HAIR CARE


Bridging the gap in the textured hair care market


Mary Kay Crofoot, Paige Engerer – Dow Personal Care


Dow believes everyone deserves good hair days. So, Dow collaborated with their employees with highly textured hair, Dow’s Global African Affinity Network (GAAN), and technical experts to understand consumers’ barriers in the textured hair care industry and connect this market gap with the broader societal issues. The outcome was a set of six unique formulations designed to provide superior benefits to highly textured hair. Partnering with internal employees and


technical experts revealed how chemistry and employee network groups (ERGs) such as Dow’s Global African Affinity Network (GAAN) can work together to deliver high-performance hair solutions. These solutions not only provide visible benefits but ease the everyday routines and lifestyle frustrations that consumers with highly textured hair face.


A look at the textured hair care market The highly textured hair market segment has been underserved for many years. 82% of Black American women identify their natural hair texture as type 3A to 4C, and 60% of the world’s population have textured hair.1


Black


consumers spend nine times more on hair care products than non-black consumers.2 However, only a small selection of products on the shelf space today address the needs of this consumer group. This highlights a significant gap in the personal care market and the need to focus on crucial societal issues. Many portions of this market remain


underserved and untapped, creating significant opportunities for growth for many hair care brands. Consumers and brands are eager to serve this underserved market, which is evident with the increasing number of product launches for coily hair over the last five years. Over the last five years, the increased number of product launches for coily hair provides a clear indication from the brands and consumers of the needs in this space. During Dow’s social listening study they


found that people hope to embrace their natural hair but face challenges due to the gaps in product selection. Other problems include performance and the impact on lifestyle due to wash days. Wash days can take more than two hours, requiring five or more products. Designed to bring solutions to the global


textured hair care market, Dow technical experts partnered with the internal GAAN


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ERG to develop a fundamental understanding of textured hair as well as the needs of this consumer market. Based on insights and surveys from both salon owners and GAAN members, the prototypes were designed to reflect the most common product types used in a daily routine.


The Textured Hair Care Kit The result of this collaboration was a successful prototype formulation kit that included all of the product staples: shampoo, conditioner, styling products, scalp treatments, and oil/serums that cater to the unique needs of textured hair consumers. The Textured Hair Care Kit fosters innovations on a global and local level to meet the needs of consumer preferences worldwide, with the mindset that no one should be left behind. During this year’s New York Society of


Cosmetic Chemists (NYSCC) Suppliers’ Day, Dow brought this research to life through a presentation on the newly launched Textured Hair Care Kit. The presentation revealed crucial findings, testing, and feedback on these formulations for consumers with textured hair.


This included highlighting the key


benefits of the new kit, such as the access to affordable and proven performance solutions for curly, naturally textured hair and the importance of hair independence. The presentation included six formulations


from the Textured Hair Kit, showcasing their benefits and uses, which include: ■ Silky Royal Hair Butter (styling butter): Thick and creamy butter for curl definition and twisted styles. ■ Embrace Your Curls Gel (curl defining gel): A multi-functional clear hair gel that provides high-humidity hold, curl definition and moisturisation in a non-tacky gel. ■ Sealing Hair Oil: Hair oil with performance- enhancing silicones that deliver slip and seal your style. ■ Calm Your Scalp Tea Tree Serum (daily use and/or treatment serum for scalp): A serum with natural tea tree oil, white willow bark and performance-enhancing silicones that deliver a unique and cooling sensation to the scalp. ■ Condition Your Curls (rinse-off and/or leave-In conditioner): An ‘all-in-one’ leave- in or rinse-off hair conditioner for intensive


September 2022 PERSONAL CARE


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