Flat hair can be frustrating. Volumizing shampoo can be a helpful tool to achieve a fuller, thicker look. This article explores how volumizing shampoos work, their ingredients, and how to incorporate them into a hair care routine.
Volumizing shampoo is designed to give hair a fuller, thicker, and more lifted appearance, specifically at the roots. It achieves this by:
It's important to distinguish volumizing shampoo from hair loss shampoo or thickening shampoo. While thickening shampoos aim to promote hair growth and slow down hair loss, volumizing shampoos focus on enhancing the hair's appearance.
While volumizing shampoo can provide instant fullness and make thinning hair appear thicker, it has limitations:
Most volumizing hair products contain a combination of ingredients that work together to create the appearance of thicker hair:
Read also: Achieve Voluminous Hair
Volumizing shampoo is used similarly to regular shampoo, but here are some tips to optimize its effectiveness:
Volumizing shampoo can benefit men with thinning hair by:
It is important to remember that volumizing shampoo does not address the underlying cause of hair thinning.
Volumizing shampoos are generally safe for daily use. However, some formulas contain sulfates and fragrances that can cause side effects, especially for those with sensitive scalps. These side effects may include:
Switching to a sulfate-free volumizing shampoo may alleviate these issues. Sulfates can also cause color-treated hair to fade, so individuals with dyed hair should opt for color-safe shampoos.
Read also: Volumizing Dry Shampoo Analysis
Volumizing shampoo can be a worthwhile addition to a hair care routine for individuals with fine, flat, or thinning hair. While it doesn't cure hair loss, it can boost volume, improve texture, and enhance confidence in one's appearance without requiring significant extra time.
Some beauty companies buy ready-made formulations from contract manufacturers, add an ingredient and fragrance, and put them on the market. Living Proof takes a more scientific approach. The company creates all of its products in-house, many based on patented, proprietary materials invented in its labs.
Living Proof was founded in 2005 by two MIT biomedical professors to use science to address common beauty challenges. Living Proof sells 42 shampoos, conditioners, styling creams/sprays, and specialty treatments in 32 countries. Living Proof typically launches a new product every three months. The company’s scientists and marketers derive ideas from a number of sources, including trade shows, hair stylists, and consumer feedback.
Most Living Proof products incorporate one of the company’s three proprietary molecules: OFPMA, PBAE, and ETAS. OFPMA stands for octafluoropentyl methacrylate, a material that the company calls its “healthy hair molecule” because it helps reduce surface energy on hair and protects it from moisture and friction, thus decreasing frizz and oil. PBAE is short for poly beta-amino ester, a polymer that Living Proof has dubbed its “volumizing molecule” because it deposits microscopic “dots” onto hair strands that make hair look and feel thicker. ETAS, Living Proof’s “volumizing and texturizing molecules,” are expandable, textured aero-spheres-tiny, air-filled spheres that are sprayed onto hair to create volume and texture. Living Proof has patents on OFPMA and PBAE and has applied for a patent for ETAS.
Living Proof has three labs in its headquarters. It conceives most of its proprietary ingredients in a “discovery lab,” where it conducts fundamental research. To spur innovation, Living Proof intentionally hires scientists who have worked in diverse fields outside the beauty industry-such as cancer research and pharmaceuticals. It employs analytical chemists, biologists, biomedical engineers, chemical engineers, pharmacists, and polymer scientists.
Read also: Achieve volume with the right shampoo
While Living Proof’s discovery lab scientists hunt novel technologies, the company’s formulation chemists use existing materials to develop new products. The formulas, which generally take two to four months to design, are a mix of proprietary molecules and off-the-shelf ingredients, including surfactants for making shampoos and emulsifiers for making creams.
Living Proof’s headquarters include a small test salon, where two stylists try out upcoming products on people plucked from a database of 3,000 volunteers. Living Proof’s scientists assess the test salon results using a grading scale and consider consumer and stylist comments when they finalize their formulations.
After Living Proof formulates a new product, it subjects it to three months of stability testing during which the mixture is frozen, thawed, and heated to 45 °C (113 °F) to ensure it can withstand extreme temperatures. Living Proof uses a rotator to invert product samples, extract the active materials, and verify that their dosages are accurate.
Living Proof conducts these tests using techniques and instruments common in pharmaceutical development, such as high-performance liquid chromatography systems and infrared spectrophotometers.
Natural shampoos are free from harsh chemicals like sulfates and detergents that can strip your hair of its natural oils and proteins, leading to dryness and damage. Instead, they contain nourishing ingredients like kelp, seaweed, coconut oil, and aloe vera that help strengthen, moisturize, and add volume to your hair.
Kelp and seaweed are rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that are essential for healthy hair growth and strength. They are particularly high in nutrients like vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, and iron, which help to nourish the scalp and follicles, promoting thicker, fuller hair. Kelp is our underwater superstar when it comes to thickening and fortifying our hair.
Seaweed collagen is a vegan alternative to animal-derived collagen, and it plays a crucial role in maintaining hair health. It is a rich source of hyaluronic acid, which acts as a natural lubricant for the hair, helping to lock in moisture and prevent dryness and brittleness.
French sea salt is a natural volumizing agent that can gently open up the hair cuticle and plump up each strand, giving you a fuller, more textured look. It works similarly to the way your hair looks after a day at the beach, where the salt water helps to add body and texture. We included this secret weapon into our Burdock & Neem natural shampoo to add a boost of volume without any harmful chemicals or toxic additives.
Peppermint is a popular ingredient in natural shampoos for several reasons. First, it has a refreshing and invigorating scent that can help to stimulate the senses and promote a healthy scalp. Additionally, peppermint has been studied for its ability to stimulate blood circulation in the scalp, which can help to promote hair growth.
Aloe vera is chock-full of proteolytic enzymes which are an essential player in repairing dead skin cells on our scalps. This tropical staple also made its way into our natural shampoo formulations, especially in our Honey & Virgin Coconut Shampoo. It was on our short-list of natural ingredients to include because of its ability to help grow longer, thicker hair, faster.
All of 100% PURE’s natural shampoos are specially formulated to be pH balanced. This ensures that your hair will stay beautiful, shiny, and healthy without upsetting the all-important pH balance of your scalp and hair (start by choosing the right formula for you).
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