SEM Uncovers Green Copolymer’s Cuticle Sealing Effect for Healthier Hair

Hydrogenated Castor Oil/Sebacic Acid Copolymer (HCOSA) was specifically designed to repair hair that has been damaged through chemical treatment and mechanical grooming practices [1]. Several studies were conducted utilizing Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) to demonstrate the cuticle sealing benefit from a rinse-off conditioner and split end repair capability from a leave-on serum. The SEM evaluation showed the superior performance of HCOSA in sealing down cuticles, and the statistical analysis indicated that HCOSA treatment was significantly more effective than placebo treatment over three shampoo wash cycles. In addition to cuticle sealing, SEM evaluation demonstrated the ability of HCOSA to repair the hair fibre with split ends. On European hair, the leave-on serum containing HCOSA delivered the best immediate and long-lasting split end repairing effect than the placebo and the natural commercial benchmark from Europe; on Asian hair, it provided the best efficacy in split end repairing immediately after treatment and medium washout resistance than the placebo and the synthetic commercial benchmark from Asia. In conclusion, all findings suggest that the HCOSA is the ideal solution for post-treatment and daily conditioning products to effectively smooth and seal the lifted cuticles and repair split end hair fibres.