A no-frills way to no-frizz hair
Hair evolution is a big part of self-discovery. Trivial as it seems, a lot of women who actively participate in the creation of their awesome lives change their hairstyle most often — even non-celebrities whose only platform for exhibition is social media. Inevitably, this constant reinvention of hairstyle leads to a number of problems. Blow-drying boils water in the hair shaft, heat styling leads to breakage, coloring leads to damage, and the list goes on. All these things have rendered my hair untouchable, until I gave them up altogether (except coloring) and finally made peace with my naturally wavy mess, dutifully seeking out sulfate-free hair products for added color-damage control and merely taming frizz with a curl-defining spray. Going au naturel is turning out to be more expensive, but it has saved me a lot of time and it seems to be saving my hair as well.
When I can’t find my usual sulfate-free shampoo, I use products for color-treated hair. More and more haircare brands are starting to put “beautifying” aside and putting more emphasis on actually caring for hair, and Pantene is one of them. Recently, the brand launched its Beautiful Science campaign, which, at its heart, educates consumers on the technology behind hair care.
“There is a healthy skepticism among Filipinas. With their access to technology and information, they are more discerning about the products that they use. Brands have to earn and build the trust that women place on these brands. Pantene is prepared to step up to the challenge,” says P&G communications manager Deirdre de Padua.
The campaign’s objective is to reinforce trust — big word, I know — by backing up its claims with facts. The first video in the series features the Static Generator to prove the importance of intensive conditioning. Without camera tricks or retouching, Pantene demonstrates that hair treated with Pantene Daily Intensive Conditioner stays down, resisting static electricity and staying virtually frizz-free, while more hair not treated with Pantene stands up.
Shean Lim, senior technologist for P&G Hair Care, explains, “When hair is not damaged, the cuticle or the outer layer of the hair is in place, effectively protecting the inner structure or cortex. However, due to mechanical, environmental, thermal and chemical factors, our hair becomes damaged, which means that the cuticles are lifted and the cortex becomes exposed.”
Lim shares, “Damaged hair has a higher negative charge density than healthy hair. When the cuticle is lifted, the exposed cortex becomes more and more negatively charged.” In the first Beautiful Science experiment, the Static Generator, which creates negative charges, is used to measure the level of damage in hair. When a person touches the metallic ball of the Static Generator, the negative charges from the generator transfers to that person. Damaged hair becomes even more negatively charged and hair strands begin to repel each other, causing damaged hair to stand up.
Here’s how the product works: Pantene Daily Intensive Conditioner resists static electricity. It deposits a protective layer on hair strands and contains 80 percent more conditioning ingredient versus Pantene’s regular conditioners. The conditioning ingredients are positively charged to neutralize the negative charges of damaged hair. Pantene Daily Intensive Conditioner with Pro-V makes hair strong on the inside, soft and shiny on the outside. It eliminates frizz and goes beyond making hair superficially soft and scented.
Some personal favorites in the range are Pantene Aqua Pure Daily Intensive Conditioner and Pantene Color and Perm Daily Intensive Conditioner. I love clear shampoos and I’m always in search for one that doesn’t leave my fine but abundant head of hair, literally, “squeaky” clean. Pantene Aqua Pure system’s Clean Rinse Technology delivers conditioning but washes clean and fast. It doesn’t contain silicone, dye or paraben, so it doesn’t weigh down hair or leave icky residue on scalp. Pantene Color and Perm Daily Intensive Conditioner has unique conditioning actives that prevent water from entering and exiting the cuticles so color pigments don’t run and curls don’t loosen.
Finding out about the brittle truth can lead to a number of resolutions. Adios, dyeing. Goodbye, hairdryer. So long, sulfates. It also leads to a lot of new discoveries. You can wikiHow your way to getting great hair (which will only tell you what you already know, i.e. drink eight glasses of water a day, get enough sleep, choose silk pillowcases, etc.) or you can search for Pantene Beautiful Science on YouTube.
