Global Cosmetic Industry recently surveyed experts in hair care to surface the latest trends, which include marine ingredients, defense against external stressors and more.
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Global Cosmetic Industry recently surveyed experts in hair care to surface the latest trends, which include marine ingredients, defense against external stressors and more.
Targeting the Effects of Hair Aggressors
“We’ve observed a shift in consumer behavior, where hair care practices are increasingly mimicking skin care routines,” says Pascal Yvon, PharmD, MBA, general manager Americas, Sharon Personal Care, USA. “The consumers recognize that hair, like skin, shows signs of natural aging.”
Yvon adds, “This phenomenon is exacerbated by various environmental and chemical stressors including color treatment, bleaching, heat styling, ultraviolet (UV) radiation and pollution. These factors collectively contribute to the degradation of hair fibers, resulting in increased dryness, brittleness, and susceptibility to breakage and split ends.”
He adds, “By leveraging the trends of skinification and advanced repair mechanisms, hair care brands can align with consumer expectations for healthier, stronger, and more youthful-looking hair.”
Yvon points to SharoHyal Moringa as a key ingredient that can address many of these concerns, noting that it “acts like a vegan keratin, replenishing hair moisture, helping fight the signs of aging, and restructuring the cuticle from the inside out.”
He adds, “It envelops each hair fiber, locking in natural moisture and sealing the cuticle, strengthening hair, making it more resilient, reducing breakage, and restoring vitality. The chemical interactions, namely the formation of hydrogen and ionic bonds between hair proteins and Sharohyal Moringa components—sodium hyaluronate and hydrolyzed moringa proteins—act at two levels. On the cuticle it surrounds the hair creating a protective layer. Also, thanks to their low molecular weight, sodium hyaluronate and hydrolyzed moringa proteins penetrate the fiber into the cortex, enhancing its strength and integrity. We’ve performed several ex-vivo studies on moringa, which confirm these claims.”
Yvon concludes, “Sharohyal Moringa is the only product available in the market that combines two ingredients with proven efficacy for hair care products—moringa proteins and sodium hyaluronate. The product efficacy has been extensively demonstrated through ex-vivo tests and microscopic observation of strands treated with the ingredient. Ex-vivo studies showed its ability to create a protective layer on the hair cuticle, and to penetrate inside the hair cortex, resulting in a proven moisturization effect, elasticity enhancement of damaged hair, and ability to improve hair cuticle morphology.”
Targeting Hair Longevity
“In the evolving landscape of hair care, longevity and the use of marine ingredients have emerged as prominent trends, reshaping how consumers approach hair health and sustainability,” says Nina Esposito, marketing director, Provital USA. “Longevity in hair care now emphasizes products that enhance overall hair and scalp health as foundational to maintaining vibrant hair.”
She adds, “People are increasingly seeking ways to maintain their hair's vitality and health for as long as possible. Beyond basic hair care, consumers are focusing on holistic and preventive measures to protect against environmental damage, stress and aging. With more sophisticated needs, they are willing to invest in products with proven results, emphasizing clinical testing and transparency. Popular ingredients include antioxidants, superfoods, and peptides, known for their protective and strengthening properties.”
Esposito notes, “Sealrose, is an active ingredient that has immense potential to resonate with consumers, as it directly offers a solution that prioritizes hair health and addresses damage. This innovative product is obtained from the seedless pulp of the Rosa canina fruit, a well-known plant recognized as a superfood for its numerous benefits, in COSMOS-compliant oleic sunflower oil. This active ingredient combines nature and beauty to enhance the condition of healthy hair, improving its overall visual appearance.”
She concludes, “Its reparative action effectively recovers a 72% of the lipid layer of the hair cuticle by increasing its hydrophobicity in just one application, thereby returning it to the lipidic levels of healthy hair. The effect of Sealrose persists even after rinse-off, with a 65% of recovery. Beyond its ability to restore the lipid layer, Sealrose also revitalizes sensory attributes, resulting in softer, hydrated, and more manageable hair. It can be incorporated into hair repair solutions to address damage to the hair cuticle caused by external factors.”
Marine Ingredients on the Rise
“Marine ingredients have gained popularity for their nourishing and therapeutic benefits,” says Provital’s Esposito. “Seaweed and algae extracts, rich in minerals and antioxidants, hydrate and strengthen hair strands, promoting scalp health and combating inflammation. Marine collagen, known for its strengthening properties and ability to retain moisture, enhances elasticity and reduces breakage. Oils derived from marine plants offer lightweight hydration and nutrient replenishment, appealing to consumers seeking natural, effective hair care solutions. This growing interest in both longevity and marine ingredients underscores a broader trend towards more natural, sustainable, and health-conscious hair care solutions.”
Esposito notes, “Densinaria is a hair volume and strengthening active ingredient derived from Palmaria palmata, a well-known, healthy seaweed, revered for centuries for its nutritional value, and proposed for the first time for hair care. The active ingredient, enhanced with arginine, 100% natural origin and COSMOS-approved, addresses hair fiber resistance and split ends prevention enabling to display a healthy and volumized mane for longer and with a well-perceived ingredient, in line with consumers concerns.”
The technology offers “a restorative action from cortex to cuticle similar to keratin thanks to an increased quantity of reconstructive biomolecules such as proteins and peptides obtained using an enzyme-assisted extraction process which optimizes yield while minimizing environmental impact,” says Esposito.
She adds, “The appearance of split ends is more than halved, hair’s resistance to breakage more than triples and hair fiber diameter increases by 25%. It can be used in keratin-like hair solutions to strengthen hair fiber or when hair is weakened by hormonal and stress factors.”
Hair Styling Defense
"With consumers eager to challenge the beauty industry, applications in hair care have witnessed an era where defying traditional norms is becoming the new reality, driving innovations that transcend mere aesthetics in hair care," says Henrique Marconi, global product marketing manager, Chemyunion.
Marconi adds, "Issues such as frizz, dehydration, and breakage are common during hair styling, all attributed to excessive heat usage. This scenario intensifies the demand for advanced technologies that address these issues, promoting hair resilience and durability while reducing reliance on palliative solutions."
Image capture taken by an Infrared camera showing efficacy of ThermoShield N AV.Chemyunion
Denaturation enthalpy (ΔHd) values of the hair tresses from groups: control (without thermal stress) (G1), control (with thermal stress) (G2), ThermoShield N AV (G3) and benchmark (G4).Chemyunion
He continues, "Thermoshield N AV is a thermal protection active that retains water in the hair fiber and forms a protective film, increasing hair hydration by up to 17%. It operates through advanced technological mechanisms, shielding hair from thermal damage without compromising styling for up to 24 hours."
SEM images (magnification of 1,100x) obtained from the evaluation of hair surface after thermal treatment.Chemyunion
He concludes, "Thermoshield N AV presents a comprehensive dossier of tests proving its high performance compared to silicone molecules during the thermal damage process, easing this (almost) daily process in the lives of many consumers."
