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A refreshing innovation for dry shampoos

According to Mintel, the market is currently worth around USD3 billion and is expected to grow by more than six percent CAGR to 2023. While the developed markets in North America and Europe have the highest market penetration, there is growing interest in marketing these products inAfrica where regular shampooing habits are significantly lower due to concern around the fragility of African hair.

Many of today’s formulas are designed with older starch-based technologies that leave hair looking lifeless, dull and, in some cases, just as greasy, failing to meet consumers’ expectations.These products are predominantly aerosols and usually contain starch derivatives based on corn or rice in an alcoholic solvent and propellant. They are designed to cleanse the sebum and other dirt from hair and are often hydrophobically modified to enhance cleansing. This approach can lead to dull and lifeless hair due to the fine visible residue left behind after use. Manageability, especially styling, is more difficult.

Pretty much every dry shampoo will take care of a dirty, oily scalp, letting you go a day or two longer without having to wash your hair, but dry shampoos have evolved. The newest formulas also contain styling ingredients that add volume, thickness,

UNCONVENTIONAL CHEMISTRY

Ashland recently launched Advantage Revive polymer, an alternative chemistry for dry shampoos. Based on a unique polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) chemistry, Advantage revive leaves hair feeling cleaner and looking shinier with enhanced lustre, while matching the appearance of freshly washed hair. This gives consumers next day hair that looks as good as the first day.

Developed by hair care scientists in the R&D Centre of Excellence in Bridgewater, New Jersey, USA, aerosol technology experts performed extensive evaluations of the polymer, including visual and analytical measurements of the cleansing ability, remaining residuals on the hair fibre, as well as spray optimisation.

The efficient absorption of sebum and resultant removal through brushing or combing is critical for cleaning performance, allowing for low use levels and restoring the natural condition of the hair. Advantage Revive can be used at less than half the levels of existing starch offerings while delivering improved cleaning. Sorption analysis of synthetic sebum has demonstrated the sorptive capacity to be 2.28 g/g (±0.09)versus a hydrophobically modified starch at less than 0.44g/g (±0.02) – representing an increase of more than five times (see Figure 1).

EFFECTIVE AND SUSTAINABLE

Through sebum absorption and low use levels, AdvantageRevive helps to return days-old hair to a cleaner and more natural state with less fibre clumping, improved manageability, and increased overall shine and colour perception. Scientists could quantify this performance using an advanced imaging technique known as hyperspectral imaging. Combining photography with spectroscopy, hyperspectral imaging obtains the entire visible spectrum per pixel allowing for improved depth of perception and analysis. By measuring shine, colour and background, Advantage Revive was evaluated against a commercial dry shampoo (see Figure 2).As demonstrated, colour, shine and overall hair condition are realised with this polymer.Through optimised particle size, lower use level and solvent interaction, AdvantageRevive polymer has more targeted actuation to help improve the overall sustainability footprint of the manufacturer.Formulators can reduce raw materials, improve performance and deliver product more efficiently to the hair while minimising drift and reducing productwaste (see Figure 4).

Figure 2: Advantage Revive (right) versus a commercial dry shampoo (left)

KEY FACTORS TO CONSIDER

Advantage Revive is recommended at use levels of two to six percent; lower amounts can be employed for texture. When evaluating it against a starch-based formula or replacing this formula, employ ≤ 0.5x starch use level for initial assessment and adjust as necessary.

It is important to maintain a minimum 1:4 polymer/ solvent ratio for optimum dispersion, or if a higher ratio of solvent is preferred. Broad solvent and propellent compatibility allow for the creation of anhydrous ethanol free sprays, along with mousses and pump sprays. The use of glycols or polyols helps improve overall hair condition and residue. Incorporating water enables the further reduction of use level and increased efficacy and although not perceived as ‘dry’, these water-based systems can certainly find broad use in showerless cleansing products.

Accelerated studies have demonstrated no clogging with long term studies in progress. Packaging screening has discerned no incompatibility with lined aluminium and unlined tinplated steel. Inhibitors are required for water containing systems in unlined tinplated steel. Application work in the R&D centre by expert formulation scientists in conjunction with the aerosol expertise resulted in innovative formulations, including a regular dry shampoo (see Table 1), a hydro-alcoholic version and a dry shampoo mousse (see Table 2). •

Ashland – www.ashland.com

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