Hairstyling products with an anti-ageing effect are very much in demand. After years of work in this field, a team of researchers at Bayer MaterialScience has now made a breakthrough in hair care with the waterborne polyurethane dispersion Baycusan C 1008.
This multitalented raw material combines a three-fold advantage in formulations for hair care products: protection, hold and conditioning. The sleek look is the current international trend in hair styling. Millions of women treat their hair every day with straightening irons that reach temperatures of up to 230°C, but this is not without consequences. Unprotected hair suffers microscopic damage that in the long term leads to split ends, reduced shine and hair breakage. Conditioning products containing Baycusan C 1008, a film-forming polymer stable up to 270°C, coat every single hair fibre and easily wash out later on, without leaving behind any residue. Extensive testing confirms the tremendous protective effect against heat. Electron microscope images of hair fibres that have been regularly treated with a straightening iron for a long period show significant differences compared to conventional heat protection products. The thin, highly elastic Baycusan C 1008 film protects hair against overheating at concentrated points. It expands with the hair under the influence of high temperature and shrinks again during cooling. These characteristics were also confirmed in tests of the tensile elastic behaviour of hair strands. The heat protection of different conditioning products was examined on hair treated regularly with a straightening iron over a long period of time.
