Many people rely solely on the scent of shampoo when choosing a shampoo, although the scent of coconut, wildflowers or fruit will not linger on their hair. But science does not stand still, and chemists from the Polytechnic Federal School of Lausanne (EPFL) have figured out how to keep wonderful aromas on your hair for a whole day.
To be clear, shampoo manufacturers today use several different methods in an attempt to prevent fragrance (one of the most expensive ingredients) from evaporating and washing away from the parts of the body it gets on. One technique involves attaching a polymer to a fragrance; another involves packaging the fragrance inside a polymer microcapsule. But both methods are only effective in the short term.
The EPFL team discovered a cyclic peptide that binds effectively to the surface of the hair during shampooing, that is, in a low pH environment and in the presence of surfactants, which lower the surface tension between the two liquids and make it easier to rinse off scent.
The research team conducted tests using the above two methods, they linked the peptide to two popular scent delivery systems: microcapsules and polymers. It turned out that the polymer, which was combined with the peptide, adhered to the hair five times more efficiently, the microcapsule - 20 times.
In other words, the peptide firmly "attaches" the fragrance to the hair. As a result, it will delight the person (and others) within 24 hours after washing your hair.
It is not yet clear when the amazing peptide will be used in store-bought shampoos, but a study describing the new method is already available in ACS Applied Materials.
By the way, earlier chemists also came up with an "economical" nanocoating, which will help to use shampoo to the last drop.
