Allison Garlet, BASF Care Chemicals North America

In today’s haircare market, attaining healthy hair is top-of-mind for consumers. As they gain an understanding about their personalized haircare needs, consumers seek more effective solutions.  As trends in hair health evolve, consumers want both sustainable solutions as well as performance. 

Additionally, consumers blur the lines between their at-home and spa routines, and strive to prolong the benefits of their styling treatments. Consumers actively search for their next healthy hair ritual, as seen from the growth of trending TikTok hashtags such as #glasshair, #hairbotox or even #deadhair, with respective year-over-year growth of 125%, 208% and 351%, according to Spate.

Traditionally, consumers turned to keratin, a well-known hero ingredient, to repair and strengthen hair. It is an animal-derived, protective protein found throughout skin, nails and hair.  Even though keratin is accepted as an effective ingredient for haircare, consumers desire more eco-conscious solutions. For example, according to Mintel GNPD, 49% of the haircare launches in North America in 2023 had an “upcycled” ingredient claim, more than doubling the 2022 figures of 20%.¹ Conversely, haircare product launches addressing damaged hair remained similar from 2021-2023 representing approximately 18% of new launches.²

To address these consumer needs, BASF developed an upcycled and plant-based biomimetic keratin alternative that is haircare’s next-generation hero ingredient.

Repair and Protect Hair

BASF created an efficacious and sustainable extract for hair repair and protection. This active ingredient is derived from upcycled milk thistle seedcakes, a byproduct from milk thistle oil production and has a concentrated micro-complex of peptides and antioxidant polyphenols. It was carefully designed to have a similar amino acid signature to keratin, penetrating deeply into damaged hair fibers and stabilizing damaged keratin bonds.  

Using FT-IR analysis, it was shown that the extract’s low molecular weight peptides penetrate deeply into the hair cortex which enables deep repair from inside the hair fiber.  Additionally, comprehensive studies prove this extract offers protection for the structural proteins of the hair against oxidation, while delaying color fading. These studies show that this plant-based alternative to keratin has a double action: it repairs damaged hair and protects it from daily stress. It can also contribute to the reduction of breakage, especially of weakened hair, through the stabilization and repair of hair keratin bonds, making hair stronger and shinier.

Bond Repair Science

Hair is made up of approximately 80-95% keratin, which provides structure and resilience. Within the hair fiber, keratin forms dimers that are stabilized by both hydrogen and disulfide bonds, playing a key role in keratin stabilization. Keratin in hair is known to have high amounts of the amino acid cysteine, which cross-links to form disulfide bonds. Hair treatments such as bleaching can cause the oxidation of disulfide bonds in the cuticle, decreasing hair strength and causing scale lift. When hair becomes damaged from bleaching or heat, the outer cuticle layer becomes impaired, resulting in split ends, hair tangling and fragility. The cuticle may become so damaged that the inner cortex of the hair is exposed, leading to further disruption of disulfide bonds and even hair fiber fracture.  

This upcycled extract was developed to have low molecular weight peptides ranging from 200-700 Daltons, enabling it to deeply penetrate damaged keratin fibers. After assessing its ability to penetrate damaged hair using FT-IR, it was found to accumulate on both on the hair cuticle as well as penetrate the hair fiber cortex. Additionally, this extract interacts with cortical damaged keratin, stabilizing cysteic acid residues and producing a vibrational signature similar to undamaged hair when comparing FT-IR spectra. This leads to the structural and mechanical stabilization of damaged hair, thereby preventing hair breakage, as validated by a single hair fatigue test.

Preventing Hair Damage

Hair can be damaged by other conditions such as pollutants and ultraviolet (UV) light exposure, resulting in dull, dry and color-faded hair. For instance, proteins may be glycated through the reaction of the N-terminal group of arginine and lysine side chains with reducing sugars or reactive aldehyde compounds. This leads to the production of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), which increase with age. Premature aging of the hair is associated with decreased total protein content and increased AGEs, especially if in color-treated hair.  Glycation can also be accelerated by external conditions such as temperature and UV light associated with the formation of free radicals and reactive oxygen species at the hair level. 

BASF conducted an experiment using pentosidine as a biomarker for AGE, which is formed from the binding between arginine and lysine. We found the presence of Fe⁺² increases the formation of AGEs such as pentosidine in the presence of hydrogen peroxide. After testing this plant-based alternative to animal keratin in these conditions, we observed this product was able to prevent glycation reactions catalyzed by Fe⁺², with a 61% protection index against pentosidine formation.  

Another form of hair damage is carbonylation of proteins. It is an irreversible oxidative protein modification that results in a reactive carbonyl moiety in a protein. Carbonylation can be caused by reactive oxidative species or with secondary products of oxidative stress.  Carbonylation of proteins at the hair surface can decrease hydrophobicity and promote further damage. Hair can be protected from oxidative damage by using antioxidants to reduce free radical formation. After exposing hair fibers to the “oxi-stress” conditions of UVA irradiation and small particulate matter exposure, this extract was able to have a 100% protection index of total proteins from carbonylation. We also assessed fluorescent probe staining after exposure to these “oxi-stress” conditions to assess the structural integrity of the hair fiber. Furthermore, it helps to protect the hair cuticle and cortex from carbonylation in these conditions, conferring a protection index of 49% and 59%, respectively, translating to increased structural integrity of hair. These parameters can translate to healthy and vibrant hair with less UV-induced color fade.

Clinically Proven Benefits

BASF conducted an inclusive consumer study involving a panel of women with self-perceived hair damage. Panelists had varying hair textures such as straight, wavy, curly or coily hair (hair types 2 through 4c) to test the effect of this plant-based alternative to keratin in a rinse-off format on different hair types. After using shampoo and conditioner formulated with a 0.2% concentration of the milk thistle seed extract, used at least three times each week for four weeks, 77% of panelists agreed their hair was less damaged and was protected from splitting. Additionally, 81% of panelists agreed their hair was healthier looking and shinier after using products formulated with milk thistle seed extract. 

This extract is easy to use in formulations, with a suggested use concentration of 0.2% and temperature compatibility up to 80ºC. It is compatible with a wide range of ingredients used for personal care and can produce clear gels. Additionally, it is suitable for use in both foaming and solid formats.

BASF has developed a formulation collection featuring natural ingredients and novel formats, using our broad portfolio of chassis ingredients. Here are two of them.  

Procedure: Heat phase A to 85°C in a hot bath. In a separate beaker, mix phase B until homogeneous. Add phase C to B while stirring. Add phase D to phase B+C. Add phase E to phase B+C+D slowly. Add phase B+C+D+E to phase A and heat up to 85°C. Add phase F and homogenize at 85°C (avoid air incorporation). Fill in silicone mold and cool down to RT. Specifications: pH value (10%) (23°C) = 4.7 – 5.0. Appearance – Solid Shampoo

Procedure: Prepare phase A under stirring at room temperature. Add phase B to phase A while stirring. Prepare phase C separately and add it into phase A+B while stirring. Prepare phase D and when homogeneous, add it into phase A+B+C while stirring. Adjust pH at 4.9-5.1 with phase E. Specifications: pH value (23°C) = 4.90. Viscosity (Brookfield; RVT; spindle 5; 50 rpm; 23°C) = 1200 cP

Conclusion

Consumer demand is growing for sustainable and effective haircare solutions. Traditional ingredients like keratin are being replaced by eco-conscious alternatives. BASF’s upcycled and plant-based biomimetic keratin alternative penetrates deeply into damaged hair fibers, repairs hair and protects it from daily stress. This active ingredient is scientifically proven to stabilize damaged keratin bonds, reduce breakage, delay color fading, prevent glycation reactions and protect against protein carbonylation. It was tested on a diverse range of hair types and has shown clinically proven benefits, including less hair damage, protection from splitting, healthier-looking hair and increased shine. BASF’s active ingredient is easy to incorporate into formulations and is compatible with various personal care ingredients. As the demand for eco-friendly and high-performance hair care solutions continues to grow, BASF’s upcycled plant-based alternative to keratin addresses the consumer’s pursuit for healthy hair.

References:

1. Mintel data GNPD – Region North America, Search Upcycled with word variants, Category Hair Products
2. Mintel data GNPD – Region North America, Search Repair with word variants, Category Hair Products

About the Author

Allison Garlet is marketing manager, bioactives, BASF Care Chemicals North America, www.basf.com.