How does one obtain liquid silk? How is a repigmentation of the hair achieved? Does ageing hair require different care than young hair?
These are questions one surely poses upon encountering the innovations of Schwarzkopf research.

Here we would like to give you an overview of the research methods and latest advancements of our development laboratories. Using examples from current technology, we want to show you how we are already working today on the ideas for tomorrow. Right now you have the opportunity to take a fascinating look into the near future.

Out of the desire to make hair as soft, smooth and shiny as silk came the idea to use exactly this ingredient in hair care. Cosmetic research has often oriented itself to nature, and here again it was successful: Fibroin and sericin are the main components of silk and give it its characteristic suppleness and strength. As so called proteins, they have been converted into the substance "Liquid Silk", which can bind to hair; thus fluid silk helps give hair intense conditioning.
Products containing this fluid silk include e.g., the Extra Care Liquid-Silk range.

Did you know that the term "grey hair" is misleading? A blend of natural hair colour and colourless strands produces the shade that our eye perceives as grey. And exactly this look is considered undesirable by many. Schwarzkopf Research has therefore taken up this phenomenon and developed a technology to "re-pigment" colourless hair. Hair gets its natural colour back without colouration or tinting.

The Re-Nature technology applies the principle of converting molecules into colour pigments - a process that occurs similarly in nature. Step by step, the hair structure is refilled with pigments similar to natural ones, and the colourless hair approximates its natural shade.

Hair biologists at Schwarzkopf have once again achieved pioneering work: They have successfully analysed on a molecular level the mechanisms in the living part of hair - the hair follicle anchored in the scalp - that control hair growth, hair structure and the ageing process.

The researchers also distinguished the biological and chemical differences between young and old hair using modern biomedical scientific methods. Thus hair biologists developed various test systems, by which in particular they can prove the effect of substances on the hair root.

The main part of the new test systems is a three dimensional in vitro model of the human hair follicle, which was developed together with internationally leading scientists.

It consists of three cell types found in the hair follicle, which are isolated from the hairs and cultured in test tubes. The hair follicle model is distinguished by the fact that the individual cell types communicate with one another as in nature and for example, distribute growth factors. Thus a large number of substances can be tested for their effectiveness and the biological processes in the hair follicle can be analysed in detail. Once the effectiveness of a substance on the hair follicle is specifically determined, tests are then carried out on the natural hair follicle. For this purpose, Schwarzkopf conducts comprehensive studies in cooperation with independent testing institutes on volunteer testers. The experts can, therefore, observe the exact effects on the hair root and the hair.

Products that have been developed with the help of the new findings include, e.g., Dr. Hoting and the Extra Care Cell Repair Technology and Coloriste range from Schwarzkopf Professional.


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