HAIR CARE
Meeting the anti-frizz, durable shape challenge
Stephanie Neplaz - Solvay
Each year, both men and women around the world dread the looming approach of summer humidity and the emergence of a frizzy head of hair. Although every season comes with its fair share of obstacles when it comes to personal care and style, frizz is one of the most difficult to overcome. The global climate - especially in the regions of Asia, Latin America, North America and Europe - is hardly frizz-friendly. Along with dryness, frizz is the number one
hair complaint among women. This goes for individuals looking for durable shape and hair discipline, whether they have wavy hair, curly hair, or straight hair. Anti-frizz is one of the most sought-after properties in today’s hair care formulations as more and more women embrace their natural look and use fewer products in their daily regimen. Major hair care industry players dedicate
the largest portion of their product launches to anti-frizz initiatives, turning to leave-in hair treatments, supportive blow-dry serums, anti-humidity hairsprays, taming lotions, hair mascaras, smoothing shampoos and more to contend with this problematic, frizzy opposition. The age-old question remains, arising
from the settled dust in a wiry, tangled and voluminous typeface: how does one tame frizzy hair?
Understanding frizzy hair The answer begins with understanding why hair frizzes in the first place. What is frizz, and what exactly causes hair to frizz? Frizz is simply a discernible change in texture that results from different forms of attrition and certain environmental exposures. Hair is a porous material, and damaged
hair becomes incrementally more porous. When water gets into the pores, the hair shaft swells. Hair fracturing occurs beyond a notable level of swelling and stretching, and this microscopic weathering manifests in the mirror as breaks, bends, twists, and tangles, or frizz. Curly hair is often more vulnerable to frizz, as the small angle of waves makes it substantially more susceptible to breakage. Yet straight hair is not immune to frizz - dry scalp, split ends, and damaged hair are just as prevalent for people with straight hair. Frizz may even be more noticeable on those with straighter hair profiles. Dozens of factors can be attributed to a frizzy head of hair, but some are more likely
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responsible than others. However, the weather, excessive dryness, hot tools from brushing and damaged hair are the primary culprits.
The weather Humid weather, in particular, is a significant cause of frizzy hair. In these environments, the cuticle absorbs water from the air, penetrating the hair shaft and making its way into the fibres at the base of each strand. This causes the proteins within the fibres to swell at irregular intervals, producing the resulting twisted and bent appearance of frizz.
Excessive dryness Dry hair is a substantial contributor to frizz, as dry hair will do whatever it can to absorb moisture. The drier the hair, the more porous it becomes, which renders hair cuticles incapable of capturing and retaining water molecules. This leads to further damage and irregularity that presents itself as frizz.
Hot tools While air drying is understood as best practice, sometimes individuals desire to achieve a style and look that only hot tools can deliver. By using
hot tools, such as blow dryers, flat irons and curling irons, the hair becomes deprived of its natural moisture levels. This begins the damaging cycle of absorbing moisture from elsewhere and struggling to retain a durable shape.
Damaged hair To achieve a desired look, many consumers are coloring and/or bleaching their hair. Yet these processes also come with significant damage, such as dry and coarse hair, shine loss, fragility and more. The more damaged the hair is, the more porous the fibres become, which increases their ability to frizz.
The challenge of developing frizz control formulations Conventional and contemporary technologies claiming the anti-frizz effect include a variety of leave-in treatments that prioritize beauty enhancement and protection, such as air-dry creams and supportive blow-dry serums. Other manufacturers have launched other interesting formats and formulations like multi-phase smoothing blends or hair mascara tools, curl-enhancing creams, marula serums and more.
March 2023 PERSONAL CARE
95
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