FutureDerm

Daily Question #006: Does Your Shampoo or Conditioner Really Make a Difference?

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Jessica’s Beautiful Hair, originally uploaded by neomation2001.

Dear Nicki,

I’ve been spending $50 or more every other month for the shampoo and conditioner my hairstylist recommends.  Does it really make a difference?  I’ve heard drugstore brands can have the same effect.

-Caught by the hair

Dear Caught by the Hair,

In a word, yes.  Although higher-priced shampoos and conditioners are not necessarily more effective, studies have shown that certain ingredients in shampoos, conditioners, and other styling products really do make a difference for the hair.  Some of these ingredients include:

Panthenol

Contained within the ever-popular Pantene line of products, panthenol has been shown to give hair moisture in two ways:  forming a thin layer of moisture on the outside of the hair, and penetrating the hair cuticle, bringing moisture to the inner hair cortex (Handbook of Cosmetic Science and Technology, 2009).   Two minutes of exposure to a 2% panthenol solution has been shown to increase the thickness of the hair, as measured by scanning electron microscopy (Dermatologie, 1960).   (And a purely non-scientific psst:  If you want your hair to smell like sweet candy, try the Pantene Restore Beautiful Lengths Collection, which not only has panthenol, but some sort of hypnotically candy-esque scent.)

Quaternary Ammonium, especially with Cetyl or Stearyl Alcohols 

The purpose of quaternary ammonium species (“quats”), which include cetrimonium chloride, stearalkonium chloride, and others, is to condition the hair so it is easier to brush, style, manage, and control.  Without getting into a Chemistry 101 lesson, shorter and more hydrophobic quats will deposit more onto the hair, resulting in greater levels of conditioning.  In fact, research has shown far less of a hydrophobic conditioner is needed than a hydrophillic one for the same effect (Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemistry, 1976).  Quats have also been shown to be more effective when used in conjunction with cetyl or stearyl alcohols (Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemistry, 1989).

Unfortunately, we can’t all benefit from more conditioning, as fine and limp hair will tend to get weighed down after continued use of heavy conditioning agents.  In general, the higher the number of the quat, the greater the conditioning.  So, for instance, tricetylmonium chloride will have more conditioning than cetrimonium or dicetylmonium chloride, and hence be better for curly, frizzy, dry, or color-treated hair.

Want to try behentrimonium chloride, a very effective conditioning ammonium salt?  It’s the main conditioner in one of my all-time favorites products, Kerastase Nutritive Masquintense.  I use it once per week on my fine, straight hair, and it works really well!   Those with thicker, curlier, and dyed or heat-damaged hair would benefit from use more often.

Dimethicone and Other Silicones

I don’t know what we did before silicones.  Oh, that’s right, I do remember:  we walked around with cakey-looking foundation and big, straw-like hair.  Silicones do everything in skin care, cosmetics, and hair products from promoting a feeling of silkiness to increasing applicability to cleverly disguising thin lines, wrinkles, and split ends.  Specifically for the hair, silicones have been found to significantly reduce combing forces on the hair, resulting in less breakage over time.  In fact, dimethicone has been found to be 20,000 times more effective than distearyldimonium chloride in reducing combing forces (Handbook of Cosmetic Science and Technology, 2009).  Of all the thousands of products out there with silicones as a main ingredient, I like BioSilk Conditioner the best; it made my fine, straight hair soft, manageable, and shinier.

Some do not like to use dimethicone or other silicones due to the fact that contact with the eyes may cause irritation.  However, most scientists have concluded dimethicone and other silicones are safe for use in toiletries and cosmetics, as dimethicone has not been shown to be toxic when applied topically or inhaled in acute doses.  In addition, the internet rumors that silicones cause tumors have been largely invalidated (International Journal of Toxicology, 2003).  I understand some ultra-cautious may still want to avoid them and respect that decision, but I personally still use them.

Antioxidants 

Since hair greying was recently linked to oxidative damage from free radicals, there’s never been a better time to start using antioxidants on your hair.   Although some may argue free radicals attack living cells and the hair is dead, the effects of free radical accumulation on the hair follicle deter hair growth and cause greying (Trends in Genetics, 1995).  So get some antioxidants applied to that hair follicle already!  Antioxidants commonly found in hair care products include olive oil, varied plant extracts, vitamin C and vitamin E.  I like Frederic Fekkai Olive Oil Glossing Cream because it contains antioxidant olive oil and has a very nice, light consistency.

Aldehydes and Keratin

Got split ends?  Products with the new split-end technology use aldehydes and hydrolyzed keratin amino acids in the product that react with naturally occurring keratin in the hair.  Once the reaction occurs, delicate bridges form between the split pieces of hair, bonding new keratin onto the hair’s surface.  These bridges effectively “glue” the hair strand back together, according to scientist Dr. Tonya McKay Becker, Ph.D., an author of Naturally Curly.com.

Bottom Line

Yes, dear Caught by the Hair, your shampoo and conditioner really can make a difference.  Specifically, panthenol, silicones, quaternary ammonium salts, antioxidants, and keratin/aldehydes can make a huge difference, but hundreds of other ingredients, like argan oil, pequi oil, and shea butter, can also change the quality, texture, and manageability of your hair.  I’ll be doing more reports on hair in the future, so please keep your great hair questions coming!

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