Top 8 Ingredients for Use in Hair Care

Hair creams and care products for home use continue to attract interest with innovative formats and formulas created with novel ingredients.

In hair care, you now frequently encounter proven and popular skin care ingredients and hair care routines that promote scalp moisturization. This article covers everything you need to know about hair care, including the benefits of hair cream and deeper conditioning, as well as the best ingredients to improve the health and appearance of your curls.

What is Hair Cream?

Hair cream is a cosmetic product used to improve the appearance and texture of hair. Hair creams, which are moisturizing or softening agents, consist of two main components—moisturizers and softeners—as well as oils, silicones, and cationic surfactants (or soaps and detergents). Hair creams are typically applied to wet hair after shampooing and work to restore moisture lost during the shampooing stage. They are usually rinsed out after use. Conditioning, the much-loved second step in our hair washing routines, helps hair become more manageable, softer, smoother, and less frizzy. Hair creams can also be used to prevent damage to the hair shaft and breakage that can occur at the hair ends.

Benefits of Using Hair Cream

Hair creams are products that help maximize the health and appearance of hair. However, consumers want to experience not only products that benefit their hair but also those that contribute to a person's overall health. Consumers prefer to purchase hair care products that produce physical changes in their hair and make them feel good psychologically. Using hair cream can provide many benefits, including: • Keeps your hair healthy, • Improves its appearance, • Is a convenient repair method at home, • Helps you create a spa experience at home, • Promotes a healthy scalp, • Can help prevent hair loss and fight damage, • Prevents frizz appearance, • Makes it easier to comb, • Makes it softer and shinier.

Top 8 Hair Cream Ingredients

Hair is made up of protein fibers called collagen. Some ingredients in hair creams can strengthen these collagen fibers, promoting healthy hair growth and appearance. Other ingredients in hair creams help reduce flyaways and frizz, making hair smoother and easier to comb. Formulators should carefully select conditioning ingredients based on hair type, condition, and needs to moisturize hair, facilitate easier styling, and maximize overall hair health.

1. Water

Water is used to formulate almost every cosmetic and personal care product. It can be found in lotions, creams, makeup products, moisturizers, personal care products, skin care products, shampoos, and of course hair creams. Consumers purchasing hair cream products want to use them for healthy and moisturized curls. Water is the number one natural moisturizer for our curls.

2. Behentrimonium Chloride

Behentrimonium chloride is an effective hair care ingredient with antistatic and emulsifying properties. Hair care consumers are interested in care products that provide abundant moisture to their hair. Behentrimonium chloride increases the amount of moisture content in hair, making manufacturers a reliable solution partner. This naturally occurring ingredient has become a popular choice in both hair creams and products like masks. Derived from the seeds of the Brassica rapa oleifera (or rapeseed) plant, behentrimonium chloride helps reduce static electricity and electrical charge in hair, making hair smoother and more manageable. It also helps maintain a balance between oil and water, contributing to a healthy and shiny effect on hair. Behentrimonium chloride is a type of trimmonium that creates cationic chains interacting with anionic charges in the protein structure of hair. This attraction results in the ingredient's conditioning properties, which are then transferred to the hair.

3. Glycerin

Glycerin is an important ingredient in hair creams. Humectants, and particularly glycerin, are beloved by consumers because they draw moisture from the environment and the skin's depths to the surface. Adding glycerin to your hair care routine can provide a much-needed moisture boost, especially for consumers with dry hair. Research conducted in 2016 observed that glycerin was "the most effective humectant" when compared with alpha hydroxy acids, propylene glycol, butylene glycol, urea, and sorbitol.

4. Dimethicone

Dimethicone is a popular silicone ingredient used in hair creams due to its ability to control hair static and provide extra softness and shine. It is frequently used to formulate hair care products because it is known to smooth hair. While dimethicone gives hair a silky texture and shine, it is also an important ingredient for heat-damaged hair. It has heat protection benefits that help combat the effects of thermal styling. Dimethicone creates a protective barrier on the outer layer of hair known as the cuticle, contributing to a healthy appearance of hair. However, it does not provide complete protection against water entering or escaping from the hair cuticle. Depending on viscosity, dimethicone can be a fluid liquid or have a thicker consistency. Dimethicone is insoluble in water, and therefore consumers may think the ingredient is difficult to rinse out. For this reason, if the correct viscosity is not used in the product, it can cause an oily appearance on the hair.

5. Olive Oil

Olive oil is a natural substance known for its emollient properties. It is one of the preferences of hair care consumers due to its ability to moisturize and strengthen hair. Another advantage of olive oil in hair care formulas is that the oil penetrates the hair strand, preserves moisture, and adds softness. It can help soften hair and reduce frizz. The shine commonly attributed to olive oil may also stem from the oil's ability to soften the outer cuticle of hair. Olive oil is considered a leading hair care ingredient for dry and thick hair. It is also a proven and popular ingredient used in chemically treated hair and for repairing hair damage such as split ends.

6. Cetyl Alcohol

Alcohols are generally thought to have a drying effect on the scalp, but this is not true for all alcohols. Some alcohols are used in hair care formulations due to their intense moisturizing and emollient effects. Cetyl alcohol is one of them and is recognized for its ability to work wonders in hair creams. Cetyl alcohol is a fatty alcohol frequently used in hair products. This fatty alcohol, derived from plants, is used in leading hair care products to address hair concerns. It is heavier than ethanol, for example, providing more moisture to hair and moisture for longer periods. The presence of cetyl alcohol in hair care products helps increase hair manageability and keep hair moist. It also helps soften and smooth hair, provides shine and nourishment from root to tip, and helps achieve voluminous and vibrant hair.

7. Benzophenone

Benzophenone is an aromatic ketone with UVB and UVA absorbing properties designed to filter harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Benzophenones are a type of organic compound frequently used in sunscreens and provide beneficial properties in various hair care products including shampoos, hair sprays, and hair creams. The product is typically used to protect the hair cuticle from UV damage. It can also be used to protect hair following specific chemical treatments such as hair coloring.

8. Fructose

Fructose is a simple sugar molecule composed of glucose. It is a crystalline substance that is soluble in water, colorless and odorless, with a sweet taste. It is a carbohydrate commonly found in various foods such as fruit and honey and is also produced commercially from sugarcane, sugar beets, and corn. What does all this mean specifically for hair care and maintenance? Fructose is known to have water-binding properties for hair, helping to moisturize and seal hair. Fructose has hygroscopic properties; this means the material can pull, absorb, and retain water molecules from the environment. Absorption refers to the complete absorption of a liquid into an absorbent material, while adsorption relates to individual molecules, atoms, or ions that accumulate on a material's surface. This ingredient softens and repairs hair by softening it and protecting it from environmental factors.

Some Tips for Formulating Hair Care Products

• Design your hair care formula for a specific hair type and need.
• Inspire and invigorate hair care innovations by using hero skin care ingredients. Skin care continues to be the effective older sister of hair care.
• Add scalp care to your hair care routine. Products that care for the scalp emphasize the importance of strengthening and maintaining hair. Additionally, through scalp cleansing performed without damaging hair strands, you can have healthy growing hair without wear and tear.
• With the use of hair cream, you can have healthier-looking hair and feel more confident, and you can make hair cream use part of your much-loved personal care routine. This is because consumers want to experience products that can help improve not only their internal health but also their external health and appearance.
• Explore environmentally friendly zero-waste formats such as powder formats of hair creams and single-use tablet options that optimize water use.

Sevinç Yazılıtaş Technical Sales Manager Beauty and Personal Care Univar Solutions