

When the hair is washed these groups can deprotonate, giving the hair a negative charge. This is rich in cysteine groups which are mildly acidic. The outermost layer of a hair follicle is called the cuticle and is composed largely of keratin. These chemical products have the benefits of hair conditioner without feeling greasy or heavy. Since the invention of Pinaud's early products, modern science has advanced the hair conditioner industry to include those made with silicone, fatty alcohols, and quaternary ammonium compounds. His product was intended to soften men's hair, including beards and moustaches. Modern hair conditioner was created at the turn of the 20th century when the Edouard Pinaud company presented a product he called Brilliantine at the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris. Ī bottle of modern-day hair conditioner by Clairol (right). A conditioner popular with men in the late Victorian era was Macassar oil, but this product was quite greasy and necessitated the pinning of a small cloth, known as an antimacassar, to the headrests of chairs and sofas to preserve the upholstery from being damaged by the oil. It is applied and worked into the hair, and may either be rinsed out a short time later or left in.įor centuries, natural oils have been used to condition human hair. Hair conditioner is usually used after the hair has been washed with shampoo.


Various other benefits are often advertised, such as hair repair, strengthening, or a reduction in split ends.Ĭonditioners are available in a wide range of forms including viscous liquids, gels, and creams, as well as thinner lotions and sprays. Its main purpose is to reduce friction between strands of hair to allow smoother brushing or combing, which might otherwise cause damage to the scalp. Hair conditioner is a hair care cosmetic product used to improve the feel, texture, appearance, and manageability of hair. A 19th-century advertisement for hair-care products
