Polymers get Personal
The texture of your hair dye may be the last thing on your mind when you’re washing away the gray — but imagine how messy a drippy hair product that runs down your face and into your eyes would be!
In the late 1980s, a new line of polymers started being used as thickeners by manufacturers of personal care products such as at-home hair dyes, styling gels, shampoos and skin cleaners. Produced by Dow’s Personal Care business, these thickeners form a network of molecules to improve the “rheology” — or flow property — of a product. Without them, the molecules would have no organization, so styling aids and hair dyes would run down your face like milk!
Dow products such as ACULYN™ 22 and 46, for example, are used extensively by manufacturers of two-part hair dyes. When you combine the dye and the developer at home, ACULYN™ products provide instant thickening — helping the dye spread easily through the hair for more even coloring.
ACULYN™ 22 is also used in many baby washes, baby shampoos, facial cleaners and gel hair-removal products to prevent running and dripping. Another product, ACUDYNE™ 180 is a hair styling polymer used in several leading brands of hairsprays and gels sold in North America and Europe.