Surface Activity of Surfactant-Polyelectrolyte Mixtures through Nanoplasmonic Sensing Technology

Deposition plays an important role in the active delivery and efficiency of hair and skin formulations since it allows active compounds to interact with surfaces in order to achieve the product's desired performance characteristics. Therefore, it is essential to study the surface activity and behavior of certain compounds that are frequently used in cosmetic and pharmaceutical formulations in order to understand how they interact with relevant biological surfaces, such as hair and skin. We chose to study the surfactants and conditioning agents utilized in the formulation of conditioning shampoos, which are usually designed to be able to achieve the deposition of these substances on the hair and scalp to provide lubrication and better conditioning for hair fibers, facilitating detangling and providing a better feel. In this study, cationic polymer and salt fractions were varied to obtain eighteen different conditioning shampoo formulations in which the deposition was measured by utilizing a nanoplasmonic sensing technology instrument. Moreover, a wet combing test was performed for each of the formulations to investigate if there was any correlation between the combing force and the surface deposition. The complete study was performed using a sustainable anionic surfactant in order to compare the results with those obtained from the traditional formulations.

Automated summary

Deposition is crucial for the delivery and efficiency of hair and skin formulations by allowing active compounds to interact with surfaces. This study focuses on the surfactants and conditioning agents used in conditioning shampoos and examines their deposition on hair and scalp. Varying cationic polymer and salt fractions, eighteen different shampoo formulations were tested for deposition using nanoplasmonic sensing technology. The wet combing test was conducted to explore the correlation between combing force and surface deposition. Sustainable anionic surfactants were used for comparison with traditional formulations.