In the world of hair care, there are many bizarre and not-so-easy-to-pronounce ingredients. Understanding how these ingredients work in the formula of a product can be challenging. While some hair care ingredients can be beneficial to your strands, others may have a negative impact on your appearance.
To ensure the safety of your hair products, read labels carefully. There are plenty of cosmetic ingredients that may leave you more confused. Understanding the function of each ingredient of your hair care product can be tricky. One such ingredient is Polyquaternium-55. What does this chemical mean for your hair?
In this blog, we will discuss more Polyquaternium-55 and its beneficial effects on your hair.
What is polyquaternium-55?
Polyquaternium is a term used to refer to a group of cosmetic ingredients in product formulations. They are polymers with large molecules composed of repeating units called monomers. They are composed of positively charged sites repeated throughout the structure in various designs. They are typically used as conditioning agents or curl enhancers or give a hold to your spikes.
The positively charged sites that run along all the poly quats attract negatively charged places on the hair, permitting them to be deposited on the skin's surface and cling to it firmly. When hair is damaged, the number of these negative sites rises due to damage caused by external aggressors and chemical treatments. In such a case, the positively charged poly quats adhere to the negatively charged sites on your hair, providing conditioning and soothing effect to your hair. The more damaged the cuticle and the greater the density of charge in the polymer, the stronger the bond between the hair and the polymer, which results in highly efficient curl retention and conditioning.
Polyquaternium 55 is one such polyquat used in hair care products because of its conditioning and smoothening effect. Its conditioning effect gives structure and definition to the curls. Polyquaternium-55 is a hydrophobically modified and multifunctional polymer that provides a silky soft touch to your hair. It is a cationic conditioning ingredient that acts as an excellent heat protectant. It forms a thin film over the strands' surface, assisting in retaining hair color for a longer time. It provides an extra-strong and long-lasting hold to your hair, thus used in mousses and hair gels.
Benefits of polyquaternium-55 in haircare
Polyquaternium-55 is used in hair care products because of its conditioning, smoothening and style-retention properties. Moreover, this polymer exhibits foam boosting properties by reducing surface tension, adhering to high-energy substrates, and forming flexible, elastic, low-tack, and heat-resistant films. Let's dig deeper into the benefits of Polyquaternium-55 in haircare.
1. Improved removability
Polyquaternium-55 has a relatively lesser number of cationic sites, which adhere to the anionic sites of the hair very tightly, thus efficiently removing it while washing.
2. Heat protectant
It protects your hair from heat and the damaging effect of the styling tools by forming a thin film over the surface of your hair.
3. Imparts luxurious shine
It forms a thin, shiny film over the surface of your hair, coating each strand and providing a rich shine to your hair.
4. Increased resistance to humidity
This hydrophobically modified polymer repels water and prevents moisture absorption from the air, thus retaining the structure of the curls for a longer time. This property is especially beneficial for curlies exposed to high humidity for extended periods.
5. Provides strong durable hold
Most polymers used in hair gels or other styling products form a stiff film over the hair and provide a better crunch and stiff hold to your hair, especially in the spiked hairstyle. The polymer film flakes off when this hairstyle is disturbed, leaving your hairstyle in tatters.
But the unique structure of Polyquaternium-55 gives elasticity and flexibility to the film, making your hairstyle last longer without flaking.
How to use polyquaternium-55 in haircare?
Polyquaternium-55 in hair care products is for conditioning and style retention purposes. It gives extra hold to your hair and, unlike other polymers, does not flake when the style gets disturbed. It acts as a hair fixing agent. In hair care products, it is used as a heat protectant, protecting your hair from the damaging effect of the styling tools. This cationic Polyquaternium-55 attaches itself to the hair strands and imparts hair benefits such as detangling, hair alignment, and elasticity. It keeps your hair hydrated and conditioned, imparting a luxurious shine to your strands. In curlies, it helps with better curl retention by giving structure and definition to the curls. It is often used in shampoos, conditioners, leave-in conditioners, hair gels, and mousses.
How to choose polyquaternium-55 in haircare?
When choosing a hair care product, check the label and look for the terms - Polyquaternium-55.
Other ingredients it is compatible with
It works well with most of the ingredients in the product formulation.
Side effects of polyquaternium-55
Polyquaternium-55 is considered to be a low-risk cosmetic ingredient. However, when used regularly, these products tend to build up on the hair due to their substantivity and formulation.
Polyquaternium-55 is used in hair gels and other styling products to give strong hold to the hairstyle. Unlike other polymers, which are pretty stiff and flake off easily, Polyquaternium-55 provides flexibility and elasticity to your curls, retaining the structure of your curls for a longer time. While combing your hair, the gel does not flake, giving hold and flexibility to your hairstyle. It acts as a heat protectant in your hair care product, protecting your hair from the harmful UV rays and the heat from the styling tools.
Avoiding harsh chemicals in your hair care products is always a good idea, especially for those with naturally curly or frizzy hair. Using hair care ingredients specially designed to care for your curls goes a long way in retaining long, luscious curls.
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