Enhance Hair Care Formulations with Ashland Polyquaterniums

In the world of personal care, certain ingredients have established themselves as cornerstones in the formulation of products, particularly in hair care. One such group of ingredients is polyquaterniums. Known for their various benefits, these versatile polymers play a crucial role in enhancing the performance of hair care products, leading to softer and more manageable hair.

The Chemistry Behind Polyquaterniums

Polyquaterniums, often abbreviated as polyquats, are a class of cationic polymers derived by chemically modifying natural polymers, such as cellulose, guar, or chitosan, through the addition of quaternary ammonium compound side chains. Alternatively, they can be created from various organic monomers, such as acrylamide, diallyldimethylammonium chloride, vinylpyrrolidone, etc.
Polyquats are characterized by their long carbon chain with a number of positively charged groups. This unique characteristic enables them to bond with the negatively charged surfaces of hair and skin, helping the polymer to stay on the surface, forming a protective film and resisting rinse-off.

How They Work

One of the significant challenges in formulating hair and skin products is ensuring that beneficial ingredients such as conditioners and biofunctionals remain on the surface even after the rinse-off phase. The primary mechanisms of action of polyquaterniums involve electrostatic bonding and the dilution/deposition method. Their positive charges attract the negatively charged sites on the hair surface, inhibiting rinse-off. In the dilution/deposition method, the polyquats, initially highly concentrated in the product, become less soluble when diluted with water. They fall out of solution and form a layer on the hair surface, which resists rinse-off.

Benefits to Hair Care

Incorporating polyquaterniums into hair care products offers various benefits. They enhance conditioning, smoothen cuticles, reduce frizz, and improve hair manageability. They aid in detangling hair by reducing interfiber friction, making combing easier and preventing hair breakage. In styling products, polyquats enhance style retention properties by maintaining hair shape, volume, and hold. They may also offer some heat protection by forming a protective barrier on the hair shaft.

Polyquaternium Ingredients from Ashland

ChemPoint is proud to offer a portfolio of polyquaterniums for hair care from Ashland to support shampoos, conditioners, styling products, and other hair care formulations. Reach out to us to request a sample or pricing or if you have any questions. Our technical team is here to find the best fit for your formulation.