National Starch Personal Care Boosts Hair Color Protection in Leave-on Systems

The CELQUAT® LS-50 Polymer Supports Extraordinary Color Vibrancy after 10 Washes

National Starch Personal Care announced today that hair color protection formulas made with film forming polymers offer a higher level of performance than products made with other functional ingredients. In visual observations of light brown hair swatches dyed Radiant Ruby Red, trained panelists identified a leave-on mousse made with 3% CELQUAT® LS-50 film forming polymer as the best performer after ten washes, retaining 87% color vibrancy. The evaluations suggest that film forming polymers delivered from a leave-on mousse system will prevent premature fading of hair color. The evaluations also demonstrate that CELQUAT LS-50 polymer - made from a linear high-amylose starch - offers better color protection than mousse systems made with either polyquaternium compounds or silicone-containing dispersions.

According to Maria Tolchinsky, Global Marketing Manager, marketers have the option to produce higher-performing color protection products that extend the qualitative aspects of hair color beyond a few washings. “With hair coloring prices ranging from $90-$200 at the salon, consumers now depend on hair color protection as a way to extend the value of that investment,” she said. “We found in panel evaluations that CELQUAT LS-50 film forming polymer can be added to mousse formulations as a way to significantly retain the color vibrancy of dyed hair after repeated washing"

Color Protection: A Fast-Growing Segment within Hair Care

More than 172 new product launches based on color protection have been announced worldwide since June of 2006. A majority of these launches have come in the form of rinse-off applications like shampoo and conditioner, leaving the window open for new leave-on mousse products that inspire the imagination and raise the bar in areas like color longevity and color vibrancy.

“Most consumers understand that frequent washing and environmental factors will diminish the vitality of hair color over time,” Tolchinsky said. “The proliferation of hair color protection products is itself a proof statement that consumers require user-friendly options to maintain the color vibrancy of their hair for an extended period of time. The CELQUAT LS-50 polymer expands the options marketers have in making label claims pertaining to color vibrancy after 10 washes,” she said. National Starch Personal Care offers a test formula containing the CELQUAT LS-50 polymer as an example of how it is possible to enhance the performance of color protection products in leave-on systems.

The fully formulated color protection mousse and subsequent panel evaluations is an example of National Starch Personal Care’s transition as a supplier of products to a supplier of solutions that help marketers improve the success of their brands. The mousse formulation, hair color evaluation protocols and testing against benchmark leave-on formulas will be made available in a live Webinar, November 6, 2007. To register for the free webinar, visit personalcarepolymers.com, click on “The Learning Center” in the tool bar and scroll to “Live Presentations.”