Spreading Clean Beauty

Low porosity hair and the food-based ingredient trend to treat it

Issues related to a low porosity hair represent a multifaceted concern that necessitates a holistic approach for effective treatment. The problem is directly related to the morphology of hair cuticles, with all-round symptoms that can range from dryness to hair breakage or dullness.

Current hair care trends are indeed aligned towards an integrative understanding of hair health, with issues such as low porosity hair emerging as key trends. In this context, a growing movement is looking to incorporate the nutritional value of certain food ingredients into hair care products and routines. 

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In fact, for some time now, consumers have been aware of the impact of their diet on aspects such as skin and hair. For instance, research carried out by Mintel in 2021 found 53% of people in Germany agree that hair appearance can be improved through dietary choices.

As brands integrate this nutrition-based approach to hair care, low porosity hair issues can certainly benefit from transforming edible properties into hair care routines.

What is low porosity hair? Is low porosity hair healthier?

The concept of hair porosity refers to how easily hair absorbs and retains moisture. In the case of low porosity hair, it can be defined as a characteristic that involves difficulty for moisture to penetrate the hair shaft.

This is primarily determined by the structure of the hair cuticle, which is the outermost layer of the hair shaft. Hair cuticles are organized as a series of overlapping scales whose goal is to help protect the inner layers of the hair. In the case of low porosity hair, it is characterized by closed hair cuticles, where the scales are lying flat and tightly sealed against each other. 

While this could be indicative of healthy hair (as the closed hair cuticle helps lock in moisture, maintain shine, and prevent damage to the inner layers of the hair shaft), overly sealed cuticles can cause a series of problems: 

  • Prevent moisture from penetrating the hair shaft, leading to dryness, brittleness, and hair breakage.
  • Make it difficult for hair to absorb beneficial hair care products and treatments.
  • Trap heat, resulting in damage during the use of certain tools like flat or curling irons.

How do you fix low porosity? Some key strategies

  • Remove potential product buildup and residue that might be contributing to excessively closed cuticles and thus preventing moisture and nutrients from penetrating the hair shaft. 
  • Use products that offer a gentle scalp exfoliation.
  • Focus on deep conditioning and deep moisturizing treatments. Argan oil, coconut oil as an scalp oil treatment or seaweed ingredients are great examples.
  • Avoid harmful hair styling, such as flat or curling irons and blow dryers.
  • Add cold water rinses to your hair care routine, which will help sealing the hair cuticle in a healthy way.

The food-like ingredient trend and its potential for low porosity hair

As we’ve mentioned above, there’s an increasing awareness around the link between hair health and lifestyle habits, including dietary options. In such a context, consumers are looking for multi-functional benefits but also well-known ingredients. This has led to a surge in cosmetic and hair care products that incorporate food-like ingredients, from turmeric scrub to what are known as ‘superfoods’

The trend is straightforward: to apply the nutritional benefits of food ingredients to hair care. More specifically, this movement is gaining momentum as it collides with other hair care trends, such as the preference for ingredients with a natural origin and that are felt as safe and familiar by consumers.

At the same time, this movement relates to a shift in an understanding of beauty as inextricably linked to health and treatments that work “from the inside out” or “from the root”.

This ‘Food Beauty’ movement and all the coexisting trends we’ve just mentioned has direct implications for the development of successful treatments that target low porosity hair.

Such is the case of Densinaria™, a hair care ingredient that acts on both the cuticle and the cortex, promoting hair health and long-term results. 

Based on an edible algae species called Palmaria palmata, this extract provides unique benefits related to low porosity hair and beyond, including

  • Hair volume and strength boosted through an optimized enzyme-assisted extraction process.
  • Strengthening action on the cuticle, thanks to reconstructive biomolecules.
  • Prevention of split ends thanks to the film-forming effect of Palmaria palmata seaweed.
  • Hair fiber resistance from the inside out, enhanced with arginine.
  • Reconstructive effect on hair fiber, similar to keratin. This is due to this ingredient’s rich contents in arginine, a key amino acid for hair health, able to repair the hair internally and reduce hair breakage.

With this ingredient, Provital continues paving the way for innovative, plant-based treatments that target low porosity hair, and align with current consumer preferences for food-based hair care that targets root causes.

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