium Bromide, so it can hide under more than one name in an ingredient list.
Where Cetrimonium Bromide shows up
As a cleansing surfactant, Cetrimonium Bromide typically appears in facial cleansers, body washes, and shampoos. Separately from clogging, its irritancy is rated 2/5 — low, so it's unlikely to sting or sensitise on its own.
Is Cetrimonium Bromide bad for acne-prone skin?
Cetrimonium Bromide sits in the grey zone. Plenty of people tolerate it well; those who break out easily may prefer to keep it low on their ingredient lists.
Worth flagging: Cetrimonium Bromide's rating is disputed. Credible sources land on different numbers, which is why we show a range rather than a single score — and why your own experience is the best tiebreaker.
Non-comedogenic alternatives
If you're avoiding Cetrimonium Bromide, these lower-risk ingredients serve a similar role and are gentler on pore-prone skin:
- Squalane — rated 1/5 (Low risk).
- Niacinamide — rated 0/5 (Low risk).