Comments on: What are Cationics and Why are They Stuck to My Hair? http://thebeautybrains.com/2012/07/08/what-are-cationics-and-why-are-they-stuck-to-my-hair/ Cosmetic chemists answer your beauty product questions! We are a group of cosmetic scientists who understand what the chemicals used in cosmetics really do, how products are tested, and what all the advertising means. Mon, 20 May 2013 04:00:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Barbara Bird http://thebeautybrains.com/2012/07/08/what-are-cationics-and-why-are-they-stuck-to-my-hair/comment-page-1/#comment-90106 Barbara Bird Fri, 28 Dec 2012 12:34:43 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=16742#comment-90106 Personally, I think it’s downright silly to indict a whole category of ingredients, quats, because of the fear of build-up. Quats are not the only cationic ingredients in hair-care products. The whole idea of conditioning ingredients is to be substantive to the hair, to stick. Cationic conditioning ingredients, including quats simply stick to the hair by electrostatic, ionic, force as opposed to other forms of stickiness. In the beginning, we had other sticky ingredients, such as waxes and oils, which were much heavier on the hair and could also build up. Quaternization allows for very light-weight films to form on the hair shaft. They also are chemically suited for polymerization, which enables cosmetic chemists to develop conditioning ingredients that have improved features, such as heat protection and color retention. The blogging chemophobes want to take us back to the Dark Ages. Have you ever looked closely at cave man hair? I rest my case!

]]> By: Angela http://thebeautybrains.com/2012/07/08/what-are-cationics-and-why-are-they-stuck-to-my-hair/comment-page-1/#comment-84107 Angela Wed, 11 Jul 2012 09:59:57 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=16742#comment-84107 I read this: ”
Buildup that causes dull, dry or tangle-prone hair and resists removal with conventional shampoo is not silicone buildup. Anionic-cationic complexes are the true culprits behind most buildup.

Removal-resistant buildup occurs as a result of interactions between anionic (negatively charged) surfactants and common cationic (positively charged) conditioning ingredients. Both cationic surfactants and cationic polymers have been shown to form removal-resistant complexes with anionic surfactants. These complexes are extremely resistant to removal and exhibit high potential for buildup. One experiment showed that washing monofunctional cationic surfactants like cetrimonium chloride from hair with normal alkyl sulfates or alcohol ether sulfates does not remove all the cationic from the hair, and, in addition, the anionic detergent can build up with the cationic (Chemical and Physical Behavior of Human Hair). ”

in a blog on a long hair forum and have since switched to a shampoo without “-ium” ingredients. Am I now missing out the benefits of the cationics? My conditioner does satisfactory every wash.

]]> By: thebeautybrains http://thebeautybrains.com/2012/07/08/what-are-cationics-and-why-are-they-stuck-to-my-hair/comment-page-1/#comment-84070 thebeautybrains Tue, 10 Jul 2012 01:57:29 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=16742#comment-84070 I’m talking about bar soap. Surfactants are fine for hair.

]]> By: Tiffany Martin http://thebeautybrains.com/2012/07/08/what-are-cationics-and-why-are-they-stuck-to-my-hair/comment-page-1/#comment-84068 Tiffany Martin Mon, 09 Jul 2012 23:10:31 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=16742#comment-84068 I’m confused, when you say, “By the way, as a rule of thumb you should avoid using soap on hair” are you talking about surfactants or do you mean bar soap?

]]> By: thebeautybrains http://thebeautybrains.com/2012/07/08/what-are-cationics-and-why-are-they-stuck-to-my-hair/comment-page-1/#comment-84039 thebeautybrains Sun, 08 Jul 2012 13:31:09 +0000 http://thebeautybrains.com/?p=16742#comment-84039 @Barbara: Misplaced “Chemo-phobia” does seem rampant right now!

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