Visible Light-Mediated Environmentally Friendly Green Chemistry for Hair Cross-Linking

June 2023 in “ ACS sustainable chemistry & engineering ”

Jae Hak Kim, Seoyoung Kim, Joonho Choi, Hyun Jong Lee

riboflavin phosphate citric acid polyols isopentyldiol sorbitol tensile stress Young’s modulus photo-cross-linking visible light-mediated cross-linking RFP CA IPD

Studysummary In this study, a method using riboflavin phosphate, citric acid, and polyols successfully optimized protein cross-linking in hair of all colors through visible light-mediated photo-cross-linking, improving the mechanical properties and hair-setting effects without the influence of hair color. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.

The cosmetics industry is shifting towards eco-friendly products, including hair products. This study focused on a harmless method of cross-linking hair using eco-friendly chemicals composed of riboflavin phosphate (RFP), citric acid (CA), and polyols. The optimal concentration for maximum hair cross-linking was found to be a combination of CA 3%, isopentyldiol (IPD) 5%, and sorbitol 3%. This combination increased the tensile stress and Young’s modulus of hair by 41% and 44%, respectively. The RFP treatment was applied to black, brown, and blond hair, and it was found that hair color had no impact on the photo-cross-linking reaction. The study concluded that the visible light-mediated cross-linking method can be used for any hair color and is expected to be widely adopted as an environmentally friendly hair care product.

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