Hair care – Crowning glory

Published: 21-Nov-2012 Featured companies: Croda Beauty Solabia Group Mibelle Biochemistry BASF Personal Care and Nutrition GmbH PROVITAL S.A. DSM-Firmenich Lucas Meyer Cosmetics by Clariant Laboratoires Expanscience Chemyunion Ashland Inolex Lubrizol Beauty
Ingredients Hair Care

A wide range of sophisticated ingredients have been developed that help to protect and improve the health and appearance of hair, including conditioning agents, esters, silicones and silicone alternatives, styling polymers, natural hair care ingredients and materials that provide thermal protection, aid curl retention, stimulate hair growth or protect hair from colour fade

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Much work has been done to develop sophisticated ingredients that will protect and improve the health and appearance of hair, as John Woodruff discovers

Healthy hair is naturally coated with protective lipids, in particular 18-methyl eicosanoic acid (18-MEA) plus palmitic and oleic acids. These lipids are responsible for giving hair its natural hydrophobic properties and coat the surface of neighbouring cuticle cells to maintain and restore the visual appearance of healthy hair, giving it shine, smoothness, bounce and elasticity. 18-MEA is the most abundant lipid on the hair surface and thus is most susceptible to depletion by mechanical attrition of the cuticle and UV exposure. High pH products such as cold waves, hair colouring and hair relaxers also tend to remove 18-MEA from the cuticle.

Areas of damaged cuticle expose a greater concentration of the amino acids in the hair which renders it anionic. They are a target for cationic materials such as most conditioners and for proteins and peptides. Although the majority of mass market conditioners have changed little (traditional conditioning lotions were benzalkonium or cetrimonium chloride with cetearyl alcohol), improved systems are available.

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We are a global specialty ingredient supplier to the beauty and personal care industry, dedicated to meeting evolving consumer needs along with our commitment to sustainability... Mibelle Biochemistry designs and develops innovative, high-quality actives based on naturally derived compounds and profound scientific know-how BASF Personal Care is one of the world’s leading supplier of high-performance ingredients for the personal care industry. The company understands human needs and meets them...
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