Croda has launched a non-quaternized conditioning agent that is said to enhance fiber alignment and reduce friction between hair strands. KeraDyn HH (INCI: Bis-Ethyl(Isostearylimidazoline) Isostearide) was created to restore healthy hair dynamics to damaged hair.
The most abundant lipid found on the hair surface is 18-Methyl Eicosanoic Acid (18 MEA). According to the company, damage to the surface of the hair through chemical treatments can deplete the hair’s lipid layer, which contributes significantly to inter-fiber friction. The multiple branched chain structure of the conditioner is designed to provide a lubricating effect on the surface of the hair and the polyamine backbone provides multiple points of attachment to the hair which makes it highly substantive and an effective agent to reduce inter-fiber friction.
To test the efficacy of the conditioning agent, the company conducted its Hair Dynamics Test, which was developed in conjunction with the Centre for Visual Computing at the University of Bradford. The test digitally records hair motion using a high definition (1920 x 1080 pixes) video camera. Hair tresses attached to a sliding bar are moved horizontally backwards and forwards at a set speed. The key parameter measured is the swing height of the tresses investigated by directional change.
The company tested bleach damaged European hair, chemically straightened Latin American hair and permanently colored Asian hair with the Hair Dynamics Test. The European tresses were tested after being treated with either a leading brand hair conditioner or a conditioner containing the conditioning agent at 1%. The leading brand hair conditioner showed a swing height/pixels of approx. 205, while the conditioner with the agent showed a swing height/pixels of approx. 270. The bleached tresses that were not conditioner showed swing heights/pixels of 70 and 50.
Chemically straightened Latin American hair treated with the conditioning agent conditioner showed a swing height/pixels of 215, whereas the unconditioned Latin American hair showed a swing height/pixels of 95. Finally, colored Asian hair treated with the conditioning agent showed a swing height/pixels of 318, whereas the colored unconditioned hair showed a swing height/pixels of 95.
The conditioning agent is recommended at 1–2% in shampoos, conditioners, leave-on conditioners, serums, spritzes and styling products. It is compatible with commonly used quats. It is also cold processable and suitable for clear systems.
