Ashland introduced a hair fixative terpolymer for hairsprays with lasting hold, stiffness and humidity resistance. Advantage 4910 polymer (INCI: Octylacrylamide/Acrylates/Butylaminoethyl Methacrylate Copolymer) was used in-house by the company for a number of years before being commercially launched and is supplied by only one other polymer manufacturer. With the addition, Ashland now offers hairspray formulators all of the major polymers required to produce today’s consumer-desirable formulas.
The copolymer delivers all of the consumer benefits one would expect in a traditional hairspray. Style creation and fixation, along with key attributes such as humidity resistance and long lasting hold, may be obtained when using the polymer along with one or more of the company's palette of styling and fixative polymers. When used as a secondary fixative in select high- and low-VOC systems, attributes such as texture, level of stiffness and holding time may be enhanced to support specific product claims.
The copolymer may be used in virtually any aerosol base formulation, across all VOC levels. The polymer is demonstrated compatible in anhydrous, hydroalcoholic and 100% water systems.
To assess the functionality of the copolymer, Ashland developed Dynamic Hairspray Analysis (DHSA), an evaluation tool that measures the impact of mechanical and environmental stress applied to treated hair fiber assemblies. Additional tests, such as dynamic mechanical analysis, high humidity resistivity evaluations, trained panel evaluations and salon evaluations, also revealed insights that Ashland’s technical and marketing teams will use to support formulators working on the next generation of styling products.