Applechem’s OleoFlex™ is an innovative delivery system to increase the use of natural oils in hair care formulation design.
Demand is growing for personal care products with higher natural and naturally derived ingredient content. Formulators must often find a balance between using higher amounts of environmentally responsible ingredients while maintaining important performance parameters.
In response to this challenge, Applechem, a Solabia Group company, developed OleoFlex™ as an innovative delivery system to increase the use of natural oils in formulation design. The patented hybrid material structures the oils by creating a thermally reversible micro-sponge polymer network that enmeshes the oil molecules, boosting their functionality and creating a soft, cushioned viscoelastic gel.
This flexible, anhydrous structuring material has many unique applications in personal care formulations. There are two options in the OleoFlex product range – the Elastomer Gel (EG) series, and the Flowing Gel (FG) series.
The EG 200 series structures oils by creating a three-dimensional micro-sponge polymer network. This results in a thermal-reversible, viscoelastic gel texture. It is generally used in skincare and stick applications, which require a more flexible substantiation of natural oils along with a more soft and cushioned sensory profile.
Primarily used in hair care and lip care formulations, the FG series acts as a film former and conditioning enhancer for natural oils. It can also be used with the EG series to modify the flow and elasticity of the polymeric structure. The FG series has a thickened, honey-like consistency.
Hair repair and treatment benefits
Applechem has investigated the benefits of using OleoFlex™ FG-100 in hair treatment products, specifically for cuticle repair due to heat damage, chemical damage from harsh treatment procedures, excessive washing, and combing.
A study was conducted to demonstrate how OleoFlex™ FG-100 can boost the film forming and rinse-off resistance of natural oils by substantiating oil deposition on hair follicles. The more effective the treatment, the better it performed at reducing the number of damaged, raised hair cuticles.
To validate the hair repair benefits, the Applechem team correlated the reparative benefit of OleoFlex FG-100™ with two specific observations:
- Fewer lifted or damaged cuticles, as indicated by the intensity of iridescent light spots.
- The visual appearance of the hair tress.
In this comparison, damaged hair tresses were treated with a hair serum formulation. A natural oil-based serum was created as the control, while the other serum included an FG-100/EG-200 combination as a replacement. Lastly, a silicone-based serum (competitor A) was created featuring a leading hair repair ingredient on the market. The results of the comparison study are shown in table 1.
Comparison results and observations
The most restorative of the hair serums were the FG-100 + EG-200 combination. The FG-100 serum and competitor A’s serum had relatively equal performance, while hair treated with the control serum remained the most damaged.
OleoFlex™ FG-100 has a strong, functional effect in extending the benefits of natural oils in hair care protection and repair, as there is a demonstrable difference between the control samples and the ones treated with the OleoFlex system.
The OleoFlex system is also highly comparable in performance to silicone-based repair systems, and in some ways even exceeds their performance, which is an exciting development for hair care formulations that emphasise natural oil components.
Send an email to [email protected] at Vantage South Africa for more information on the OleoFlex system.
