An ex vivo comparative study of the tensile strengthening efficacy of protein-derived actives on heavily bleached hair

The damaging effects of oxidative bleaching are most evident in hair which has been lightened from dark shades to platinum blonde. Whilst conventional conditioning agents effectively manage cuticular damage, the reversal of cortical weakening of hair poses a greater challenge. A number of protein-derived commercial actives claim the ability to strengthen the hair fibre when used in conditioning products. The aim of this study was to compare the relative efficacy of hydrolysed wheat protein, L-arginine and hydrolysed collagen in improving wet and dry tensile properties of heavily bleached hair tresses

Immune Function Assessment with ABEL®-Sport Test in Trained Rowers

Background and aims: Rowing induced muscle stress may have impact on athletes’ immune-system and lead to an increased incidence of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) symptoms. This study aimed to evaluate the capability of ABEL®-Sport test used in the field of to assess the susceptibility of rowers to URTI pending their exercise-loads. Methods: 6 male (aged 50 ± 16.9 y) and 5 female (aged 47 ± 9.6 y) club rowers recorded their habitual training and URTI symptoms daily for two weeks and performed a 6.8 km race-simulation on a rowing ergometer at the beginning of third week. The immune function of the rowers was assessed via the quantification and kinetics of oxidative burst response of leukocytes in 10 μl capillary blood using ABEL®-Sport test throughout the study in the field. Results: The severity of URTI symptoms increased from pre-race median value of 0 (0 – 9) to 3 (0 – 13) within two weeks post-race but was not statistically significant (p>.0125). There was very high correlation between the frequency of the occurrence of abnormal ABEL® Sport kinetics up to the 48h post-race for 7 rowers with URTI symptoms two weeks post-race (r = .930, p = .002). All 4 participants with a final URTI score >10 had irregular oxidative burst kinetics before the race and 48h after and 2 of them have not reported any URTI symptoms before the race. Conclusion: The study results indicate that ABEL®-Sport test used in the field is capable of detecting susceptibility to URTI in club rowers and could guide individual athletes in training-loads suitable for their well-being

Exploring the effects of non-medical versus medical approaches to the management of skin aging in women over sixty

This study was a pilot project, set up to assess ageing skin using a multi-disciplinary approach. The main aim of this study was to evaluate whether the use of more radical (‘medical’) treatments in the management of skin ageing would bring superior results and ultimately make people look younger, than the use of cosmetics (‘non-medical’ treatments). A simple post-hoc study design was used, whereby medical treatments varied within the group, all of them completed at least 2 weeks before the start of the study. In addition, it was of interest to assess the suitability of the proposed combination of methods. A total of 21 female participants were recruited for this study: 11 for the non-medical and 10 for the medical group. The multi-disciplinary approach consisted of instrumental measurements, self-assessment, expert assessment by Merz scales and a public perception survey. The majority of nearly 70 sets of instrumental skin data obtained in this study did not differ significantly between the non-medical and the medical group. However, the medical group gave higher self-assessment scores for their faces. The scores for hands were lower than scores for faces by both groups. This was partly supported by instrumental data (lower skin hydration on hands than on the face). The findings of the public perception survey of nine matched pairs of subjects scored the non-medical group as younger looking. Data analysis has shown that the judgement of youthfulness did not depend on either the gender or the age of observers

An ex vivo comparison study: the effect of a fatty acid ester and a cationic silicone derivative on the protection of hair colour from washing and heat styling exposure

The hair colour market is a major player within the hair care industry. Hair colour protection from shampoo related fading is becoming a popular claim on shampoos. The aim of this study was to find out whether a fatty acid ester (INCI: Triisostearyl Trilinoleate) in comparison to a cationic silicone derivative compound (INCI: Silicone Quaternium-22) can provide improved colour retention properties when used within a shampoo. It was also of interest to establish the impact of different hair drying methods on colour retention. The results demonstrate that heat has an influence on colour protection and that ingredients with colour protective properties might reverse the impact of high temperatures on colour fading. Therefore, hair care products targeting colour and heat protection in a single formulation could offer additional benefits for the consumer