Enhancing the penetration of ingredients into hair fibers using carbonated water
Podium 27
Presented by: Noriyuki Tanji
Introduction
The development of hair care technology enables many consumers to acquire beautiful hairstyles effortlessly and without special skills. It is necessary to develop functional ingredients and control their penetration to solve the hair concerns of consumers. A major hair care problem is the difficulty in styling curly hair. We have developed a technology that can loosen hair curls without damage by immersing the curly hair fibers in an aromatic sulfonate solution [1]. However, this treatment requires a long time to achieve tangible effects. Therefore, it is difficult to apply this technology in rinse-off products, such as shampoos. Therefore, we designed a method using carbonated water to enhance the penetration of functional ingredients into hair fibers. By combining carbonated water and an aromatic sulfonate solution, we have achieved a unique technology that allows consumers to realize damage-less curl loosening through usual hair washing behavior.
Methods
A shampoo formulation containing an aromatic sulfonate (p-toluene sulfonate, PTS) was prepared. The shampoo was then carbonated by introducing CO2 gas into the shampoo. Using this shampoo formulation, hair fiber samples were washed for the time equivalent to the combined length of 12 standard consumer washes (1 h). The curl diameter of the hair fibers and the hairstyle before and after hair washing were compared. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was used to measure the periodic structure inside the macrofibril that comprises the hair cortex.
Results and discussion
Hot springs containing carbonated water have long been used as a medical skin treatment in Europe. The CO2 contained in carbonated water is known to moisturize the skin and improve skin appearance [2]. Carbonated water has been reported to enhance the transdermal absorption of other ingredients into the skin [3]. Therefore, we focused on carbonated water and evaluated the possibility of similar effects on hair fibers. Keratin powder and hair fiber samples were soaked in carbonated water and displayed significant swelling. This result indicates that carbonated water can extend the penetration pathway of functional ingredients into the hair fiber. The curly hair tress was washed using a PTS-containing carbonated shampoo. The results showed the hairstyle after washing had significantly changed and the curls were visibly looser.
To investigate the cause of this change, we analyzed how the inner structure of hair fibers was changed by the CO2 contained in the carbonated shampoo using SAXS. The hair fiber samples treated using the PTS-containing carbonated shampoo had wider intervals in the periodic structure of the macrofibril than those of the hair samples treated using shampoo without carbonation. This result indicates that the CO2 molecules reached the macrofibrils and made them more flexible. According to our recent study, aromatic sulfonate compounds such as PTS have the effect of curl loosening based on the swelling of the macrofibrils [1]. The ability of CO2 to increase the flexibility of the periodic structure of the macrofibril facilitated the penetration of the PTS into the macrofibril. The results showing the increased swelling of macrofibrils with PTS can be considered as an improvement in the curl-loosening effect.
Conclusion
We successfully developed a technology for enhancing the penetration of functional ingredients into hair fibers using carbonated water. The CO2 contained in carbonated water can reach the periodic structure inside the macrofibrils and make them more flexible. This promotes the curl-loosening effect of PTS. A PTS-containing carbonated shampoo can introduce the concept of stress-free styling with normal hair washing behavior. This shampoo formulation is promising and may transform the world of rinse-off products. Moreover, carbonated water has the potential to enhance the penetration of various other functional ingredients into hair fibers.
References
[1] Y. Nishita, et al, Proceedings Book of IFSCC Congress 2020, 3732-3739
[2] K. Yuki, et al, Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019, 12, 63-69
[3] J. Kakumoto, Fragrance Journal, 2015, 43, 40-44
The development of hair care technology enables many consumers to acquire beautiful hairstyles effortlessly and without special skills. It is necessary to develop functional ingredients and control their penetration to solve the hair concerns of consumers. A major hair care problem is the difficulty in styling curly hair. We have developed a technology that can loosen hair curls without damage by immersing the curly hair fibers in an aromatic sulfonate solution [1]. However, this treatment requires a long time to achieve tangible effects. Therefore, it is difficult to apply this technology in rinse-off products, such as shampoos. Therefore, we designed a method using carbonated water to enhance the penetration of functional ingredients into hair fibers. By combining carbonated water and an aromatic sulfonate solution, we have achieved a unique technology that allows consumers to realize damage-less curl loosening through usual hair washing behavior.
Methods
A shampoo formulation containing an aromatic sulfonate (p-toluene sulfonate, PTS) was prepared. The shampoo was then carbonated by introducing CO2 gas into the shampoo. Using this shampoo formulation, hair fiber samples were washed for the time equivalent to the combined length of 12 standard consumer washes (1 h). The curl diameter of the hair fibers and the hairstyle before and after hair washing were compared. Small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) was used to measure the periodic structure inside the macrofibril that comprises the hair cortex.
Results and discussion
Hot springs containing carbonated water have long been used as a medical skin treatment in Europe. The CO2 contained in carbonated water is known to moisturize the skin and improve skin appearance [2]. Carbonated water has been reported to enhance the transdermal absorption of other ingredients into the skin [3]. Therefore, we focused on carbonated water and evaluated the possibility of similar effects on hair fibers. Keratin powder and hair fiber samples were soaked in carbonated water and displayed significant swelling. This result indicates that carbonated water can extend the penetration pathway of functional ingredients into the hair fiber. The curly hair tress was washed using a PTS-containing carbonated shampoo. The results showed the hairstyle after washing had significantly changed and the curls were visibly looser.
To investigate the cause of this change, we analyzed how the inner structure of hair fibers was changed by the CO2 contained in the carbonated shampoo using SAXS. The hair fiber samples treated using the PTS-containing carbonated shampoo had wider intervals in the periodic structure of the macrofibril than those of the hair samples treated using shampoo without carbonation. This result indicates that the CO2 molecules reached the macrofibrils and made them more flexible. According to our recent study, aromatic sulfonate compounds such as PTS have the effect of curl loosening based on the swelling of the macrofibrils [1]. The ability of CO2 to increase the flexibility of the periodic structure of the macrofibril facilitated the penetration of the PTS into the macrofibril. The results showing the increased swelling of macrofibrils with PTS can be considered as an improvement in the curl-loosening effect.
Conclusion
We successfully developed a technology for enhancing the penetration of functional ingredients into hair fibers using carbonated water. The CO2 contained in carbonated water can reach the periodic structure inside the macrofibrils and make them more flexible. This promotes the curl-loosening effect of PTS. A PTS-containing carbonated shampoo can introduce the concept of stress-free styling with normal hair washing behavior. This shampoo formulation is promising and may transform the world of rinse-off products. Moreover, carbonated water has the potential to enhance the penetration of various other functional ingredients into hair fibers.
References
[1] Y. Nishita, et al, Proceedings Book of IFSCC Congress 2020, 3732-3739
[2] K. Yuki, et al, Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019, 12, 63-69
[3] J. Kakumoto, Fragrance Journal, 2015, 43, 40-44