One new ingredient to some hair care products is hydrolyed wheat protein
The primary appeal of these foam-based dyes is that they are permanent hair dyes that can be applied with much less mess than the current products. After mixing the powder and liquid together, the user can apply the easily spreadable foam product like a shampoo, using her fingers rather than an applicator. This helps ensure more consistent product distribution, even to those tricky spots in the back. Samy’s product literature says that their foam transforms into a gel upon application, and completely surrounds each hair strand, for vibrant, salon-comparable hair color. Reviews for the products of this type already available are mixed, so my recommendation is to strand test first.
High Tech Polymer Science at Your Local Drugstore
Urban Therapy Twisted Sista, a UK-based brand sold in drugstore chains, has been working closely with suppliers to add some innovative new materials to their products. Company founder Stephen Durham believes that it is very important to continually revisit formulations in order to maintain a competitive edge with customers. One new ingredient they are incorporating into some of their leave-in and rinse-off conditioners is a copolymer of hydrolyzed wheat protein and a cationic (positively-charged”> monomer. This material is water soluble and an excellent conditioning agent, while having the added benefit of increasing volume and perceived thickness of hair. Another ingredient that I was excited to see him mention is the Fixate polymer, about which I have written in previous articles. It provides excellent hold in styling products, while also having superior humidity resistance and minimal to no flaking.
Old Plant Proteins Used in a New Way
A trend in the green market segment is to incorporate proteins into products from popular health foods, such as quinoa, brown rice, black rice, spelt, millet, barley and amaranth. These botanical extracts are water soluble and can be incorporated into hair and skin care products. Quinoa is a current favorite, touted for being gluten-free, which makes it preferable to hydrolyzed wheat proteins for many users. It significantly reduces both wet and dry combing forces, so it is an excellent conditioning agent. It is quite substantive to hair, and it penetrates the hair cuticle where it provides strength and moisture to the hair shaft. Quinoa also imparts substantial gloss to hair, which makes it a potentially good substitute for silicone polymers that perform a similar function. It does accumulate through repetitive use, which can be problematic for those who are protein sensitive, so be aware of this when you use products containing quinoa.
