Dow Corning releases guide for hair care formulators

The guide is in response to the increasing demands of the hair care industry for products sporting more sophisticated and diverse claims, according to the company. The guide consists of a collection of tables containing lists of Dow Corning ingredients, each looking at a specific application - shampoo, rinse conditioner, leave-in conditioner, styling, and colorant product. The ingredients' benefits are listed so the formulator can find the ingredient that will best achieve the desired effect. Performance benefits listed in the tables include qualities such as enriched lather, reduced flyaway, color protection and heat protection. According to the company, the service can provide solutions to a number of hair care areas that are particularly important in the current industry climate. These include color protection, hair strengthening, lightweight conditioning, flexible styling and ethnic hair care. With more people using colors to cover gray hair there is a greater need for conditioning products designed specifically to protect colored hair, Dow Corning state. The company added that aging populations means more people with thinner, finer hair, in need of lightweight hair conditioners that will not weigh the hair down. In addition, the company highlight the differing hair care needs of different populations around the globe. African and Hispanic hair, for example tends to be curlier, and more fragile, meaning that moisturizing and straightening products are often in demand, according to the company, whereas Asian markets generally require products that add shine and smoothness. Ethnic hair care is certainly a growing trend within the personal care industry, with increasing numbers of manufacturers realising the marketing power of certain ethnic groups and the need to create products to accommodate their needs. In a report published last year, Euromonitor stated: "Major cosmetics and toiletries manufacturers are watching these (ethnic hair care, skin care and color cosmetics) categories closely because they consider them major potential areas for growth."​ A number of leading players, including Avon, P&G and L'Oreal, are all developing both research and development capabilities and adapting their business portfolios in an effort to tap into the increased demand. L'Oreal's fourth international symposium on ethnic hair and skin was held last week in Miami, bringing together researchers, dermatologists and industry figures to discuss the new ethnic-specific research.