Xenna sees huge growth for chemical-free hair relaxer

Tapping into the rapidly growing market for natural-based products, Xenna has taken one of the personal care products that is most likely to be associated with harsh chemicals and reinvented it. The company's Curlaway Curl Relaxer is described as a non-alkaline gel that relaxes hair gradually without the brittleness or breakage that is often associated with its chemical-based counterparts. The product, which is marketed at the ethnic hair care market, is said to have proved a success with consumers, underlined by the company's claim that sales of the product have grown by 25 percent in the last year. Ethnic consumers prefer natural hair care ​ Increasing awareness of the potential hazards associated with synthetic ingredients in personal care formulations has filtered down to virtually every consumer group, with a recent report from Mass Market Retailer particularly stressing the importance of ethnic consumers. "Natural and organic products have become an increasingly important driving force in hair care products marketed to African-American women and men,"​ the report details. The fact that Xenna's natural hair relaxer has proved popular might also be attributed to the fact that African-Americans have a very high spend on hair care products, often hunting out the best quality formulations to ensure there is no breakage or dryness. The product has been formulated with grapeseed to act as a natural moisturizer and Vitamin B-5 to ensure the condition of the hair. Tackling the 'frizz' problem​ Likewise it is applied as a rinse-out overnight treatment or as a daytime leave-in conditioning-relaxer that can be used continuously to achieve totally straight hair or occasionally to obtain a 'frizz-free' effect. However, concerns over hair relaxers go beyond just hair condition, with recent scientific reports pointing to a chemical called 1,4-dioxane, contained in 97 percent of hair relaxers on the market and claimed to have a link to breast cancer. The inclusion of 1,4-dioxane in personal care products has been causing concern in the personal care industry, with a recent study carried out by lobby group the Environmental Working Group highlighting the amount of cosmetic products that contain the hazardous chemical.