Development of hair care formulations containing Spirulina platensis and Ascophyllum nodosum extracts

Abstract

Introduction Hair appearance and hair care are related with self-steam and quality of life. The way hair looks it is important for women and men and can impact in self-image. 1,2 At the same time, oiliness is a condition that also affects negatively the image and self-esteem. Caused by the excessive oil production in enlarged sebaceous glands, oiliness gives skin and hair scalp a greasy appearance. 3 This way, as oiliness is a constant concern, the search for active substances that helps in oiliness control it's a challenge for Research & Development area. Seaweeds are much known for its use as foods, mainly in East Asian countries as Japan, China and Korea. Despite its use as food, seaweeds have potential to be applied in nutrition, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries due to its rich composition. Microalgae are a type of seaweeds that convert solar light in bioactive compounds attractive for commercial interest. 4,5 In this context, Spirulina platensis and Ascophyllum nodosum are microalgaes have potential to be used in cosmetics, due to its countless properties. The Spirulina platensis used in our research is obtained by biotechnological process and is rich in pro-vitamin A, vitamins of the B complex, pigments, minerals, proteins, fatty acids, amino acids and polysaccharides as glucose, galactose, mannose and ribose. 6 Ascophyllum nodosum is rich in vitamins A, B and C, minerals, proteins, fatty acids, pigment, amino acids and aspartic and glutamic acids. 7,8 Considering Spirulina platensis and Ascophyllum nodosum composition, they have anti-bacterial, antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 4,6,7 Considering the rich composition and properties of Spirulina platensis and Ascophyllum nodosum, previous studies of our research group 9,10 showed that microalgae have potential to act in skin and hair oiliness control and in the improvement of hair fiber conditions providing better nutrition, hydration and strengthening.

Oral Palatability and Owners’ Perception of the Effect of Increasing Amounts of Spirulina (Arthrospira platensis) in the Diet of a Cohort of Healthy Dogs and Cats

“…Among owners who administered Spirulina continuously for the 6-week trial, those who scored the coat of their pet as optimal and shiny increased more than twice between the beginning and the end of the trial. This finding is in accordance with observations of the reactions of humans to the properties of Spirulina, which made their hair shinier and easily detangled [ 59 ], increased skin health, and visibly improved hair quality [ 61 ]. The number of owners that judged the condition of the coat as optimal and shiny also increased from 50% at the end of T1 to almost 80% at T3: a result that may be correlated to the increased amounts of Spirulina provided during T2 and T3.…”

“…Spirulina has been amply reported in the literature to offer a valid support to the health of human skin and can thus be applied in the field of cosmetics [ 58 ]. In particular, A. Platensis has been shown to provide considerable benefits for the fibers composing the hair, making them brighter and easier to comb [ 59 ]. The benefits that Spirulina brings to the health of skin appendages probably derive from its rich nutritional profile because it has been shown that foods rich in antioxidants and omega-6 fatty acids can promote the protection of hair from oxidative stress derived from exposure to UV rays and environmental pollutants, improving shine and counteracting fall [ 60 , 61 ].…”

Comparative study of instrumental measurement and sensory evaluation methods for the repairing effect of mildly damaged hair bundles

“…7 The mea- formula to obtain a gloss value that is almost unaffected by the hair color. 8 These results are closer to the physical gloss definition and can more accurately express the improvement in hair cuticles. Therefore, this study used a glossymeter as an instrument to measure the glossiness of hair bundles.…”

“…The scattered/diffuse reflected light was measured at 0°. Diffuse scattering correction can deduct the diffuse light entering the gloss channel through a special formula to obtain a gloss value that is almost unaffected by the hair color 8 . These results are closer to the physical gloss definition and can more accurately express the improvement in hair cuticles.…”