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In recent decades, there has been a growing demand for shampoos derived from botanical sources due to their avoidance of synthetic and highly allergenic chemicals used as bioactives and excipients. These hair care products are free from sulfates, parabens, silicones, synthetic fragrances, and artificial colours. Natural shampoos are sustainable, skin-friendly, and eco-friendly to the environment. Garcinia mangostana (Mangosteen) peel is usually discarded as agricultural waste. It consists of numerous bioactives which exhibit promising activities for hair care and scalp maintenance. This study aimed to formulate and evaluate a novel hair shampoo containing standardised mangosteen peel extract. The formulation of the mangosteen shampoo utilised botanical ingredients and naturally derived components. It underwent an evaluation to assess its physicochemical properties, including visual inspection, pH, surface tension, percentage solid content, wetting time, foam ability and stability, as well as dirt dispersion. These properties were then compared to those of two commercially available hair shampoos. Its antimicrobial activity towards Malassezia furfur ATCC 14521 and Staphylococcus aureus ATCC 25923 was also examined and compared with the commercial shampoo using the microbroth dilution method. Its antioxidant activity was evaluated using 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging activity assay. It was noticed that all formulations (F1–F4) had acceptable physicochemical properties, and they fell within the standard range. F2 had the best antifungal activity (MIC 0.039 mg/mL, MFC 0.156 mg/mL), and moderate antibacterial (MIC 2.50 mg/mL, MBC 5.00 mg/mL) and antioxidant activities (IC50 21.9 ± 3.27 mg/mL; AEAC 26.3 ± 4.06 mg AA/100 g sample). A microscopic examination of hair strands after washing revealed the successful removal of artificial sebum, signifying a good detergency effect. The physical and chemical properties of the hair shampoo formula remained stable without phase separation. In conclusion, the formulated clean hair shampoo with standardised mangosteen peel extract has good cleansing properties, and it is effective in inhibiting dandruff-causing microbial and scavenging free radicals.

The current consumer demands together with the international regulations have pushed the cosmetic industry to seek new active ingredients from natural renewable sources for manufacturing more eco-sustainability and safe products, with botanical extract being an almost unlimited source of these new actives. Essential oils (EOs) emerge as very common natural ingredients in cosmetics and toiletries as a result of both their odorous character for the design and manufacturing of fragrances and perfumes, and the many beneficial properties of their individual components (EOCs), e.g., anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial and antioxidant properties, and, nowadays, the cosmetic industry includes EOs or different mixtures of their individual components (EOCs), either as active ingredients or as preservatives, in various product ranges (e.g., moisturizers, lotions and cleanser in skin care cosmetics; conditioners, masks or antidandruff products in hair care products; lipsticks, or fragrances in perfumery). However, the unique chemical profile of each individual essential oil is associated with different benefits, and hence it is difficult to generalize their potential applications in cosmetics and toiletries, which often require the effort of formulators in seeking suitable mixtures of EOs or EOCs for obtaining specific benefits in the final products. This work presents an updated review of the available literature related to the most recent advances in the application of EOs and EOCs in the manufacturing of cosmetic products. Furthermore, some specific aspects related to the safety of EOs and EOCs in cosmetics will be discussed. It is expected that the information contained in this comprehensive review can be exploited by formulators in the design and optimization of cosmetic formulations containing botanical extracts.

Removing head louse eggshells and nits after a successful pediculicide treatment is often made more difficult because it is not easy to see them all amongst the hairs. Therefore, a treatment that makes louse eggs more visible potentially makes the task of removal easier and reduces the risk that children would be sent home from school or over-treated. This project involved the development of a hair treatment gel concept that was easy to apply, wash out, and that stained louse eggs and nits but without staining the hair and skin. A series of food-grade dyes were evaluated for their ability to stain the eggshells, and various copolymer-based rheology modifiers were tested for dye compatibility and stability. Several dyes were rejected because either they failed to stain louse eggshells or else stained skin too easily. Two dyes, Patent Blue and Ponceau 4R, were eventually selected for different product developments, one specifically for post-treatment nit removal and the other for pre-treatment diagnosis. In clinical field studies, both were found to make the treated eggshells contrast sufficiently with the hair to enable identification of persistent nits. Use of a nit stain product can enable easier detection of louse eggs and nits, thus facilitating the removal process and reducing the risk that persistent eggshells could be mistaken for signs of a continuing infestation.

Chemical form of silicon determines its absorption and bioavailability: particulate and polymerized forms exhibit minimal oral bioavailability, while monomers (maltodextrin-stabilized orthosilicic acid, M-OSA) and organic compounds (monomethylsilanetriol, MMST) may hypothetically be highly absorbed. This study aimed to investigate the dermatological effects of oral ingestion of silicon, either solid (M-OSA–SiliciuMax® Powder) or liquid (MMST, SiliciuMax® Liquid) on the skin, hair and nails of healthy volunteers, through a clinical trial (Registry number 2,032,724. Full protocol at Plataforma Brasil website). Patients were randomized to receive 5 mg of elemental Si, either M-OSA or MMST (group 1 and 2, n = 17 each) or placebo (group 3, n = 17) twice a day for 150 days. Clinical and patients’ subjective evaluations were conducted. Multispectral face imaging and hair mineral analysis were also performed. Use of M-OSA and MMST provided significant (p < 0.05) betterment of facial wrinkles and UV spots. Changes were also observed at the end of the study in skin texture and length of eyelashes. Hair aluminum levels decrease with the treatments. Self-reported questionnaire indicated good satisfaction with both M-OSA and MMST. Continuous use of both M-OSA and MMST can provide improvements on skin parameters, as well as act as a detox agent for aluminum.

This review concerns five species of trees and palm trees that occur as dominant plants in different rainforest areas of the Amazon region. Due to their abundance, these species can be exploited as sustainable sources of botanical materials and include Carapa guianensis Aubl., family Meliaceae; Eperua falcata Aubl., family Fabaceae; Quassia amara L., family Simaroubaceae; and Attalea speciosa Mart. and Oenocarpus bataua Mart., family Arecaceae. For each species, the general features, major constituents, overall medicinal properties, detailed dermatological and skin care applications, and possible harmful effects have been considered. The major products include seed oils from A. speciosa and C. guianensis, fruit oil from O. bataua, and active compounds such as limonoids from C. guianensis, flavonoids from E. falcata, and quassinoids from Q. amara. The dermatologic and cosmetic applications of these plants are growing rapidly but are still widely based on empiric knowledge. Applications include skin rehydration and soothing; anti-inflammatory, antiage, and antiparasite effects; hair care; burn and wound healing; and the amelioration of rosacea and psoriasis conditions. Despite a limited knowledge about their constituents and properties, these species appear as promising sources of bioactive compounds for skin care and health applications. An improvement of knowledge about their properties will provide added value to the exploitation of these forest resources.

Consumers use different hair care products to change the physical appearance of their hair, such as shampoos, conditioners, hair dye and hair straighteners. They expect cosmetics products to be available in the market to meet their needs in a broad and effective manner. Evaluating efficacy of hair care products in vitro involves the use of highly accurate equipment. This review aims to discuss in vitro methodologies used to evaluate the effects of hair care products on hair fiber, which can be assessed by various methods, such as Scanning Electron Microscopy, Transmission Electron Microscopy, Atomic Force Microscopy, Optical Coherence Tomography, Infrared Spectroscopy, Raman Spectroscopy, Protein Loss, Electrophoresis, color and brightness, thermal analysis and measuring mechanical resistance to combing and elasticity. The methodology used to test hair fibers must be selected according to the property being evaluated, such as sensory characteristics, determination of brightness, resistance to rupture, elasticity and integrity of hair strain and cortex, among others. If equipment is appropriate and accurate, reproducibility and ease of employment of the analytical methodology will be possible. Normally, the data set must be discussed in order to obtain conclusive answers to the test.

Nowadays, hair care and style play a very important role in people’s physical aspect and self-perception. Hair cosmetics can be distinguished into two main categories: cosmetics with temporary effect on the hair, for example shampoos, conditioners, sprays, and temporary colors; and cosmetics with permanent effect on the hair, such as permanent waves, relaxers, bleaches and permanent colors. These cosmetic procedures may induce hair abnormalities. We provide an overview on the most important characteristics of these procedures, analyzing components and effects on the hair. Finally, we evaluated new camouflage techniques and tattoo scalp.

The paper focuses on historical review of explorations and progress in the field of hair care. The descriptive theme of the survey is accompanied by references to specific investigations of the structure and physico-chemical properties of hair that are essential for evolving of novel processes and products.

Hair can be strategically divided into two distinct parts: the hair follicle, deeply buried in the skin, and the visible hair fiber. The study of the hair follicle is mainly addressed by biological sciences while the hair fiber is mainly studied from a physicochemical perspective by cosmetic sciences. This paper reviews the key topics in hair follicle biology and hair fiber biochemistry, in particular the ones associated with the genetically determined cosmetic attributes: hair texture and shape. The traditional and widespread hair care procedures that transiently or permanently affect these hair fiber features are then described in detail. When hair is often exposed to some particularly aggressive cosmetic treatments, hair fibers become damaged. The future of hair cosmetics, which are continuously evolving based on ongoing research, will be the development of more efficient and safer procedures according to consumers’ needs and concerns.