Breakthroughs II

SCIENCE NEWS FROM P&G BEAUTY VOL. II 2004 

AMINO ACID TECHNOLOGY REBUILDS HAIR FROM THE INSIDE

New understanding about how hair “weathers,” becoming frayed and losing body and structure, is leading to hair repair technologies that do more than smooth out snarls. Amino acid replacement, when formulated into structural complexes, can restore strength to hair fibers, improving hair condition and appearance.

Basic biology teaches that amino acids are the building blocks of all proteins in the human body. Keratin, the primary protein in hair, is made up of 20 different amino acids that support the structure of the hair fibers and guard against breakage. In fact, human hair is so strong that a single strand can support 100 grams of weight. Theoretically, a full head of hair could support the weight of an African elephant!

Coloring, perming, relaxing and thermal styling, in addition to environmental factors, such as UV radiation, lead to amino acid loss and fiber breakdown, causing more bad, rather than good hair days. In an effort to rebuild hair from the inside, scientists at P&G Beauty examined hair fibers down to their genetic foundation and discovered that six amino acids—lysine, histidine, tyrosine, cystine, methionine and tryptophan—are diminished from root to tip when the hair structure is damaged. For example, the amount of histidine present at the hair‘s tip is 20% less than at the root due to external damage as the hair grows out over time.

This loss can lead to a significant deterioration in how the hair looks, feels and behaves. As Professor Jerry Shapiro, President of the North American Hair Research Society explains, “With the loss of amino acid content, the hair just doesn’t look as good. It also tangles more easily and it’s more hard to control.”

Damaged hair shows diffused and dull shine, due to ruffled cells on the hair shaft.	When hair is repaired with amino acids, cells on the hair shaft lay flat, causing brighter shine.

 

However, scientists were then challenged to develop a mechanism for repairing the hair cortex with only the specific amino acids needed. This led to the development of a new tri-amino acid technology designed to deliver histidine, lysine and tyrosine in specific quantities and repairing only the damaged areas without extra amino acids, proteins or chemicals. The tri-amino acids work by penetrating the cortex of the hair and forming strong bonds at the cellular level, strengthening the fragile hair structure. Every time the hair is rewetted, the amino acids will either penetrate the cortex and repair additional damage or rinse out of the hair, depending on how much improvement is necessary.

Scanning Focused Ion Beam Analysis proved that the amino acids penetrate into the cortex of the hair and provide benefit at the cellular level. Tests showed that relative hair strength increased by 95 percent versus control, leading to less breakage and hair loss with the additional aesthetic benefits of improved shine and fewer fly-aways. Additionally, hair is able to retain moisture in a greater quantity, leading to less tangling caused by dry hair. Shampoos and conditioners are efficient delivery systems for repair treatments because they are used daily. However, P&G Beauty scientists are also developing out-of-bath styling products that will provide repair benefits that last all day long.

“Constant weathering of the hair causes the condition to deteriorate over time and most people are forced to cut it to compensate for this damage,” said , the P&G Beauty scientist who led the amino acid research team. “The new tri-amino technology rebuilds hair structure to make it strong, shiny and manageable from root to tip, giving consumers the option to grow it as long as they like while maintaining this condition.”

THE SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS: THE SCIENCE OF SCENTS LEADS TO THE FIRST 24-HOUR DEODORANT

Using antiperspirant and deodorant products (APDOs) has become such an automatic aspect of daily hygiene that most people probably don’t think of body odor control as a science. However, P&G Beauty scientists have been researching sweat, scents and skin for years to formulate the best body odor fighting technologies. The newest advancement in APDOs by P&G Beauty has led to the creation of CORE (Controlled Release) technology, a proprietary innovation that not only masks body odor, but actually extends and maintains the fragrance intensity for 24 hours—while most other APDOs start to fade after about 8 hours.

Perfume Science Combats Odor

Sweat alone doesn’t have any odor. However, when the bacteria in the underarm metabolize sweat, they release the unpleasant smelling compounds—the smell of body odor. Therefore, the most effective deodorant products have both antimicrobial ingredients that minimize bacteria and perfumes that mask unpleasant odors.

As recently as the 1980s, there was no real understanding of exactly which perfumes could mask body odor. Working closely with the world’s top perfume houses, P&G scientists sought to identify and develop perfumes which could both mask underarm odor and last longer.

“Finding the exact perfume base is a big part of creating the ultimate deodorant, and our one of a kind scents are a very closely guarded secret. In general, woody scents are a favorite with men, and powdery sweet scents are favored by women,” says P&G Perfumer Jerry Janszen.

Sweat Test Gets to the Core of Body Odor Issue

But before they embarked on testing their new scent sensations, P&G researchers realized they needed sweat—and a lot of it. So P&G scientists developed an “artificial sweat” that could be used in an in vitro model for testing the efficacy of new perfume compositions.

Over the next decade, new substances were developed to block body odor—from mixtures that would slow down perfume evaporation to those that could control the overall perfume intensity. This led to the development of the proprietary CORE technology that blends good aesthetics with even better technology.

“Our specialty scents needed a high-tech vehicle that could make them work all day,” explains Tim Long, Senior P&G Scientist. “P&G Beauty scientists engineered special molecules to help make sure that the perfume can work consistently for 24 hours and that armpit bacteria are kept at a minimum. This one-two punch is the essence of our APDO products that contain the CORE technology.”

The Nose Knows

The final test for any deodorant technology is always with real humans, real sweat and trained “odor evaluators.” In these studies, volunteers apply and wear P&G products and then come to the lab for evaluation. The “trained noses” are very discriminating and can detect very small differences in the intensity of body odor. All products must pass this final critical test before they make it on the shelf.

STRANGELY BEAUTIFUL

Over the years, women have taken extreme and often dangerous measures to achieve beauty. At one time, silvery blacks used in eye makeup were only achievable by using lead. As late as the early 1800’s make-up foundations still contained arsenic, antimony, and even the poisonous bella donna—which caused its wearer’s pupils to dilate.

Today many women use topical irritants such as retinoids and chemical peels to produce newer-looking skin. When skin is damaged by physical or chemical insults, proteins in the skin are fragmented. These broken strands of proteins help signal the body to produce new collagen and elastin, leaving the skin firmer, more resilient and younger looking.

These photos show facial skin histological changes from biopsies stained to show the presence of elastin—a major structural protein. These biopsies were taken after two months of daily treatment with Palmitoyl Pentapeptide (Pal-KTTKS) (left) or its vehicle placebo (right).

LAB NOTES

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration just approved Botox injections (botulinum toxin) for the treatment of hyperhydrosis—an excessive sweating condition that affects nearly eight million people in the U.S. Administered in the armpit, the injection temporarily paralyzes the nerves that stimulate sweat production. But not everyone with hyperhydrosis may want, need or even be able to afford Botox (the injections last about six months at $750 for both armpits)— and they may not have to.

In a published study by Dr. Zoe Draelos, department of dermatology, Wake Forest University, 34 women with hyperhydrosis used Secret Platinum Protection antiperspirant twice daily. At the completion of the study, 97% (33 of 34 patients) said they experienced significant improvement with the product, which uses a specialized water-free formulation and delivery method that ensures more consistent occlusion of sweat ducts. The same study also showed that twice a day application (in the morning and at night) provides better antiperspirant efficacy than the usual once per day routine.

CLOSE UP

Everyone experiences some damage caused by both the mechanical and chemical stresses on the hair in everyday life. The first sign of hair damage is lack of shine, typically caused by uplifted or missing cuticle or the outer protective layer of hair. Daily combing, brushing and blow drying can lead to moderate and severe damage such as lack of strength and hair breakage. Daily conditioning of the hair is needed to protect it from progressive hair damage.

Severe damage can lead to split ends and eventual hair breakage. Once hair is broken it cannot be repaired.

MYTHS AND FACTS

• Amino acids are just for really damaged hair. False—Amino acids are lost as hair grows, and daily washing, brushing and styling accelerate this loss. Studies show that even relatively undamaged hair can gain significant benefits from amino acids absorbed from hair products.

• Amino acids are only useful if you ingest them—topical application won’t work on dead hair. False—Although hair is biologically dead, active ingredients can have significant effects on hair’s appearance, behavior and structure. Amino acids are small enough to penetrate to the core of the hair and form temporary bonds where the hair has lost amino acids, thereby reinforcing its inner structure, and making it stronger.

GLOBAL BEAUTY

Awash with diversity: Research shows that Asian women typically bend over to wash their hair from the nape of the neck up to the crown of the head, while American women wash their hair standing up in the shower, applying shampoo to the crown and washing from the top downward. For this reason, Asian women prefer products with less lather and American women prefer more, accounting for shampoo preferences as diverse as the two cultures. 

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

BEST IN CLASS

P&G Beauty was recently honored by two organizations for outstanding work in packaging.

• Food & Drug Packaging recognized P&G as the top packager in the Personal Care Category in their recently published Top 200 Packagers list. P&G joined Nestle (Food), Coke (Beverage), Pfizer (Pharmaceutical), and Johnson & Johnson (Medical) in receiving best in category honors.
  
• Paul Sheppard, Associate Director, Package Development, Global Personal Beauty Care, was named Packaging Executive of the Year (2004) by HBA Health and Beauty America.
  

“Over the last decade, packaging has been increasingly important. The company recognizes how package design can influence the consumer, both on-shelf and in-use,” said William Winkler, Associate Director  and Development. “We can no longer buy our market share; we have to compete for it and competing at shelf is one of the key means to do that.”

FAST FORWARD

NEW DANDRUFF FINDINGS MAY MEAN A FLAKE-FREE FUTURE

Once again, P&G Beauty changes the rules of the game when talking about dandruff. In June 2004, P&G Scientists announced another breakthrough discovery in the treatment of dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis at the Intercontinental Meeting of Hair Research Societies in Berlin. P&G researchers lead the world in dandruff research, having recently revealed the exact fungal species, Malassezia globosa, that causes dandruff.

Their new discovery builds on this finding by better understanding the mechanism by which pyrithione zinc (PTZ) fights Malassezia. P&G Scientists discovered that PTZ’s bioavailability and antifungal activity is maximized by preventing PT from dissociating from the zinc ion during treatment. This is a breakthrough in understanding the PTZ mechanism. According to P&G Researcher Dr. James Schwartz, “For many years, scientists believed that pyrithione was the active species in PTZ and the zinc was inert. We now know that the two ions must be firmly partnered in order to efficiently attack the Malassezia cell.” This new understanding will ultimately lead to improved pyrithione zinc formula antifungal efficacy and ultimately better control of all the symptoms associated with dandruff—flaking, itch, dryness, irritation, and scalp tightness.

DID YOU KNOW?

P&G manufactures more than 30,000,000 pounds of perfume per year, making it the largest manufacturer of perfumes in the world.

P&G BEAUTY SCIENCE

P&G Beauty Science has more than 1,500 scientists working at five global technical centers with an unparalleled commitment to technology development. Company scientific efforts result in more than 1,400 global technology patent filings every year. This allows P&G to develop products uniquely suited for different types of hair and skin and tailored to different cultures and climates. P&G scientists are constantly seeking new ways of turning inspiration into innovation.

Two billion times a day, P&G brands touch the lives of people around the world. P&G’s beauty business had more than $17 billion in global sales in fiscal year 2003/04, making it one of the world’s largest beauty companies. The beauty business sells more than 130 different brands in over 180 countries worldwide. Its beauty brands include Pantene®, Head and Shoulders®, Olay®, SKII®, Max Factor®, Cover Girl®, Joy®, Hugo Boss®, Herbal Essences® and Clairol Nice 'n Easy®. Please visit www.pg.com for the latest news and in-depth information about P&G and its brands.

CONTACT INFORMATION

To talk to a P&G scientist or to learn more about ongoing research at P&G Beauty, contact:

Heather Cunningham P&G Beauty Science 513-626-2606

Anne FitzSimons Unger MS&L Public Relations 614-933-8577