Characterization of hair styling formulations targeted to specific multicultural needs.

The ethnic hair care market is large and diverse, with many unmet needs, especially when the definition of ethnic varies as much as the hair does. By examining the variety of hair care raw materials now available, we designed hair styling formulations for targeted benefits such as anti-frizz, conditioning, style control, humidity resistance, UV protection and color loss protection. We have characterized three distinctive hair styling formulations targeted to specific multicultural needs. This has been completed by using standard personal care laboratory evaluations including the Diastron Limited (TM)Miniature Tensile Tester for stiffness, the Bossa Nova Technologies (TM) Shine Instrument, high-humidity curl control, UV exposure, and expert panel evaluations; the results were substantiated using current state-of-the-art analytical tools, including atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Results demonstrate that a varied product portfolio is required for such a diverse market segment. Styling products ranging from alcoholic sprays, leave on styling creams or gels and styling curl activators offer performance attributes that can be utilized on a variety of hair types such as Asian, African, Caucasian and Brazilian.