Eco-friendly hair products: highlighting efficacy within sustainability claims

The rise of eco-friendly hair products is undeniable as sustainability claims continue expanding rapidly and brands’ efforts further intensify to meet consumers’ increasing awareness of the environment. However, as interest for sustainability products continues, efficacy must not be overlooked.

Brands have made significant moves to achieve further sustainability and adopt environmentally-friendly practices within the hair care segment: from plastic-free packaging to solid shampoos, sustainability has gained particular traction in hair care. However, the truth is consumers today still put efficacy at the forefront, while sustainable, plant-based ingredients are still faced with relative obscurity and potential misunderstandings around their efficacy compared to synthetic alternatives. 

In this context, brands must intensify their efforts to both choose natural ingredients whose efficacy is backed by science and are considered eco-friendly hair products, and communicate these benefits with robust narratives that confidently showcase the ingredient’s efficacy. Only through this combination of factors and putting efficacy at the forefront it is possible to make sustainability a key factor of differentiation.

Science-backed efficacy and eco-friendly hair products: a winning combination

Eco-friendly hair products have gained traction in recent years. However, efforts to develop the next big sustainable formulation shouldn’t forget efficacy is still the number one priority for consumers. 

This fact is also coupled with another reality that must be considered when developing eco-friendly hair products: consumers are used to certain formulations and formats, and may be hesitant to make a move to newer forms if they aren’t convinced about their efficacy. This is further shown by specialized Mintel research, which confirms “efficacy is most important when it comes to BPC ingredients”, highlighting how 54% of US consumers who research ingredients seek to gain a deeper insight into how effective a product might be. 

While these facts present challenges to the development of eco-friendly hair products, they also contain the keys to develop disruptive yet successful formulations that stand out among the multitude of options today. This is particularly true considering 46% of US consumers who have heard of clean beauty have bought clean haircare products in the last year, with figures reaching 53% among 18-24 year olds, according to research by Mintel.

The keys for success in eco-friendly haircare

Today, a successful formulation should result in a combination of the following: 

• Science-backed effectiveness and high functionality
• Promotes ingredient transparency, including its efforts in sourcing ingredients sustainably
• Is launched together with extensive educational content and marketing narratives that explain the product’s efficacy claims in detail, thus encouraging the acceptance of ingredients or formulations that are initially unfamiliar for consumers
• Can prove efforts for a low environmental impact, including relevant certifications

It’s precisely in this context where trends such as sustainable biotechnology and bioengineered ingredients are taking center stage. Initiatives such as Provital’s technological products, which combine the best of natural sustainable ingredients with the most advanced cosmetic science for the development of highly technological active ingredients. 

This use of cutting-edge research for ensuring the best efficacy and sustainability is opening the door to promising cosmetic developments such as Provital’s flagship 3D Matrix technology. This innovative three-dimensional matrix structure allows for an immediate effect and a subsequent release of the active molecules inside the skin or hair, ensuring an homogeneous application that multiplies the benefits of the active ingredient trapped inside.

Beyond the solid shampoo: the eco-friendly hair product that meets efficacy demands

Provital’s Keraveg™ stands out for its capacity to satisfy both sustainability claims and consumer demands for extraordinary efficiency in haircare. 

Obtained by the controlled enzymatic hydrolysis of proteins derived from rice and maize, it acts as a restorative natural active for weakened and damaged hair that protects the hair fiber and strengthens and prevents breakage.

To exert its maximum effect, the ingredient has been placed in a controlled release cationic matrix (Matrix Plus) developed by provital, which ensures the ingredient remains on the hair fiber’s cuticle surface for a sufficient length of time in order to achieve its benefits.

The ingredient seeks to activate hair protection from within. It contributes to the stabilization of the hair fiber’s peptide chains, acting as a protective film-forming layer that facilitates tissue repair and insulates the hair against external agents, as well as improving hair’s elastic properties. Additionally, by neutralizing the potential electrostatic charge caused by the use of anionic shampoos, Keraveg™ makes hair more manageable.

The result is a versatile product whose science-backed efficacy claims cater to a wide range of consumers and hair protection needs, opening the door to a new era of eco-friendly hair products that put efficiency at the forefront.