We’ve all done it a time or two before: read that list of arcane words on the back of the bottles and packages of our hair care products. We’ve seen those multi-syllabic words and the scientific nomenclature and wondered what those names had to do with how the stuff in the bottle colored your hair or cleaned it, or made it shiny and soft.
Well, each of those ingredients in the various products - either on their own or in combination with other ingredients – has a function and what follows is a list of some of these ingredients and their function.
Before we can get into the actual lists of ingredients, we need to cover a few terms that may need some explanation:
EMULSIFIER
An emulsifier (also known as an emulgent) is an ingredient that when added to a combination of two unblendable substances allows them to become stable in their blended state. As an example, mayonnaise is an emulsion of oil-in-water that is stabilized by the lecithin in egg yolks.
Emulsifiers are used to create creams and lotions, and the emulsion principle is what allows the surfactants in soap to remove grease in cleaning.
SURFACTANT
The word surfactant is a blended word from the base words “surface acting agent” and are usually organic compounds that contain lipophilic (oil attracting) and hydrophilic (water attracting) agents allowing the compound to combine attract oily dirt in hair and skin and wash it away.
SOLVENT
A solvent is a liquid or gas that dissolves a solid liquid or gaseous solute resulting in a solution. Most solvents have a low boiling point, evaporate easily and can be removed by distillation. Water is the most common solvent in everyday life.
Now that we’ve covered these most-basic terms, let’s look at some of the more commonly-found ingredients in hair care products and see what purposes they serve in the products in which they are found:
AMMONIUM LAURYL SULFATE
This is a high-foam surfactant that makes a good base for cleansers because of the way it disrupts hydrogen bonding in water. This has the effect of allowing the water to more easily penetrate cloth fibers and hair for deeper cleaning. It is primarily used in shampoos and body cleansers.
AMMONIUM LAURETH SULFATE
This is a detergent and surfactant commonly used in soaps and shampoos. It is a very effecting foaming agent for generating cleansing lather.
BEHENTRIMONIUM CHLORIDE
This wax-like organic compound is used as an antistatic agent and disinfectant, it is commonly used in conditioners, hair dye and mousse.
BENZYL ALCOHOL
This colorless liquid has a mild pleasant aromatic odor, and is a natural constituent of essential oils including jasmine, hyacinth and ylang-ylang. It is also a useful solvent due to its polarity, low toxicity and low vapor pressure. It is generally used as a solvent for inks, paints, lacquers and epoxy resin coatings.
CETEARETH-30
This compound (blended of saturated-fatty alcohols – cetyl alcohol and stearyl alcohol) is a non-ionic surfactant that works by attracting both water and oil at the same time. It is frequently used as an emulsifier in soaps and cosmetics.
CETRIMONIUM CHLORIDE
This compound is a quaternary, water-soluble conditioning agent that adds shine to the hair.
CHLORHEXIDINE DIHYDROCHLORIDE
Chlorhexidine salts are antibacterial agents used for human and animal disinfection and have a wide range of antimicrobial activity, being effective against a variety of organisms as well as fungi and spores. It is used in hair products to maintain purity and as a preservative.
CITRIC ACID
This is a mild fruit acid commonly used in hair products for its ability to open the cuticle layer and allow deeper penetration of other products that are beneficial to the hair. It is often used in clarifying shampoos and deep conditioning treatments.
DIMETHICONE
This is silicone oil and is used in shampoos to make the hair shiny and slippery to resist tangles. It is also used widely in moisturizing lotions as a “skin protectant”.
EUGENOL
This compound is a member of the phenylpropanoids class of compounds and is a clear to pale-yellow liquid extracted from certain essential oils (especially from clove, nutmeg, cinnamon and bay leaf). It is soluble in water and organic solvents. It is used primarily for its fragrance and flavoring qualities, and is also used as a local antiseptic and anesthetic in medical applications.
It is possible to overdose on this compound, resulting in a range of symptoms, from blood in the urine, to convulsions, diarrhea, nausea, unconsciousness, dizziness or rapid heartbeat. It may also cause contact dermatitis with the skin.
GLYCERYL MONOSTEARATE
This product is an emulsifier and dispersing agent, and also is classified as a pearlescent agent to keep otherwise opposing substances blended in an emulsion. It is also a humectant which absorbs moisture from the air to keep the hair and skin moistened. It can further be used as an emollient, lubricant, emulsifier and diluting agent in cosmetics.
GLYCOL DISTEARATE
Glycol distearate is a form of various alcohols containing two hydroxyl groups and is a common ingredient in shampoos and hair coloring agents as an emulsifier.
HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE
This nonionic polymer is water-soluble and is used as an emulsifier and a thickening agent.
LANOLIN
This substance is the sebaceous secretion of wool-bearing mammals such as sheep. It is chemically akin to wax and can be used as a skin ointment and water-proofing wax. It is used in some conditioners to coat and seal the hair against damage and excess water to prevent frizz.
LECITHIN
This is any of a group of yellow-brownish fatty substances occurring in animal and plant tissues, and in egg yolk. It acts as a surfactant in cosmetic chemistry.
LIMONENE
This hydrocarbon is a colorless liquid at room temperature with a strong citrus smell. It takes its name from the lemon - as the rind of the lemon and other citrus fruit contains a considerable amount of the substance. It is added to cleansers for fragrance and is used as a solvent.
METHYLCHLOROISOTHIAZOLINONE
This compound is a preservative with antibacterial and antifungal effects and is effective against bacteria, yeast and fungi. It is used in many water-based cosmetics and hair care products.
METHYLISOTHIAZOLINONE
This compound is another biocide used as a preservative and to control microbial growth in water-containing solutions.
METHYLPARABEN
This compound is widely used as a preservative for food, drugs and cosmetics as it has antifungal properties. Similar varieties are Ethylparaben, Propylparaben, and Butylparaben.
P-PHENYLENEDIAMINE
This aromatic amine is also called paraphenylenediamine (or PPD) is used as a component of engineering polymers and composites, aramid fibers, hair dyes, rubber chemicals, textile dyes and pigments. PPD is selected because of its low toxicity, stability at high temperatures, high strength and resistance to chemicals and electricity.
PPD is found in almost every hair dye on the market regardless of brand. The darker the color of the product, the higher the concentration of PPD is likely to be. Even so-called natural and herbal hair colors contain PPD, even though they may be ammonia-free. The only natural dyes that do not contain PPD are body-art quality hennas and indigo.
The Center for Disease Control lists PPD as a contact allergen which can lead to throat irritation, bronchial asthma, and sensitization dermatitis.
PEG-2 OLEAMINE
This is a synthetic polymer made from oxirane (ethylene oxide) and amines derived from fatty acids. In most cosmetic preparations it acts as an emulsifier.
POLYQUATERNIUM-10
This quaternary ammonium compound absorbs well into proteinaceous surfaces, such as that of the hair. In shampoos and other products it can reduce static electricity and increase the body, suppleness and sheen of the hair.
RESORCINOL
This chemical compound is obtained on fusing many resins with potassium hydroxide and through distillation of Brazilwood extract. It is used to create diazo dyes, and is also used as an antiseptic and disinfectant, and in ointments as topical treatment of eczema.
SODIUM METABISULFITE
This inorganic compound is used as a disinfectant, antioxidant and preservative.
PARP1 appears to be resveratrol's primary functional target
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r) HomeRetail Size IngredientsVarious IngredientsSolvents
SOLVENTS
Since
many ingredients are not or only poorly soluble in water, special solvents may
be necessary to bring such ingredients into solution. Special solvents may also
be necessary to disperse and wet pigments. Typical solvents for dissolving
water-soluble ingredients include glycerin, propanediol 1,3 and propylene
glycol.
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