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There is a quiet revolution currently taking place in the hair care segment : providing a deep, durable hair treatment without ignoring scalp health.
For several decades, hair fiber has been treated as if it is a textile sitting on our head: hair care products have been chosen for their coating and softening properties, with little consideration of their biological impact.
It has been long established that coating the hair fiber to make it slippery and water-resistant will enhance its appearance and in order to achieve this, two types of chemicals have been used: silicones and fatty quaternary ammonium derivatives. These have delivered good esthetic results for decades – they are also used in textile and carpet care – but unfortunately, they are not the nicest compounds in other aspects: silicones tend to remain and build up on the hair fiber, eventually weighing it down and reducing its shine ; they do not readily degrade and can occlude sweat glands and hair follicles and have been accused of accelerating hair loss in this way.
Quaternary ammonium products are used because their positive charge makes them adhere to the negatively charged hair fiber, neatly coating the hair, but these cationic products are strong irritants when in contact with the skin and their strong biocidal effect may have an impact on scalp health. The human scalp hosts a delicate ecosystem of beneficial microorganisms that leave in symbiosis with our skin and is commonly referred to as the ‘microbiome’. In recent years, the importance of this microbiome on skin health has become more apparent and the impact of chemicals that affect it is yet to be completely understood.
Scalp health can fundamentally affect the quality of hair, of course, and the newest approach of hair care consists of creating formulations that offer high performance on hair, while respecting and enhancing scalp health.
Off The Grid Cosmetics is a new company whose scientific team has accumulated decades of experience in hair science as well as skin care and they have developed novel hair treatments that address the issues described above: their first range of products are deep treatments that use ingredients that replenish the lipids in the hair fiber to restore bounce and shine. The proprietary formulation uses HydriControl technology: a special combination of emollients that regulates water uptake, preventing frizz while restoring strength and elasticity to the hair.
We acknowledge that traditional ingredients such as coconut oil and argan oil have long been used to treat hair and that the use of natural oils is beneficial to the hair, so we have formulated a complex blend of natural oils in our products to nourish the hair fiber. In addition, we have added skin-friendly ingredients and skin protectants like niacinamide, allantoin and squalene! These compounds are more often found in high end skin care creams and are included to specifically protect the scalp.
In addition to removing silicones and quaternary ammoniums, we have added seaweed extracts and Vitamin E to fight oxidation and a special chelant is used to capture the metallic ions that may have adsorbed onto the hair and which can affect the hair color.
This complete treatment will detox and replenish the elements needed by your hair to shine, bounce and remain frizz-free, no matter your hair type. The Hydricontrol treatments are sold exclusively to salon professionals – check with your local salon to see if they offer this treatment and ask them to stock up on it to quickly experience the Hydricontrol difference.
