A hydrolyzed protein from the South American grain Quinoa, the new ingredient binds to the hair shaft and penetrates the cortex, helping to repair deep in the hair, according to the company.
Tri K claims that Quinoa Pro EX provides substantivity and penetration on the hair for damage control, as well as having the film forming and moisture retention benefits shared by many hydrolyzed proteins.
Good adherence to the hair shaft
According to Tri-K marketing manager, Lauren DelDotto, substantivity is the ability of the ingredient to adhere to the hair surface.
“By having ability to adhere to hair, Quinoa Pro Ex first smoothes and conditions the hair surface and upon multiple applications it slowly penetrates into hair shaft and reacts with active sites of sulphonic acid formed from cleavage of cystine S-S (disulfide) bond during the hair relaxation/chemical treatment and in the process repairs the damage,” she told CosmeticsDesign.com USA.
Fluorescence testing was used to assess the adsorption of the ingredient (how well it binds to the hair surface) and its penetration, and the company claims that after one treatment of Quinoa Pro EX in a 1 per cent aqueous solution, samples showed a decrease in fluorescence.
This drop, 16 per cent less intensity than the control on swatches treated with the ingredient, corresponsed to an improvement on damage to the outside of the hair shaft, according to the company.
After 5 treatments the Quinoa Pro EX sample showed a 32 per cent improvement over the control on damage to the outside of the hair and a 26 per cent reduction of damage inside the hair cortex, Tri-K claims.
Although DelDotto said that in house tests on mannequin heads showed a good conditioning effect and an improvement in shine, the company has not yet performed consumer tests on the ingredient.
Primarily hair but potential for skin as well
Although the ingredient is primarily a hair conditioning ingredient, it can also be used in some skin care formulations, according to Tri K’s marketing manager Lauren DelDotto.
“It’s primarily a hair care ingredient for shampoos, conditioners, reparative and protection treatments, post-relaxer and post-perm treatments, etc. but it can also be used in skin to improve moisturization,” she told CosmeticsDesign.com USA.