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At a time when over 75% of women report dyeing their hair, hair care products formulated to improve color retention are growing in popularity. Image Source: Flickr user Faylyne

There was a time when dyeing your hair was considered so taboo that women were driven to extreme lengths to guard their beauty secret. They would slink into salons via back entrances and receive color treatments in private booths, emerging with rejuvenated locks they passed off as natural. That changed when Clairol released the first at-home commercial hair dye in 1956, followed by a clever and memorable marketing tagline: “Does she … or doesn’t she?” Within a decade, the proportion of women who dyed their hair skyrocketed from 7% to 50% and hair dye sales increased from $25 million to $186 million.1 Nearly 60 years later, 75% of women and nearly 10% of men report artificially changing their hair color,  and the biggest concern faced by those of us with dyed tresses isn’t stigma or fear of discovery, but preserving the color we love. In response, shampoos, conditioners, and hair treatments formulated to optimize color retention are increasingly entering the marketplace and represent one of the fastest growing segments within the hair care industry. Spectral analysis allows hair product manufacturers to objectively evaluate the efficacy of their formulations to improve color protection and create products that meet consumer expectations.

Thoughtful formulation of hair products can improve color retention and guard against premature fading. Image Source: Flickr user frankieleon

Things were fine the way they were. Nobody needed some hotshot new “fixer” boss. Especially not one who’s not only younger than you but also has a poster of a shark taking a seal out of the air on their office wall and a framed picture of Gordon Gekko on their desk. “Next item,” says Jodie. “Contracting manufacturers. We can get cheaper shampoo if we switch to a foreign firm. And what’s this about sending three batches back because they failed our color standards? Why are we still using these guys?” “We’ve been dealing with them for twenty years,” you tell her. “We’ve got a great relationship. These guys have been good to us.” “Business isn’t about friends,” Jodie says. “You’re either a shark or you’re a seal. I want a list of ten other shampoo manufacturers ranked on price and turnaround time by EOW. Next item…”

There are almost 4,0001 shampoo manufacturers in China alone. That’s a lot of sharks in the water. Which means that if, as a manufacturer, you aren’t able to deliver shampoos that consistently meet personal care product designer standards, you could end up losing contracts and clients to other manufacturers who do. In addition, each time a batch is rejected, you have to eat the cost. Not only does this include the direct ingredients, but also the plastic bottles, the printed labels, the time, labor, and power spent in production, and the cost of delivery itself. To prevent this, it’s essential to implement rigorous quality control standards2 for foam stability, detergency, conditioning, eye irritancy—and color.  

In a crowded marketplace, it’s important to meet designer standards. Image Credit: Flickr User beverlyislike. (CC BY 2.0)

Clear liquid purity is measured using the APHA color scale and is essential for ensuring product safety and consistency and many various industries. Image Source: Flickr user Nathan Forget

Purity is an important factor imperative in the foods we eat, the medicines we take, and the water we drink. However, visual analysis of clear liquid color measurement is highly subjective, leaving a high margin of error in purity analysis. Color measurement using the APHA color index allows these various industries to maintain safety and consistency in their products.

Boatbuilders use polyurethane to protect and extend the life of their boats. Image Credit: Unsplash user Jon Flobrant

It takes a lot of work to refinish an old wooden boat and restore it to its former glory. Any holes must be patched and rotten wood replaced. The entire body of the boat must be sanded down, inch by inch, and the boards must be caulked to make it watertight. It is time-consuming, exacting labor, the results of which must be preserved using a protective substance designed to keep the wood from rotting all over again. This is where polyurethane comes in.

Polyurethane is widely used in woodworking for its protective properties. Considered essential by homeowners, craftsman, furniture makers, and contractors, polyurethane forms a protective, waterproof coating for wooden surfaces, enhancing the durability and lengthening the life of all forms of wooden objects. Typically, polyurethane is intended to be entirely clear to preserve the color of the natural wood or chosen stain. However, some oil-based polyurethanes can add a slight hue to the color of the wood they protect.1

Those who work with polyurethane depend on manufacturers for color consistency, whether they are protecting a carefully chosen stain or preserving the beauty of natural, unstained wood. As such, polyurethane must be transparent or deliver a predictable hue to allow woodworkers to realize their vision. Manufacturers who produce consistent, high-quality polyurethanes are much more appealing to customers than those who do not, as woodworkers know they can depend on these polyurethanes to bring out the best in their products both functionally and aesthetically. In order to develop and capitalize on the advantage provided by consistently colored coatings, manufacturers must employ end-to-end color quality assurance processes using modern spectrophotometric instruments.

Polyurethane coatings protect richly colored wood. Image Credit: Unsplash user Ryan Riggins

As the weather turns warmer and more time is spent outside, the need to protect your skin from the sun increases. Sunscreen sales skyrocket in the summer, as consumers look for effective products. Image Source: Flickr user Boudewijn Berends

Summer is just around the corner, and the longer days and warmer weather are drawing people outside for some much-anticipated sunshine. Evidence of sunny weather is popping up at local drug stores and supermarkets, where sunscreen has once again permeated the shelves, reminding people of the importance of skin protection.

Sunscreen undergoes various stages of processing before it reaches the consumer. The most important feature is the sun protection factor (SPF) measurement, which depends on chemical analysis for its determination. The SPF number you find on that bottle of lotion indicates the level of protection the product offers from harmful UV rays. However, accurately measuring the level of protection for a given product is a highly technical process. UV spectrophotometry offers an effective method of chemical analysis that can help to determine SPF. This data can be obtained quickly and accurately, giving a quantifiable number to show the exact level of protection provided.

The human eye is an amazing tool, with the ability to distinguish millions of color variations. Amazingly, science has emulated the human eye’s perception of color difference and translated that information into colorimetric technology. Spectrophotometers quantify color difference in the same way our brain processes color through light absorption and reflection, and utilizes this data for a variety of scientific and industrial applications.

The human eye has amazing abilities to differentiate color and science has transferred this technology to precise and objective analysis through spectrophotometric instrumentation. Image Source: Flickr user Liz Foreman

Analyzing loose powder hues comes with unique challenges due to the innate qualities of the powders. Source: Flickr User FaceMePLS

Spring is a time of rebirth and regeneration when color returns to our world vividly after the grays and whites of winter. And perhaps there is no better expression of this than the Hindu celebration of Holi, also known as the festival of colors. A few weeks ago, people around the world, Hindu, and non-Hindu alike, marked the coming of spring in a brilliant display of colorful powders thrown in the air and streaked across revelers. This colored powder is essential to the celebrations, originating with the legend of Krishna who colored his lover’s face to match his own blue skin. Today, four primary powder colors are used during the festival, each representing a unique aspect of the Holi celebration. As the Telegraph explains, “Red reflects love and fertility, blue is the color of Krishna, yellow is the color of turmeric, and green symbolizes spring and new beginnings.”1

While traditionally these hues were created using real turmeric, flower extracts, and sandalwood paste. Today, however,  they are largely produced using artificial colorants. This is a controversial practice that has led to health and environmental concerns after reports that hazardous materials were being used in the production of the powders. “Some colors are highly toxic and can even cause cancer,” says Dr. Vikas Goswami, a senior consultant oncologist at Fortis Hospital. “People who handle colors or play Holi often end up complaining about conjunctivitis, visual impairment, asthma, and brutal skin conditions.”2 As a result, a number of commercial powder suppliers have recently returned to more natural, plant-based color sources. In order to promote safer, more eco-friendly products, however, powder suppliers must ensure that their powders accurately reproduce the vivacious colors we have become accustomed to. This is vital in order to allow customers to obtain healthier products without compromising appearance. This requires careful monitoring of color behavior throughout the production process.

Reflectance spectrophotometers are ideal instruments for measuring the color of all types of loose powders, regardless of their end use. Using a 45°/0° geometry, these spectrophotometers mimic the way the human eye sees color, only better. Without vulnerability to social, biological, or environmental interferences, spectrophotometric instruments are able to objectively analyze samples for the highest level of accuracy and repeatability. As such, they serve a critical role in the development and production of loose powders across industries, from cosmetics to pharmaceuticals. However, there are a number of special considerations for loose powder color measurement that must be kept in mind during the analytical process.