President's Corner

Having steadied the Hair Contract side of the Institute and expanding the Educational Courses by initiating the Fundamentals of Hair Science Course in Frankfurt, Germany in March 2018, the emphasis is now on the Research side of the Institute. We have initiated three styles of Research for Institute Partners. For collaborative research that (a) matches the research in which TRI is involved together with co-publication as a 50/50 joint funding, through (b) joint collaborative research where the client wishes to control publications at 75/25 funding to (c) research to meet the client’s needs who want ownership plus publication at sole client funding.

Topics for research today include subjects such as (a) expanding the significance and meaning of fatigue and the science behind rupture of the hair after repeated stretching, (b) the drying on hair through mechanical means and novel ways to measure water wetting of hair, (c) effects of particulate and ozone pollutants on hair though visual inspection (SEM) and mechanical properties, (d) the effect of subjecting hair (all types virgin and bleached) to UV radiation both natural and simulated and concomitant effects observed by DSC (temperature of denaturation), Young’s modulus, and breaking strength, and (e) the effect of dialysis of hair and the impact on DSC, Young’s modulus, torsion modules and repeated grooming breakage.

Moreover, we are studying the research of UV and ozone damage to skin and sebum though denaturation as analyzed by spectroscopic IR. We have developed the route to determine the cleaning of the sebum from hair by IR analysis. Finally, with the recent acquisition of the Remspec ReactionView® Mid IR Fiber-optic System, we are now fully equipped to determine the surface properties of skin, scalp, lips and nails as well as visualizing the depth structure of all in terms of lipid configurations, natural moisturizing effects, protein structures and penetration of actives applied to the surface of the biosubstrate as they diffuse into the skin layers. Just as we have determined the depth of penetration of sunscreen actives into the skin, a very worrying side effect of most sunscreens, we have also discovered and announced the best type of sunscreen development to offer skin protection against the sun UVA and UVB, high efficacy and nil skin penetration.

The most significant aspect of the Remspec FTIR and optical probe means we can partner with Clinical Testing Laboratories and express our scientific analysis skills to support Clinical Testing. This means we can determine the true depth of penetration for actives, promoters, their impact on skin properties of lipids, hydration, proteins etc. By working in partnership with Clinical Testing Laboratories we can give true meaning to product evaluation on patients whether skin, lips, scalp or nails.

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