Re_Think Your Hero for Hair

Central to the “Super healthy hair trend” on Instagram and TikTok, creators are promoting glass hair, liquid hair, and metal detox hair treatments. This trend is driven by the core consumer need for healthy hair and to repair daily damage. Consumers seeking these benefits are not willing to compromise on performance.

According to Mintel, 54% of US consumers will research the ingredients used in beauty products to better understand their effectiveness*

Simultaneously, sustainability claims in the haircare market are increasing quickly, indicating an opportunity for sustainable alternatives for known potent ingredients, such as keratin.

Keratin is a well-known hero ingredient used to penetrate, rebuild, and strengthen hair. It is a protective protein found throughout skin, nails, and hair and is universally recognized as a gold standard ingredient. However, there is a drawback, it is derived from animals. Consumers are increasingly seeking alternatives to animal-sourced ingredients while maintaining or surpassing the efficacy of this tried-and-true ingredient.

According to Mintel GNPD, 25% of the haircare launches in North America in 2022 had a “vegan/no animal” claim, surpassing the previous year’s record of 18.7%. Even though keratin is accepted as an effective ingredient for hair care, consumers desire a more eco-conscious solution.*

*Kantar Profiles/Mintel, September 2022, August 2022; KuRunData/Mintel November 2022

BASF Personal Care chose to rethink this legacy hero. Through this effort, the ingredient Kerasylium™ was developed. This ingredient is a concentrated micro-complex of peptides that can penetrate damaged hair fibers, stabilize & repair keratin bonds, and protect the hair from day-to-day aggressors to hair health and beauty. This ingredient is an upcycled, vegan, biomimetic solution with an amino acid signature similar to keratin. Kerasylium™ is a botanical extract derived from by-products from milk thistle oil production, contributing to a circular economy. Naturally titrated in antioxidants such as polyphenols, Kerasylium™ protects the hair and can prevent hair color fading after dual exposure to UV radiation combined with pollution conditions.

BASF conducted an inclusive consumer study of a panel of women with straight, wavy, curly, or coily hair (hair types 2 through 4c) to see the effect of Kerasylium™ across various hair types. After using shampoo and conditioner formulated with 0.2% of Kerasylium™ for four weeks, 77% of the panelists agreed that their hair was less damaged and was protected from splitting. Additionally, 81% of the panelists agreed that their hair was healthy looking after using the products formulated with Kerasylium™.

Kerasylium is easy to use, with a suggested concentration of use of 0.2% and temperature compatibility up to 80ºC. Compatible with a wide range of ingredients used for personal care, it can produce clear gels and foaming formats, and it is suitable for solid formats.

BASF has created three inspirational formulations for you to review: “Green-based Shampoo,” Green-based Conditioner,” and “Solid Shampoo” using Kerasylium.

Are you interested in learning more about the repair & protection capabilities of Kerasylium? Click here or reach out to your customer support team.

Formulas to inspire creativity:

BASF Care Creations developed a formulation collection featuring natural formulations and novel formats using our broad portfolio of chassis ingredients. Explore the formulations featured in the collection below.

 Real Repair Solid Shampoo (HB-US-23-36548-39)

 Pristine & Clean Repairing Shampoo (HB-US-23-36548-43)

Formulas are for approved commercial customer experimental use only and not intended for consumer use.