P&G claims hair color breakthrough will transform industry

Procter and Gamble (P&G) claimed today to have made a hair coloring breakthrough that will transform the future of the category and persuade more women to color their hair at home.

Unsure of the results and concerned about the impact on the condition of their hair, women often visit a hair salon to change the color of their locks rather than dye their hair at home.

After 10 years of research and 18 filed patents P&G has created AminoGlycine, a system to remove existing color, that it believes works faster and more efficiently than currently available alternatives.

The AminoGlycine technology will be featured for the first time in a hair color product in March when P&G launches Perfect 10 by Nice 'n Easy.

The company claimed the technology targets melanin pigments more selectively than conventional alternatives and is also less likely to react with hair protein fibers.

Protecting these fibers reduces surface damage from coloring and helps preserve the overall appearance of the hair.

According to P&G the innovation is also less alkaline than conventional alternatives at pH 9, which helps preserve the hair's natural protective coating and reduce the unpleasant ammonia odor associated with home hair color.

Another alleged performance advantage of AminoGlycine technology is that it helps to inactivate damaging free radicals that are formed during the coloring process.

One of the biggest draws of the new technology for the time starved modern woman is that it allows her to complete the dying process in only 10 minutes.

The company claimed Perfect 10 does the job in just ten minutes versus the 20-30 minutes required for conventional permanent hair colorants.

"It's the new AminoGlycine lightening system -- the heart of any colorant product -- that has allowed us to transform home haircolor," said Frauke Neuser, Principal Color Scientist at P&G Beauty.

"This breakthrough will dramatically shape the future of the category."

At the end of October, P&G reported on target sales growth for the first quarter but beauty lagged behind other divisions after a health scare hit the sales of a key skin care product in Asia.

The company will be hoping that the launch of the AminoGlycine technology will help its beauty division catch up with its other segments.

The world's largest personal care company posted net sales of $20.20bn for the three months ending September 30, up 8 percent on the same period last year.