Impact of Personal Care Products on Tensile Strength and Structure of Hair

Abstract

Currently, there is a lot of debate over hair products and the components within them. While sulfates and parabens have been the two most controversial components within hair products, there is very little public knowledge regarding how other chemical components can impact hair. The purpose of this research is to explore the three chemical components (citric acid, hydrogen peroxide, and sodium chloride) found in shampoo, and evaluate the impacts that each of these chemical components can have on hair. The impact of these chemicals will be quantified through testing changes and differences in the mass, tensile strength, and hair diameter. Based on the results of this study, it appears that DI water has is a significant impact on hair, which impacts how clear the other results are. While the way each of these chemicals interacts with hair seems significant, further research needs to be done to get a clearer understanding of how the other chemical treatments impact hair and how significant the impacts are.