Editor’s Note: Outgrowth of Innovation

Jun 1st, 2018

Rachel Grabenhofer

In a very unscientific poll, I recently queried my Facebook friends—mainly of a Caucasian female demographic based in the Midwest United States: 1) What do you like most/least about your hair? and 2) What do you wish a product would/wouldn’t do? I received 16 responses in two main categories: too thin/flat, and too greasy/frizzy. Examples include the following (see Complete Facebook Responses for all of them):

Too thin and fine; I wish it was thicker and fuller (3 respondents agreed);
Too fine and falls out everywhere! I shed worse than a dog. Lol.
It’s very fine and flat. It kinks in humidity but not in good ways. Blow-drying helps to add volume but takes too much effort.
I love how thick it is but hate that I can’t go a day without washing because it gets greasy. I wish I could find a fragrance-free product with natural ingredients that actually got my hair clean without causing an allergic reaction. . . [I have sensitivities].
Too frizzy—all the time. Product doesn’t help unless I use a lot and then it looks greasy. Wish I could find something to straighten it without needing to use a flat iron for an hour.
Too damn thick and curly.

You get the picture. One side wants what the other has, which really is human nature. It’s no surprise, then, that the global market for hair care products striving to turn the “have-nots” into “haves” is expected to reach $106.57 billion by 2023.¹

As such, this edition of Cosmetics & Toiletries penetrates, reconstructs, nourishes and seals in novel solutions to address underlying issues in hair care and formulation challenges. From a natural keratin repair agent, and a hydrotrope for color protection, strength and reduced frizz; to methods for quantifying conditioning and body/volume, and even a look at nutrition and hair, we aim to stimulate your outgrowth of innovation for this anagen phase of the hair market cycle.

References

mordorintelligence.com/industry-reports/hair-care-market-industry

This content appeared in the June 2018 digital edition.

Read More in the Digital Magazine

Complete <em>Facebook</em> Responses

• Too thin and fine; I wish it was thicker and fuller (3 respondents agreed);

• Too fine and falls out everywhere! I shed worse than a dog. Lol.

• It’s very fine and flat. It kinks in humidity but not in good ways. Blow-drying helps to add volume but takes too much effort.

• My hair is too fine and I have cow licks which will not lay down unless I soak them with hairspray.

• Have fine thin hair. Wish I could find something that makes it seem thicker and last all day (for short hair).

• [What I like] most is that there’s a bit of body/wave, and before [the gray appears], I like my natural highlights. [What I like] least is that it won’t stay put or do what I want it to do. I stink at styling. I would like to know products do not have harmful chemicals for me or the environment. Reusable or recyclable containers are a draw to me. Specific to hair, I would like a good sculpting product that adds lift and body without looking fake or sprayed not to move.

• I like that my hair is very healthy and incredibly soft. However, it won’t hold a curl even with massive amounts of product. I wish products wouldn’t cause me to break out in hives or blisters. I [also] wish products would actually make the curl stay instead of making me look like a grease ball!

• I love how thick it is but hate that I can’t go a day without washing because it gets greasy. I wish I could find a fragrance-free product with natural ingredients that actually got my hair clean without causing an allergic reaction…I have a known allergy to fragrance, and fragrance-free shampoo is hard to find. Natural products I’ve tried still cause itchy scalp or rash… The only shampoo I’ve found that I can use is a Whole Foods brand 365 [something or other], but it does not get my hair clean.

• [My hair is] too frizzy—all the time. Product doesn’t help unless I use a lot and then it looks greasy. Wish I could find something to straighten it without needing to use a flat iron for an hour.

• Too damn thick and curly.

• [What I like least is] that I have weird straight locks in the midst of my curly hair. So annoying and weird looking! I wish I could find a product that would help my curl without weighing it down, making it crunchy, or just not working.

• [What I like] most is thickness; least, color. I need a color that lasts longer! Also, products that protect against chlorine.

• Right now, Rachel, I am thankful to have hair. I’ve learned that our looks are way too defined as women by our hair. I wish we could all be bald and feel beautiful!

• Everyone wants what they don't have. Straight-haired people want body; wavy-haired people struggle to keep it straight. It’s human nature, I think. Who's truly happy with themselves just the way they are?