Editor's Note: Highlights in Hair

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Rice water, Olaplex and porosity are the top three hair-related topics within the past year that users are searching with growing frequency, according to Google Trends.1 Rice water (up 80%) refers the split end hair treatment by Mielle Organics.2 Related searches for this brand also surged 3,000% since early 2020.1 Olaplex is a more established brand, though it still registered a 60% increase in searches.1 Interestingly, C&T actually featured a review3 of the Olaplex No. 3 Hair Perfector product in March 2020 that has racked up more than 9,000 page views—significant for our niche audience.

Porosity (up 40%), on the other hand, is technically more interesting, in my view. Its increase in searches suggests consumers are curious about this hair property. Previously, C&T has touched on how porosity affects the final color of hair dye,4 and the use of porosity as a test parameter to indicate the severity of damage in hair.5 Not to “split hairs,” but the common theme here seems obvious: hair damage and repair, which segues nicely into our current issue.

This month is focused on treatments for hair, such as: dyeing, protecting, replenishing and managing dandruff. Rigano, et al., seek to boost color vibrance in dyed and damaged hair on Page 52. Kaushik and co-authors explore oiling for hair health on Page 22. In relation, Pasiminio presents ethically sourced Lecythis minor (paradise nut) oil for hair gloss, hydration and combability, plus skin benefits, on Page DM9. And Genrich and colleagues shift the anti-dandruff paradigm by shifting the scalp microbiome and sebum levels on Page 44.

This issue also provides updates on the latest in hand sanitizers, from Lochhead and Lochhead, on Page 30; EU/UK regulations for microplastics, siloxanes and the Green Deal, from Meredith, on Page DM3; and South Korea, India and China legislation, from Hu, on Page 18. Lastly, we continue our “preservation during production” discussion with part III in our series, covering bulk production, from Toshima, et al., on Page 32.

We hope our latest issue gives you highlights in hair that strengthen and bond with your R&D efforts.

  1. Google Trends (Accessed 2021, May 12). Available at: https://trends.google.com/trends/explore?q=hair
  2. https://bit.ly/3w2jzet
  3. https://www.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/formulating/category/haircare/Read-the-Label-Olaplex-No-3-Hair-Perfector-568857451.html
  4. https://www.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/formulating/category/haircare/163566466.html
  5. https://media.cosmeticsandtoiletries.com/documents/CT_117_11_057_06.pdf

Rachel L. Grabenhofer, Managing Scientific Editor

[email protected]

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