| Popis: |
Sustainability has become a matter of survival for our ever growing population; the number of people on the planet is rising exponentially and if we are to survive we must learn to live in harmony with our planet. Science and technology allow us to develop streamlined processes in order to create the smallest impact for future generations, but significant improvement is still required, which offers huge opportunity for scientific exploration and application. While there have been numerous efforts to replace petroleum-based chemicals in cosmetics, there are many problems associated with mass production of naturally-derived materials such as palm oil. Research discussed in this paper involves developing new methods for chemical straightening of hair. This new technology is able to form cross links in hair using chemistry which is significantly greener than current commercial products, which are mainly based on formaldehyde (a listed carcinogen) to form ether crosslinks. Justification for this was on the basis of a flawed argument: that methylene glycol would behave differently to formaldehyde and hence should be considered safe at higher levels. Indeed some of these products were actually labelled as ‘formaldehyde free’ on the basis of this flawed science. On heating (typical in hair straightening products), methylene glycol simply dehydrates to liberate free formaldehyde, and hence is as hazardous as formaldehyde itself. Understanding the underlying chemical processes associated with various hair products provides real opportunities to develop improved versions. Herein we discuss the chemistry involved in hair relaxing products and the problems associated with finding greener alternatives. Finding actives which will not have too much of a detrimental effect on the environment is only half of the issue when creating a new hair product. The formulation is also key and could make even more of an environmental impact. Herein each part of the formulation process is meticulously assessed for its performance and sustainability. This publication will highlight the hurdles that have been overcome when looking for a green chemistry solution in producing actives and formulation. |
