Hair and scalp care products

For hair and scalp care, there are cleansing products, cosmetics for hair care after washing, styling products, photoprotective products, etc.

Shampoos are most often used to cleanse the scalp, and soaps are used less often for this purpose. In most cases, they are used to achieve a therapeutic effect. Thus, some soaps are prescribed for skin and hair care in cases of seborrhea, seborrheic dermatitis, psoriasis, and ichthyosis. The existing forms of powder, cream, aerosol, and oil for hair cleansing have not gained wide popularity.

Shampoo contains water, detergent (surfactant) and various fattening additives. Soaps of various origins and synthetic compounds are used as detergents. The composition of the shampoo detergent creates a certain environment on the skin surface. Anionic detergents create an alkaline environment (pH 8-12), nonionic - slightly acidic (pH 5.5-6). pH-neutral shampoos (pH 7) are also produced, the acidity of which is due to two types of detergents included in their composition (soap and si). It has been shown that cationic detergents have the greatest irritating effect, anionic detergents have a lesser effect. Nonionic detergents are characterized by minimal irritating effect.

Most modern shampoos contain conditioners (the "two-in-one" formula). Some cosmetic companies use various components with different effects when making shampoos. Thus, shampoos that include natural dyes (chamomile, henna, basma, etc.) to give hair a certain shade have become widespread recently. Shampoos containing ceramides, tyrosine derivatives that slow down the appearance of gray hair, and azulene derivatives to eliminate yellowness of gray hair have appeared on the market.

For therapeutic purposes, various medications may be included: antifungal (ketoconazole, zinc pyrithione, tar, sulfur, selenium disulfide and disulfate), pediculocidal agents (pyrethrin, piperonyl, phenothrin, tetramethrin, etc.), salicylic acid and lipohydroxy acid, drugs that increase blood supply to hair follicles (minoxidil 2.5-5%, aminexil 1.5%). In addition, some vegetable oils are used (coconut, cypress, rosemary, tea and cajeput tree, etc.).

Cosmetic products for hair care after washing are used to restore shine to hair, make combing and styling easier, strengthen thin, weakened hair and increase its elasticity, remove static electricity, etc. According to the classification proposed by the French Federation of the Cosmetic Industry, cosmetic products for hair care after washing are divided into rinse-off (rinses) and leave-on.

Rinse-off hair care products after washing are represented by all types of rinses or conditioners, starting with liquid milk, conditioners, creams for combing hair with different consistencies, ending with liquid gels. The composition of the listed forms usually includes a base (fats, alcohols, esters, waxes), a thickener (necessary to stabilize the emulsion form, a hydrophilic colloid is often used), preservatives. Cationic detergents and silicones are used as conditioning additives. Various medicinal and sunscreen agents may also be included. Leave-on products are represented by various solutions (lotions and so-called serums), foams, conditioning creams.

The selection of shampoo, as well as cosmetic products for hair care after washing, is based on determining the hair type (dry, oily, etc. For dry hair, the composition of the specified forms include: organic acids (acetic, lactic, malic), fats and fat-like substances (lanolin, beeswax, spermaceti, jojoba oil, etc.), fatty acids (oleic, stearic, linoleic, linolenic, ricinolenic, etc.) and their derivatives (natural triglycerides - almond, castor, peanut, olive, oat oils, avocado oil, fatty alcohols - lauryl, myristyl, oleyl, cetyl and stearyl alcohols, fatty esters, etc.), various vitamins (A, group B, E), protein derivatives (protein hydrolysates, a mixture of peptides, amino acids), phospholipids, cationic detergents, cationic polymers. It should be emphasized that cationic derivatives are surfactants with a hydrophilic cationic group having one or two lipophilic hydrocarbon fatty chains. When a cationic detergent gets on the surface of damaged hair bearing anionic valence, an electrochemical bond of the negatively charged hair and the cationic substance occurs, which promotes the formation of a thin monomolecular film on the hair surface. In addition, when the hair is exposed to the said detergent, an antistatic effect occurs due to a decrease in the potential difference. It is known that cationic detergents (surfactants) are ideal for normalizing the surface of damaged hair and protecting it. At the same time, they do not affect the improvement of the structure of damaged hair. Moreover, the use of these components is not always comfortable due to the irritating effect and incompatibility with a number of anionic detergents included in shampoos. That is why new, compatible with anionic detergents compounds - cationic polymers that are capable of creating a special protective film on the surface of the hair, restoring its structure and strength. The first cationic polymer to appear on the market in 1972 was "Polymer JR" (Poly quaternium 10). It was added to one of the shampoos as a conditioning ingredient. Subsequently, many new varieties of cationic polymers were released and patented. Currently, three main types are used: cationic celluloses and starches, cationic silicones, and protein hydrolysates.

The main components of cosmetic products for oily hair care are sulfur and its derivatives (disulfite, selenium disulfate, etc.), amino acids containing sulfur (cysteine, methionine), thioethers, tars, some substances that delay the penetration of sebum onto the hair, as well as fat adsorbents. In order to reduce the penetration and spread of sebum onto the hair surface, special lipophobic films covering the hair have been used in recent years. They are added to shampoos for oily hair in small concentrations. The most popular are various acrylic derivatives and phosphorylated fatty acids, which have both lipophobic and hydrophobic effects. Gelatin or casein, as well as finely dispersed starches and silicones, are usually used to achieve the adsorbing effect. They not only absorb sebum, but also make it thicker, which reduces the visible manifestations of liquid seborrhea. The negative quality of these preparations is that after using them, the hair looks dull.

Nowadays, in addition to traditional shampoos, various solutions and gels are offered that are applied directly to the hair roots. They are used for increased hair oiliness. These include alcohol solutions (40-50%) for daily use, lotions (solutions) applied after washing, with a low alcohol content, hydrogels that include alcohols, emulsions for treating hair after washing. These products may include hydrocolloids, clays, plant extracts, proteins, non-ionic polymers that act as adsorbents. Usually, a small amount of detergent (surfactant) is added to their composition as an emulsifier and to facilitate rinsing with water.

In order to fix hair in a hairstyle, aerosol, foam, gel, and solutions are used. Previously, various gels of natural origin containing tragacanth and other ingredients, as well as various oils, were used to fix hair.

Nowadays, various synthetic polymers (e.g., polyvinylpyrrolidone) are added to shape the hair without polluting the hair, as well as ingredients that have a conditioning, antistatic effect (e.g., cationic detergents). The least aggressive are various hair styling foams, the most - sprays. In addition, sprays are becoming less popular at present due to the risk of damaging the ozone layer of the atmosphere.

Permanent curling was invented over 70 years ago to change the shape of hair (to make it wavy) that will remain after washing. The technology and products used for this type of curling are constantly being modified. Regardless of the method, this process usually includes three stages.

1. Softening of hair under the influence of physical or chemical factors. The so-called "steam" perm is historically the oldest. The essence of the process is the destruction of hydrogen bonds between polypeptides in hair keratin molecules, which creates a temporary effect of changing the shape, achieved using curlers. Also obsolete is the method using a solution of ammonia and sodium bisulfite or triethanolamine in combination with the effect of high temperature (the so-called "hot" perm). Previously, perm methods were also popular, the essence of which was reduced to a chemical isoteric reaction. These methods are now practically not used, since they significantly damage the hair and require special preparation. Since 1945, "cold" perm has been widely used. The process of softening hair during cold perm is provided by thioglycolates, which are capable of destroying disulfide bonds in the keratin molecule. Currently, solutions containing thioglycolic acid and ammonium or monoethanolamine are used. In recent years, perms based on glyceryl monothioglycolate have become popular, which turned out to be softer and can be recommended for people with dry and bleached hair. It should be emphasized that thioglycolates are quite strong sensitizers. They are the most common cause of allergic dermatitis in both hairdressers and clients.
2. Giving hair a new shape. Achieved using curlers of different diameters. The hair is then treated with a neutralizing solution, which fixes the new shape.
3. Fixing the hair shape is usually done with the help of hydrogen peroxide, which also has an aggressive effect on hair.

Home perm kits usually include milder neutralizing solutions of the following salts: sodium tetraborate, sodium tetracarbonate, sodium bromate, potassium bromate, etc.

People of the Negroid race often use various means and methods for straightening hair. Their essence is basically similar to a chemical perm. Men with short hair also use viscous fatty bases (pomade) for mechanical straightening of hair and gluing it together.

New forms of cosmetic hair care are currently being created. One of them is a moisturizing cream for dry and brittle hair, applied to the entire length of the hair. Such creams often contain silicones, which coat the hair, help the scales stick to it and thus restore shine. Both UVB and UVA protectors are used to protect hair from ultraviolet rays. Special oils are used to protect hair from the effects of cold water in a chlorine-containing pool. The oils contain silicone, which coats the hair. Some companies produce such preparations in the form of an aerosol.

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