Healthy, gleaming hair is regarded as graceful and seductive and is a beauty dream of many women. It is therefore little wonder that women, and increasingly also men, are constantly on the lookout for the perfect care that makes their hair even glossier, shinier and more beautiful than ever.

Hair care for normal hair

Anyone looking for hair care products these days could be forgiven for wondering if there is such a thing as normal hair. Most producers focus on specific hair problems when developing shampoos, conditioners and hair masks. However, many people are in fact blessed with normal hair. 

Normal hair is healthy, elastic and shiny. The enveloping, protective mantle of oils is neither too thick nor too thin. Normal hair is not dyed, tinted or permed, and the outer cuticle layer is smooth and reflects the light (1). 

Yet even normal hair needs the right kind of care. It, too, benefits from ingredients that lend the hair extra shine and at the same time make it noticeably suppler. Normal hair requires care that restructures and revives it.
 

Hyaluronic acid in hair care

Market observations show that hyaluronic acids are being used increasingly in hair care products for their enormous water storage capacity. In shampoos, conditioners or masks, hyaluronic acid moisturizes the scalp while offering the hair a stronger structure and greater shine.
 

Beauty elixir «Oil»

The lipid content of human hair is about 0.7–1.3 % and the prerequisite for healthy, strong hair is an intact lipid layer (2). Hair oils support the restorative power of the hair's lipid layer and possess extraordinary care properties. So it is little wonder that they have become favourites in hair care worldwide. The rich texture of hair oil envelopes the hair like a soft veil, intensively cares for it, lends vitality and creates a stunning shine. Hair oils can be applied as oil cures, as care products on dry or wet hair, and as styling products.  
 

Mild cleansing

In the hair care segment, there is an increasingly strong movement away from chemical ingredients such as silicones and sulphates. The next-generation hair care products are becoming ever milder and more compatible. 

Surfactants are crucial for the cleansing power of a shampoo, where they facilitate the removal of dirt by reducing the surface tension between the water and water-resistant dirt on the hair surface (3). The demand is for surfactants that are mild but still deliver the necessary cleansing performance.

 

Stressed hair

As hair becomes longer, its quality steadily decreases. Partly because it is constantly exposed to harmful environmental influences and styling habits, but also because the structure of the hair shaft can only last a finite time. Mechanical stresses from combing, brushing and teasing, plus harmful environmental impacts from UV rays and air pollution all culminate in unattractive signs of wear on the hair (3). Caring and repairing additives in shampoos and conditioners are designed to protect and regenerate stressed and damaged hair.
 

Conditioning

There is demand for products that have good conditioning power and additionally help to reduce hair breakage. Alongside active ingredients, oil components also make suitable care additives for damaged hair in combination with cationic polymers and wax dispersions. 
 

UV protection for healthy hair 

Enjoying the warmth and savouring every sunray is like a balm for the soul, but is pure stress for hair. The external influences during summer (heat, sun and wind) destroy the naturally protective lipid layer on the hair, causing it to become brittle and dull. Sunlight furthermore bleaches the colour out of hair. While our skin develops pigments during summer, the exact opposite happens in hair – whether dyed or undyed, hair loses its pigments (4). Besides using products that protect the colour, it is just as important to protect the hair itself against the harmful effects of UV rays. Light-absorbing raw materials and UV filters are good for developing hair products with UV protection claims. 

In the next post of our "Hair Care" article series, we cover special hair care applications for treating specific hair or scalp problems. Be inspired also by our article "Hair care – an expression of personality care".
 

Literature:

1. www.netdoktor.de/Gesund-Leben/Haare/Wissen/Haartypen-  normal-bis-strapazie-5379.html
2. W. Lee et all. (Korea 2005)).
3. Trüeb R.M.: Haarpflege und -kosmetik. In: Kerscher M. Dermatokosmetik. Steinkopff, Darmstadt, 2. Überarbeitete Auflage, 2008.
4. www.schwarzkopf.de/sk/de/home/haarpflege/schuetzen_verwoehnen/pflegetipps/sonnenschutz-fuers-haar.html