Pinus pinaster bark extract: protecting damaged hair at a molecular level

The Pinus pinaster bark extract.

As hair undergoes oxidative stress from treatments like bleaching, perming, and coloring, as well as urban pollution, it leads to texture variations, breakage, and vulnerability to humidity.

It’s precisely in this context where Pinus pinaster bark extract (PTBE) is increasingly well known for its properties to treat and repair deteriorated hair, thus can act as a general protector to prevent hair damage, offering a solution to mitigate the effects of oxidative stresses on hair proteins.

Also known as maritime pine bark, this tree is native to the South Atlantic European region and some Western Mediterranean areas and is rich in multiple natural compounds including proanthocyanidins, bioflavonoids, and antioxidants. An outstanding chemical profile that is behind the extraordinary benefits that Pinus pinaster bark extract is able to activate.

In this context, innovative research by Provital presented at IFSCC 2024 has shown the precise mechanisms of Pinus pinaster bark extract to protect the molecular structure of hair from oxidative damage caused especially by bleaching and heat.

What does pine bark extract do for hair?

When speaking about oxidative damage, it’s important to understand the underlying what hair damage is exactly. As such, hair oxidative damage involves the chemical modifications of keratin in processes such as carbonylation, responsible for impairing keratin function. 

That is why preventing external factors like bleaching and heat from causing carbonylation can be an effective strategy to shield hair, especially considering how hair cannot rejuvenate once damaged. 

This is exactly where Provital’s bark extract comes in. The bark of Pinus pinaster is known for supporting several beneficial health outcomes that go beyond hair health,it was reported that it improves circulation, stimulates immune system and has antioxidant effects when used as a herbal medication, . 

Also speaking about hair health, this pine’s  bark extract is known to contribute to hair regrowth and fighting gray hair thanks to its potent antioxidant properties.

But the new breakthrough research by Provital has shown how this ingredient goes beyond that, focusing on the shielding capacities of Pinus pinaster bark extract from oxidative damage caused by bleaching and heat treatments.

For the testing protocols, the pine tree bark extract was compared to a placebo on virgin Caucasian hair tresses. The protocol involved three days of washing and active or placebo serum leave-on application. On the fourth day, hair tresses were stressed with either heat or bleaching. 

The focus was to analyze hair damage from an all-inclusive perspective. As such, a number of cutting-edge testing technologies were applied: 

• Oxidative carbonylation was analyzed using a patented fluorescent probe, as this process involves the chemical modifications of the keratin and is indicative of impaired keratin function. 
• Keratin structure was studied by measuring birefringence (Kindex) with the XPolar® technology.
• Hair damage was examined at specific chemical groups by both ATR-FTIR and synchrotron-based FTIR spectroscopic imaging.

The results showcased the potential of this extract to develop an advanced botanical formulation for hair protection in the following areas: 

• Significant prevention of oxidation 
• Preventing hair protein carbonylation
• Protection of hair structural integrity under conditions of bleaching performed by XPolar® technology. 
• Preventing the oxidation of sulphonyl and carbonyl groups caused by stress. 
• Preserving protein structural integrity, and mitigating stress-induced effects on the carbonyl group.

All in all, research found a notable positive impact of the active in both the cuticle and cortex, thus preventing irreversible molecular damages and preserving hair physical properties. 

Additionally, results showcase how Pinus pinaster bark extract is able to preserve keratin organization, safeguarding hair structure and reducing heat damage on hair as well as damage caused by bleach, preventing both sulfonyl and carbonylation oxidative modifications of keratin, an action that emphasizes its protective effect on hair fibers. 

As such, pine bark extract emerges as the next hero ingredient for hair protection, thanks to its ability to safeguard the hair cuticle and cortex against external aggressions like bleaching and heat.