This is a news headline. Extraordinary Hair and Scalp Care Revolution

Today's hair care market is driven by a few key concerns: safety, health and transparency. Beyond having beautiful hair, consumers are seeking natural, skin-compatible ingredients that nourish and protect their hair and scalp. Molecules identical to skin and hair are gaining importance by influencing the hair care market.

What Is Your Primary Hair Care Concern?

Globally, 60% of women and 40% of men complain of irritated scalp with symptoms such as itching, dryness and redness. To repair scalp damage, Brazilian women use three times more products than American women. Chinese consumers also believe that scalp health is important for well-maintained hair. Our hair is exposed daily to various environmental factors that can cause hair damage, such as UV rays and pollution. Additionally, straightening or bleaching causes hair damage and scalp irritation. Repairing damage to hair following such treatments is among the most important features for hair care consumers. As a result, we present to you Hairflux®, a multifunctional active ingredient with the potential to soothe the scalp and repair hair damage. As you can see in Table 1, Hairflux® contains ceramides and various oils known to have soothing and anti-inflammatory effects, as well as hair repair properties.

Application of Ceramides and Oils to Hair and Scalp

Hairflux®, a state-of-the-art product resulting from over 20 years of ceramic engineering research, combines the power of olive and ceramides. Ceramides are found in hair and skin as part of the skin barrier and hair cell membrane complex (CMC) shown in Figures 1 and 2. Together with other polar lipids, they form a sort of seal between hair cells. Olive, part of essential diets that offers multiple benefits such as soothing and repair, is a powerhouse for skin and hair. To repair the cell membrane complex and scalp barrier, skin will be replenished with ceramides and adhesion between hair cells will improve. Hair breakage will be repaired by reducing the amount of protein that can be lost as a result of chemical damage such as hair straightening. With a strong cell membrane complex and reduced water absorption, a more hydrophobic structure will be achieved, preventing hair frizz. Combined with the anti-inflammatory properties of ceramides and the soothing properties of olive oil, the combination is ideal for calming irritated scalp. In Figure 3, you can see the improvement of irritated scalp with a hair tonic containing 1% Hairflux®.

Figure 3. Two-week test results of irritated scalp.

In Figure 4, you can see detailed photographs of the repair of hair damage caused by bleaching with 1% Hairflux®.

Figure 4. Detailed in vivo test results

Figure 5. Test results of irritated scalp caused by bleaching.

In Brazil, while natural curls are gaining significant interest, 48% of female consumers still prefer hair straightening (Brazilian blowout) for its wash-and-go convenience. In Figure 6, you can see the repair of hair damage caused by bleaching combined with Brazilian blowout using 1% Hairflux®.

Figure 6. Test results of hair damage caused by Brazilian blowout.

Figure 7. Hair strength improvement test results

For more information about Hairflux®, visit intoBeauty® [intobeauty.evonik.com], which you can access with your personal password!     Didem Alabaz Technical Product Specialist Ravago Chemicals Turkey