The main function of the hair is to protect the body against environmental impacts and damage as well as regulating the body temperature. Today they have a strong impact on the emotional and social aspect of everyday life. More and more people dedicate big amounts of their time and money to hair care, so their hair could be thick, shiny and healthy looking. A fast, simple and affordable solution is a hair mask. Through time it has gained more recognition in the cosmetics market, as more and more people started using it. It promises to regenerate, revitalize and nourish damaged hair with proteins and vitamins it has lost, to restore its shine and healthy appearance.
In this diploma, we studied the composition of hair masks. We chose 50 products from cosmetics shops, pharmacies and online stores and analysed their main ingredients. We focused primarily on ingredients that help in hair regeneration and studied their mechanism of working. We also analysed fragrances and preservatives. In the end, we compared the main ingredients in hair masks with those in hair conditioners.
We found out that the ingredients that work actively in hair regeneration are cationic surfactants, silicones, higher alcohols, humectants and emollients. Hydrolyzed proteins, natural oils and extracts are also important ingredients. The most commonly found cationic surfactants were benehtrimonium and cetrimonium chloride. Among silicones, amodimethicone appeared most frequently. Fatty alcohol, cetearyl alcohol, was found in 40 products. Among humectants glycerol and propylene glycol were most commonly found. Among hydrolyzed proteins, hydrolyzed keratin and wheat protein were most commonly present. In chosen products we found 32 different natural oils and 47 different natural extracts, among which sunflower oil and citrus extracts were mostcommonly found. The most commonly used fragrances were linalool and limonene, with benzyl alcohol and phenoxyethanol as most common preservatives.
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