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Behentrimonium methosulfate (BTMS) conditioner OEM/ODM manufacturing
Behentrimonium Methosulfate (BTMS) Conditioner · OEM/ODM
Behentrimonium methosulfate (INCI: Behentrimonium Methosulfate, often shortened to BTMS) is a quaternary ammonium salt with a 22-carbon chain: its positively charged head binds to the negatively charged hair surface, and together with fatty alcohols it forms a thick conditioner cream that feels slippery during rinsing. Commercial materials sold under this name are usually pellet blends with fatty alcohols whose active content varies by supplier, so “% BTMS” has to be converted using the certificate of analysis. What needs to be said plainly: data on BTMS come mainly from hair tresses in the lab, where BTMS lowers combing force but less than behentrimonium chloride and does not reverse fiber damage; we have not found controlled human trials of BTMS alone; the claim that it is “milder” comes mostly from supplier literature; and BTMS is not named in the ASEAN annexes, unlike the chloride salt with the same cation. This page covers rinse-off conditioner and differs from the general conditioner page by focusing on the cationic conditioning agent itself. Butter-C offers turnkey OEM/ODM manufacturing, from formulation and hair tress testing to labeled finished goods and the notification dossier.
Formula base
BTMS, fatty alcohols, smoothing agents and supporting conditioners
A BTMS conditioner is a cream emulsion: the cationic agent and fatty alcohols build the structure, and the rest decides how smooth and how heavy it feels on hair.
Behentrimonium Methosulfate: a blended raw material
C₂₆H₅₇NO₄S, 479.8 g/mol, CAS 81646-13-1 (PubChem). Commercial materials are typically labeled “Behentrimonium Methosulfate (and) Cetearyl Alcohol”, some with added Butylene Glycol (supplier literature; check against the COA). In the study by Tham et al. (2026), the material contained 50% BTMS, so 2 g per 100 g of conditioner gave 1% cationic agent. The formula sheet records both % raw material and % active. BTMS is not in Butter-C's current raw material list: sourced per order.
Fatty alcohols
Cetearyl Alcohol and Cetyl Alcohol form a lamellar gel network with the cationic agent for a thick cream. For behentrimonium chloride on hair tresses, the cationic : fatty alcohol ratio sets the yield stress, viscosity on dilution and the drop in combing force (Davies and Amin, 2020); these are chloride data, used as a screening guide, not copied as numbers for BTMS.
Smoothing agents
Amodimethicone and Dimethicone for slip and shine; silicone-free lines use light esters such as Isopropyl Myristate and plant oils.
Supporting conditioners
Panthenol, Hydrolyzed Keratin and argan oil as story ingredients; each has its own monograph and none carries a claim about restoring damaged hair.
Key technical points
Real active content, regulatory status, eyes and incompatibilities
These five points are where a conditioner named for BTMS differs from a generic conditioner.
Dose by active content
The CIR report (Becker et al., 2012) compiles a 2010 US survey: BTMS in conditioners at 0.1–10% (126 uses); the report does not say whether this is active or blended material. That is the level already on the US market, not a recommendation; Butter-C chooses the level from the active content on the COA, hair tress tests and stability testing.
BTMS is not named in the ASEAN annexes
Annexes II, III, VI (release 2026-1) and VII (release 2025-2) were checked: there is no entry for behentrimonium methosulfate. Annex III Ref 287 names only “Behentrimonium chloride” (rinse-off hair products 5.0%, leave-on hair products 3.0%, “Face products” 3.0%, alone or summed with cetrimonium and steartrimonium chloride); Ref 286 covers cetrimonium and steartrimonium chloride; Annex VI Ref 44 covers “Alkyl (C12-22) trimethyl ammonium bromide and chloride”. A cautious reading, to be confirmed by regulatory staff: the cation is the same as in behentrimonium chloride and the SCCS notes greater irritation when several quaternary ammonium compounds are combined, so Butter-C sums total cationic agents when combining with the chloride salts, keeps the chloride salts within Refs 286 and 287, and does not read the absence of an entry as “no limit”.
Eyes and worker safety
There are no eye data specific to BTMS. The SCCS (2009) states that the related chloride salts are corrosive to skin and eyes when concentrated; in rabbit eyes, 5% behentrimonium chloride caused persistent conjunctival irritation and 3% still showed signs of irritation. The finished product is assessed for eye irritation and the label says to avoid contact with eyes; weighing the raw material calls for goggles, gloves and avoiding pellet dust.
Incompatibilities and impurities
Cationic agents can form precipitates or haze with anionic surfactants and anionic polymers (carbomer, xanthan gum), so these polymers are not used to thicken a BTMS conditioner. BTMS is made with dimethyl sulfate, a substance listed in Annex II Ref 750 (prohibited); CIR has no residue data, so Butter-C requires a residue specification on the COA.
Performance on hair tresses
Tham et al. (2026; some co-authors from companies) tested four conditioners in the same base, each with 1% of one cationic agent: BTMS adsorbed less and lowered wet combing force less than behentrimonium chloride, but more than cetrimonium chloride and stearalkonium chloride; on untreated hair, the BTMS layer was hardly rinsed away; ATR-FTIR showed no reversal of oxidative damage, meaning conditioners make hair easier to comb without fixing its structure. No human study has compared the mildness of BTMS and behentrimonium chloride.
Three formulation directions
Three rinse-off BTMS conditioner lines
BTMS – fatty alcohol – amodimethicone
Thick cream, slippery during rinsing, shiny when dry; suits long hair that tangles easily. Silicone level adjusted after build-up tests on fine hair.
Silicone-free BTMS
BTMS, fatty alcohols, Isopropyl Myristate or light plant oils; lighter hair, less shine, which we tell you upfront and measure on hair tresses.
BTMS with behentrimonium chloride
For thick, frizzy hair that needs stronger detangling: Behentrimonium Chloride is added, kept within Annex III Ref 287 (rinse-off hair products 5.0%, by active) and total cationic agents are covered in the safety assessment.
Packaging designed with the formula
Tubes, large-bore pump bottles for thick cream, flip-cap bottles, refill pouches; pump force and leakage checked during stability testing (plant practice).
Parameters we monitor
What our R&D lab measures on every sample
These are the parameters Butter-C monitors during formula development and scale-up. Specific limits are agreed with you on the approved sample and then written into the product's in-house specification.
- Raw material certificate of analysis
- % active, INCI composition of the blend, free amine, residual dimethyl sulfate; a change of supplier means retesting the formula.
- pH
- Measured at 25°C; conditioners usually sit in a slightly acidic range of about 3.5–5.5.
- Viscosity and yield stress
- Rotational viscometer at 25°C; viscosity after dilution is added when screening the cationic : fatty alcohol ratio.
- Cream stability
- Centrifugation, freeze–thaw cycling, storage at 40°C; water separation and consistency changes tracked.
- Combing force on hair tresses
- Wet and dry combing force versus a control without cationic agent, the basis for “easy to comb, less tangling” claims.
- Feel after drying
- Smoothness, shine and heaviness of the tress after blow-drying, including with repeated use.
- Microbiology and preservative challenge test
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; BTMS is not a preservative, so the formula goes through a preservative efficacy test to ISO 11930.
- Eye irritation
- Assessed on the finished product by a method proposed by the testing laboratory.
- Packaging compatibility
- Pump force, leakage and water separation at the nozzle are monitored.
Claims
Claims within cosmetic scope
A conditioner works on the surface of the hair fiber. Evidence on BTMS is limited and comes mostly from hair tresses in the lab, so sensory claims rely on measurements of the finished product itself. Appendix 03-MP does not accept claims about hair loss, hair growth or thicker hair strands. Butter-C reviews label and marketing wording when preparing the notification dossier.
Helps hair feel soft, smooth and easy to comb (once combing force is measured on the finished product)
Instead of: restores damaged hair, rebuilds hair structure.
Less tangling, less static, less frizz
Instead of: ends frizz for good, ends split ends.
Helps reduce breakage from combing (once breakage is measured on the finished product)
Instead of: prevents hair loss, stimulates hair growth, thickens hair strands.
Contains a long-chain C22 conditioning agent (ingredient description)
Instead of: “natural BTMS”, “chemical-free”, “milder” without data.
Shiny, smooth hair when dry (when assessed on hair tresses)
Instead of: nourishes hair follicles, nourishes hair from the roots.
Avoid contact with eyes; if contact occurs, rinse at once with plenty of water (warning)
Instead of: “non-irritating”, “safe for pregnancy”; pregnancy data are insufficient, so users should ask a doctor.
Manufacturing specifications
Available capabilities
- Texture
- Thick rinse-off cream, with or without silicone.
- Cationic agents
- BTMS and behentrimonium chloride sourced per order, with COA; cetrimonium chloride is in our current raw material list.
- Pack types
- Tube, pump bottle, flip-cap bottle, refill pouch. Volume agreed when selecting packaging.
- Minimum order quantity
- Agreed per order and per fragrance.
- Testing
- Tested at a GLP / ISO 17025-accredited laboratory; a certificate of analysis comes with every batch.
- Dossier
- Product Information File (PIF) and cosmetic product notification dossier prepared by Butter-C.
- Packaging
- Label design, printing and packing run in parallel with formulation.
Suggested product concept
BTMS conditioner for long hair that tangles easily
A concept to help you picture the product, not a ready-made product for sale. The actual formula is built around your brand positioning and price range.
BTMS and fatty alcohol
BTMS level set by active content on the COA, with Cetearyl Alcohol for a cream that feels slippery during rinsing; the ratio is fixed by yield stress and combing force tests.
Amodimethicone and Panthenol
Help hair feel soft and look shiny when dry; silicone level adjusted after build-up tests on fine hair.
Fragrance matched to the shampoo
A fragrance that stays stable in a cationic base, in the same line as the brand's shampoo.
250 ml tube
The label says to apply to the lengths and ends after shampooing, leave for a few minutes, rinse well and avoid contact with eyes.
Customization options
What you can specify
The same product type can target very different customers. Tell us your requirements in the areas below and our pharmacists will build the formula accordingly.
Hair type
Fine hair that weighs down easily, thick frizzy hair, permed or colored hair, long hair.
Cationic system
BTMS alone or combined with behentrimonium chloride or cetrimonium chloride, with the chloride salts within Annex III Refs 286 and 287.
Silicone
With silicone for shine, or silicone-free.
Secondary named ingredients
Hydrolyzed keratin, Panthenol, argan oil, coconut oil; each claimed only within its own evidence.
Product set
Shampoo, conditioner and hair mask in one line; non-hair products (hand cream, body lotion) containing BTMS need prior approval from regulatory staff and the safety assessor.
Further reading
Related knowledge
Behentrimonium methosulfate (BTMS) in cosmetics
How it binds to hair, hair tress data, the CIR conclusion, eye irritation and its status in the ASEAN annexes (in Vietnamese).
Conditioner manufacturing
The general page on conditioner types; this page focuses on BTMS.
Behentrimonium chloride in cosmetics
The chloride salt with the same cation, its Annex III Ref 287 limit and how to sum levels (in Vietnamese).
Cetearyl alcohol in cosmetics
The fatty alcohol that builds the conditioner cream with the cationic agent (in Vietnamese).
Keratin hair mask manufacturing
A hair mask for the same line, with a richer cationic base.
How we work
From idea to finished batch
Eight steps and three milestones signed off by both sides: approved sample, notification number, finished batch. Step-by-step details →
Get started
Tell us about the product you plan to launch
Send us your product direction and expected volume. Our team will get back to you during business hours (Vietnam time, GMT+7).
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