Research Intern: Seun Okimi

We are very fortunate to have had Seun Okimi join us for the summer as a Research Intern. Seun is a rising Junior at Duke University where she is working towards her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Certificate. She is extremely enthusiastic about hair science and its intersection with consumer practices. Seun is a YouTube Product Demonstrator, with 4M+ views. She has worked on many projects at TRI, including the Effects of Acid on Hair Shine.

Below is an Excerpt from her Work

"Vinegar has long been touted by consumers to have beneficial effects on hair. Such talked about effects include its ability to flatten the cuticle, shrink the hair fibers, and give incredible shine. However many of these claims do not stand up to scientific testing. In fact, previous studies have shown acidic conditions to create adverse effects, for example through increases in fiber friction. Still, apple cider vinegar rinses for hair continue to grow in popularity among consumers. In her work, Seun looks the impact of apple cider vinegar on hair’s shine. She varies treatment conditions by changing the soaking time and rinsing procedure to look at the effects caused by different consumer practices, which range from overnight soaking, to rinsing in the shower, to leaving apple cider vinegar in the hair. Her results show that when allowed to soak for ten minutes and then rinsed out of bleached hair, apple cider vinegar has no significant effect on hair shine. Such data is in great contrast to consumer dialogue and further mystifies the practice of applying vinegar to the hair and its proclaimed benefits. Seun would like to thank Ernesta Malinauskyte, Amber Evans, and Jennifer Van Wyk for their advice and guidance on this project."

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