Formulator’s challenge in hair care: the minimalist trend

Share
  • December 1, 2022
  • 3 minutes of read time

Formulator’s challenge in hair care: the minimalist trend

Hair care

Minimalist trends are currently developing in the hair care market, leading consumers to reinvent their routines. This means that the future of hair care will involve easy-to-use, multifunctional products that help consumers saving time without compromising efficacy. Hair care brand formulators need to shorten the INCI list by reducing the number of components in the formula and by finding solutions and multifunctional ingredients.

Turning less into more!

With more than two million hashtags on TikTok, skinimalism has been a strong trend in 2022. The concept of skinimalism is to simplify skincare routine by including only the essentials without sacrificing the results. It ultimately commits to a more sustainable beauty routine. As any trend that impacts skin care often impacts other beauty markets, hair care is now experiencing this “less is more” trend.

In 2022, minimalist approaches in hair care first emerged on the international catwalks and the social networks. Let’s see two examples. The slugging practice of applying a moisturizing treatment to the hair and leaving it on overnight is a good example of how this trend of minimalism is reflected in hair care. Using only a very small amount of product, to help consumers prolong and maintain hair vitality despite the use of harsh treatments, like straightening treatments, is easy and well appreciated. Another example is the “clean look”: inspired by the fresh-looking model's off-duty look, the trend relies on shiny, pulled-back hair paired with  minimalist or no makeup.

Regarding products with a less-is-more approach, they all are designed for multiple use scenarios and functions, which can meet the needs of consumers who are pursuing minimalism. These past two years have led consumers to seek shorter INCI lists, with the idea of healthier, more practical and more sustainable products. They want a simple yet effective hair care routine. The trend toward simplicity has really grown out of frustration and confusion in the market.

A challenge for formulators

With a rationalization of ingredients, formulators can be more demanding on the benefits of an ingredient and its ease of use. Each ingredient selected in a minimalist formula is chosen for what it can bring in the frame. No room for the superfluous! In addition to their primary function, ingredients should have additional performance claims for hair care. That’s where SIMULQUAT™ HC 305 steps in!

What are the benefits of SIMULQUAT™  HC 305?

SIMULQUAT™ HC 305 is a pre-neutralized cationic liquid polymer with excellent stabilizing and thickening properties. It brings a silicone-like feel to formulations and creates sprayable to thick textures ideal for hair conditioners and treatments. SIMULQUATTM HC 305 is cold processable and comptable with various ingredients often used in hair care products. An easy to formulate ingredient!

SIMULQUAT™ HC 305 is a multifunctional ingredient with added benefits for hair care:

  • Immediate conditioning effect
  • Film forming properties
  • Hair fiber protection from heat damage
  • Frizz free and volume control

Here are just a few examples of the capabilities of SIMULQUATTM HC305:

HAIR MASK BASE

(EU07582)

The combination of SIMULQUAT™ HC 305 & SOLAGUM™ TARA allows to create & stabilize thick hair masks without any heating process! This only ten ingredients mask shows performance and helps to decrease the porosity of a damaged hair fiber after a single leave on application and leaves it healthier!

HAIR MASK SERUM

(EU07579)

With only 8 ingredients, this cold process serum shows a better frizz & volume control on natural Brazilian hair tresses than the Silicone Based Benchmark claiming “instant control” or “unruly hair”.

HAIR CONDITIONING GELTRAP™

(EU07529A)

This texture obtained thanks to the GELTRAP™ patented technology using EASYNOV™ & SIMULQUAT™ HC 305 makes the conditioner easy to apply, it detangles & nourishes hair without weighing it down. 

 

At a time when consumers ask for minimalist answers even in hair care, raw material suppliers must offer solutions to formulators. SIMULQUAT™ HC 305 is an ideal response to this trend as it is an easy-to-use multifunctional cationic rheological modifier and a real ally for formulators in hair care.