Nature has the answer: APAC will look to bio-inspired hair care as it trends towards naturals

The hair care category has evolved remarkably over the past few years, driven by consumers' growing interest in and demand for effective hair care products.

This heightened interest has led to more discerning consumers seeking high-performance solutions that are also natural.

The demand for natural ingredients arises from consumers' increasing concern for health, safety, and the environment.

In Asia, for instance, we have seen aggressive demand for silicone-free​ hair care products in markets such as China and Korea.

“In hair care people are looking for full natural products even with basic claims like moisturising and hair shine. So not using silicones for hair shine. I think the trend will be bio-inspired, and looking to natural ingredients to deliver these activities,”​ said Dr Fred Zülli, managing director and founder of Mibelle Biochemistry.

He expects this trend to continue growing as consumers are now willing to spend more on hair care, as evidenced by the growth in the premium hair care category.

“We see so many high-priced products coming to market and people are willing to pay USD30 on a shampoo because there’s efficacy and value.”

Zülli said the firm will continue its research into hair care, particularly into the scalp as it is the basis to healthy hair.

“Scalp care is very much booming. We are studying the current actives we have for the skin to see if it will have benefits on the scalp.”

Solutions in a pinecone

Biomimetics, or biomimicry, is an approach that involves imitating or drawing inspiration from nature's designs and processes to innovate and solve problems.

Nature has inspired humans to solve various problems in various fields such as engineering, architecture, textiles, and health care. This includes common items such as velcro fasteners.

Most recently, Mibelle developed PinoPlex which was inspired by pinecone scales, which open and close depending on weather conditions.

“The pinecone has a closed structure and an open structure. When it's moist, it's closed, and when it's dry, it opens up. For the hair, we have a bit of a similar thing. If the hair is dry, the cuticles are open. That makes it very hard to brush and get damaged. Then if your hair is nicely moisturised, the surface is very smooth,” explained Zülli.

According to the firm, 1% of Pinoplex was able to reduce split ends by 25% compared to a placebo. It also can alson smooth and increase hair shine while locking in moisture.

The pinecones were upcycled from forests in France that are designated Forêt d'Exception by the French National Forestry Office (ONF).

Once harvested, the pinecones undergo a green microwave-assisted extraction process. According to the firm, the microwaves “help in terms of disrupting the hardened pinecones, thus enabling the efficient solubilisation of molecules”.