Optimizing Hair Care Products with ANGUS Specialty Neutralizer Technology from Dow Performance Additives Today s consumers dominate the market when it comes to hair care products. They want the best products for their specific hair types, and they re not willing to compromise. AMP ULTRA PC specialty neutralizer, a personal care neutralizer from Dow Performance Additives, a business unit of The Dow Chemical Company, maximizes the performance of a wide range of styling products to help formulators develop customized hair care solutions. AMP ULTRA PC sets a quality benchmark with as the preferred specialty neutralizer in the global personal care and cosmetics industries. AMP ULTRA PC is a colorless liquid with a consistent and characteristic odor. In addition to setting a quality benchmark as the preferred specialty neutralizer for the global personal care and cosmetic industries, AMP ULTRA PC amino alcohol is available in three commercial grades AMP ULTRA PC 1000 (anhydrous), AMP ULTRA PC 2000 (5% water) and AMP ULTRA PC 3000 (11% water) to meet unique processing needs. A highly effective neutralizer is necessary for hair spray and hair styling products because using a larger amount of neutralizer can have negative effects. For any given product, the properties of film flexibility, washability and water solubility are all related to the degree of neutralization. As the degree of neutralization is increased, flexibility increases, resistance to humidity decreases (causing a sticky, tacky feel), and hydrocarbon solubility decreases. AMP ULTRA PC offers an effective formulation option at lower usage rates to combat these negative effects. AMP ULTRA PC is also an effective corrosion inhibitor in aqueous aerosol spray products. In addition, AMP ULTRA PC helps in the neutralization of acid functional components in hair care formulations that can lead to an increase in a polymer s water solubility, a feature necessary to achieve the optimum performance for low VOC formulations. AMP ULTRA PC is compliant with the most recent cosmetic laws for secondary amine and nitrosamine content of raw materials used in the manufacture of cosmetics and personal care products, including the European Cosmetics Directive 76/78/EEC and its latest amendments, The Ministry of Health (MOH) of the People s Republic of China Hygienic Standards for Cosmetics, The 2008 ASEAN Cosmetics Directive, and is approved for use in the USA by the PCPC/CTFA Cosmetics Ingredient Review (CIR). AMP ULTRA PC also has an INCI name available for products in Japan. AMP ULTRA PC offers hair care formulators a multitude of performance benefits when compared to triisopropanolamine (TIPA) and triethanolamine (TEA), now demonstrated with recent application testing that includes hold during humidity and propellant compatibility in hair sprays and gels and hair washability in hair sprays.
Proven Benefits High Humidity Curl Retention Whether they have straight, curly or wavy hair, many consumers experience frustration when the weather turns humid. Depending on the hair type, humidity can cause hair styles to become frizzy, kinky or lose all volume and body. During hair spray application testing, curls were made with 6 percent polymer solution neutralized with different neutralizers. The curl droop over 24 hours was monitored at 30 C and 90 percent relative humidity. The AMP ULTRA PC neutralized polymer demonstrated a higher percentage curl retention over time when compared with solutions neutralized with TIPA and TEA. With AMP ULTRA PC, formulators can create a hair care product that helps to hold a hair style, even during extreme humidity. To test curl retention of hair sprays in high humidity, curls were made with six percent polymer solution neutralized with different neutralizers. When compared with solutions neutralized with TIPA and TEA under 30⁰ C and 90 percent humidity for 24 hours, the AMP ULTRA PC neutralized polymer exhibited higher percentage curl retention. During gel application testing, curls were made with two percent PVP K 90 polymer and exposed to 90 percent humidity at 35⁰ C and monitored for eight hours. The AMP ULTRA PC neutralized polymer demonstrated a higher percentage curl retention over time when compared with solutions neutralized with potassium hydroxide (KOH) and TEA. Gels formulated with AMP ULTRA PC allow for longer lasting styles with higher humidity resistance.
To demonstrate the compatibility of AMP ULTRA PC with resins, scientists developed a clear hair gel formulation. Hair Washability The buildup that hair styling products can leave on hair after washing is another concern for many consumers. Product build up can compromise hair feel, shine and can even cause flaky residue after washing, a common effect of many hair styling products. To test for washability, hair tresses were treated with 6 percent neutralized polymer solution, allowed to dry, then washed. This cycle was repeated eight times to simulate frequent consumer use of a hairspray. The AMP ULTRA PC neutralized hair spray sample displayed excellent washability and no polymer buildup, compared to the TEA and TIPA neutralized hair sprays, which displayed flaky residue on the hair. AMP ULTRA PC helps consumers style their hair today while not having to worry about the appearance of white flaky residue tomorrow.
Hair tresses were treated with 6 percent neutralized polymer solution, allowed to dry, then washed. The cycle was repeated eight times to stimulate frequent consumer use of a hairspray. The hair tress treated with AMP ULTRA PC neutralized hair spray displayed excellent washability and no polymer buildup compared to the tresses treated with TEA and TIPA hairspray formulations, which displayed flaky residue on the hair. Dow Performance Additives Specialty Neutralizers: A customer focused offering To align its business growth strategies with direct market and customer focus, Dow Performance Additives offers regional customer application centers around the world that house fully equipped, state of the art laboratories and Personal Care Application Specialists who help customers achieve the full performance benefits of AMP ULTRA PC specialty neutralizer in their hair styling product formulations. Customer Application Centers (CACs) are available in Buffalo Grove, IL, USA; Horgen, Switzerland; Singapore; Shanghai, China; São Paolo, Brazil; and Mumbai, India. The CACs have shown to be particularly successful in supporting customers in the transition from standard AMP grades to the globally compliant AMP ULTRA PC grades. The CACs provide support for local hair styling product producers and also provide local support to global customers who have AMP ULTRA PC in hundreds of formulations. Customers have shown high appreciation of a smooth transition to the AMP ULTRA PC offering. With global supply capability and ISO 9001:2008 certification, application testing, and Customer Application Centers dedicated to creating unique, customized formulations based on customer
and market needs, AMP ULTRA PC helps maximize the performance of a wide range of hair care products. About the Author Liam Doherty is the global marketing manager for Dow Performance Additives. For more information about AMP Hair products, visit www.ampforhair.com. For additional information contact, dowcig@dow.com.