HAIR STYLING
with behavioural responses to the environment, chemical treatments and heat styling. With advances in styling capabilities, in both products and tools, it is important to understand how ingredients, product applications, and styling tools interact with the hair fibre assembly to optimise the desired performance.
The rise of hair sprays Hair spray, was invented in 1948 as a consumer outlet for aerosol production, which included PVP or PVP/VA as hair fixatives. Today, hair spray still represents the largest share of the styling category with the US holding the dominant share in the global market, although the core ingredients and formats continue to evolve. In the days when PVP and PVP/VA were the
dominate film former choices, their functionality for adhesive film properties, which formed hard, glossy, transparent, oxygen permeable, moisture absorbing films was highly prized. This chemistry created hard crunchy films and with a strong all- day long hold. The aerosol hair spray industry has weathered
several regulatory hurdles and continues to reinvent itself to stay current with today’s hair styling trends. If we look back to the hair spray formulations of the 1970s, where hair fixatives like acrylates were a key component, as hair styles were sprayed and ‘set’ for the day, then cleansed with a bi-weekly or weekly shampoo. Today, new hair spray formulations, ‘working sprays’, often contain esters which have been effective on delivering non-dulling hold, no buildup, restyle/ brush through and good shampoo removability, which are all considered excellent characteristics for professional hair stylists and novelists alike. As we continue watching the trend evolution, we see the hair styling market is driven by personalisation with style-versatility, hair extensions, wigs, and always being selfie-ready with the rise of the digital era. Hair sprays have traditionally been used at the
end of the styling process to ‘fix’ the style, giving long lasting hold, brightness, and to protect the style from the environmental enemies such as wind or humidity. Now, we are reinventing aerosol hair sprays, expanding their use beyond style fixation, integrating them into the entire styling process making them compatible with today’s styling tools. The creation of an aerosol hair spray is a 360° exercise. One must consider the entire package, concentrate, and propellant. Interactions of these components can present challenges in system and package compatibility. In Europe, according to Mintel, 46% of product launches are hair spray/mist and spritz and are the biggest category for hair styling, however, the styling portfolio also includes various other products such as hair gels and mousses, waxes and creams.
Solid formats Hair gels use to create a look comparable to a bicycle helmet, and hair pomades produced a greasy brilliance without hold; there was not much of a choice in between. Strong hold hair gels, highly popular amongst male consumers, have experienced growth and development over the last decades using PVP chemistry verus acrylates, and now includes various polymers which give additional claim opportunities such as fast drying,
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Base: * based on the average top five formats/textures in the three years to October 2019 Source: Mintel GNPD (NPD by convenience claims; NPD by format/texture); Mintel GNPD
50% 40% 30% 20% 105 0% Spray/mist/spirtz Gel/jelly Mousse Cream Stand out among of spray formats/textures
long hold, repetitive styleability, gloss and volume. If we look at the market today, we see that the styling segment has grown immensely. The number of hair styling products available, especially for men, is tremendous. There are creams, waxes, pomades, fibres, pastes, clays, and other options to hold every type of hair style in place all day long. Hair is hygroscopic by nature; meaning it is capable of absorbing moisture from the air and that humidity breaks down its hydrogen bonds. Once this happens, if hair has been styled, it will change from β-Keratin (unnatural state) back toα-Keratin (natural state), which causes the hair style to drop. In this situation, a styling aid is required if we want to keep the hair in place even when it is humid. If the intention is to obtain a strong hold, a water-soluble polymer will do the trick. Traditionally a polymer has always been added to a simple and often very cheap hydrous hair gel base. These gels can cement the hair to the head, but lighter hold formulations are also an option. Traditional gels provide maximum hold and high shine when applied to towel-dried hair.
The drawback of these polymers is that the film they form is very stiff and if it breaks, it causes visible flakes. Thus, the hair which is styled with these types of gels is not flexible at all and not ascetically pleasing once the film breaks down. A hair cream is often presented as a light oil
in water emulsion, which represents a middle- of-the-road type of product formulation. These provide longer-lasting hair styles, with a little shine, light control and direction without locking it in place. A styling cream does not offer extreme gloss or hold even though some polymers can be used as styling aids in the water phase and some waxes in the oil phase. Depending on the composition, the cream provides semi-flexible, but natural hold. It should be applied to towel-dried hair. With the help of a blow-dryer the hold can be slightly intensified. Other formats such as hair fibres, clays, pastes, muds, and putties are usually emulsions as well. This is mainly a cost reduction measure as the water phase helps keep product costs low. Additionally, they can be washed out easily. These product formats usually provide a matte
March 2021 PERSONAL CARE Wax Nov 2016-Oct 2017 ■ Nov 2018-Oct 2019 ■
% of launches
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