Development and Characterization of Cream Containing Nanostructured Lipid Carriers for Hair Split-End Repairing

This study developed nanostructured lipid carriers (NLCs) for repairing hair split-ends and compared the effects of their charges on hair binding. NLCs were prepared using high-pressure homogenization, resulting in negatively charged (N-NLCs) and positively charged (P-NLCs) carriers with zeta potentials of -44.4 mV and 32.3 mV, respectively, and similar sizes (~150-160 nm). Both NLCs showed hair split-end binding for over 3 days, outperforming a cream base and commercial product (<8 hours). After 6 months, N-NLCs remained stable, while P-NLCs showed phase separation. The study concluded that NLCs are a promising alternative for leave-on hair split-end repair products.