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The Future of Hair Care

Today’s hair care consumers, driven by a focus on hair health and appearance, are seeking high-performing active ingredients for diverse hair types and concerns. Hair care has also evolved beyond cleansing and care into a delightful sensorial experience.

58%

of U.S. consumers view washing their hair as an act of self-care. 1

17%

of global consumers were influenced by ingredient formulations when purchasing hair care. 2

7 out of 10

7 out of 10 consumers in Asia say they are interested in a shampoo that provides a burst of fragrance when touching their hair. 3

Eliminating the Trade-off Between Performance and Sustainability

As consumer and regulatory pressures mount due to climate change, the need for sustainable materials and natural or bio-based ingredients is growing. However, market research shows that product effectiveness is the number one priority for consumers.

When consumers research ingredients, they’re looking to better understand product effectiveness. Bioengineered ingredients provide a solid narrative tool that can offer consumers improved product performance and a desired sustainability profile—leading to repeat customers.

Performance and Sustainability
INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT

AURIST™ AGC

AURIST™ AGC is a multi-award-winning, readily biodegradable hair-conditioning biopolymer. Developed using IFF’s proprietary Designed Enzymatic Biopolymers (DEB) technology, it is easy-to-formulate with and can deliver the following benefits to various hair care product formats:

  • Helps improve wet and dry combability for easier hair management.
  • Helps enhance de-tangling for improved hair fluffiness.
  • Helps reduce cuticle damage for glossier hair finish.
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Enhancing the Hair Care Journey with Scent Performance and Sensoriality

From the moment you lather shampoo into your hair to the hours later when its scent lingers, the fragrance of hair care products plays a crucial role in creating a sensory experience that resonates on an emotional level.  At IFF, our world-class scientists have developed innovative scent engineering models to enhance the lather bloom in shampoo and the long-lasting scent intensity for hair conditioners. The category expertise of our cross-discipline teams, combined with our unique science-based creative enablers allow us to craft the unique scent experiences that will answer and shake evolving consumer aspirations for hair care products.

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Skinification of Hair

Consumers’ growing awareness of ingredients and their benefits is driving “skinification” across beauty and personal care applications. This trend incorporates active ingredients typically found in facial care into a range of beauty and personal care products. In hair care, for example, skinification is gaining popularity as it is believed that skincare actives can deliver similar benefits to hair and scalp, including hydration, protection and moisturization.

Skinification
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INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT

LMR Pepper Pink CO₂ for Sebum Balance

Pepper Pink CO₂ is an innovative natural fragrance ingredient derived from recycled CO₂ capturing the authentic scent of the freshly harvested raw material. LMR R&D scientists have demonstrated its cosmetic benefits: Pepper Pink CO₂ has been proven to significantly decrease lipid production in sebocyte cultures, which can help limit oily scalp and hair.

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INGREDIENT SPOTLIGHT

GENENCARE® OSMS BA for Hair Strengthening and Anti-Frizz Benefits

GENENCARE® OSMS BA is a natural betaine with an affinity to keratin. It can both deeply penetrate the hair cortex and deposit on the hair surface, helping to protect and repair damage sites and reduce frizz in humid conditions.

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The 7 Touchpoints

Hair care isn’t experienced all at once, it’s judged moment by moment.

From first impression to next‑day feel, consumers continuously judge performance, quality, and care. Designing for these moments turns formulas into experiences they return to.

 

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“Does this get my hair?” In a crowded market, consumers look for instant signals that a product understands their hair type, needs, and values — before they ever touch it.

“Quality you can feel before you use it.” Texture, clarity, and flow set expectations fast. This moment quietly tells consumers whether a formula feels premium, intentional, and worth trusting.

“Performance, experienced in real time.” For some, foam signals efficacy. For others, its absence signals gentleness. Lather is where belief in the product is either confirmed — or questioned.

“Results start showing early.” Slip, softness, and detangling during rinse‑off shape how effective a product feels, long before hair is dry.

“Can my hair move, glide, and behave?” This is where performance becomes tangible. Hair should detangle easily and show signs of strength — without residue or drag.

“Style without compromise.” Consumers want control, definition, and protection — especially when heat is involved — without sacrificing hair health or natural movement.

“Does it still feel good tomorrow?” Lasting freshness, frizz control, and scalp comfort define long‑term satisfaction and determine whether a product earns repeat use.

CONCEPT FORMULATION SPOTLIGHT

Quartz Hair Care

QUARTZ is a collection of clear and natural haircare formulations. It features the multi-award-winning hair conditioning biopolymer, AURIST™ AGC, which improves hair combability. It also contains GENENCARE® actives that protect and strengthen both hair and scalp, promoting healthier-looking hair.

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A bathroom wall with a marble finish. There is a shelf holding three small bottles of Quartz Hair Care Products.

PANOPTIC

PANOPTIC, IFF’s proprietary trend and foresight capability, allows us to identify the shifting lifestyle, market and consumer trends to innovate and make strategic decisions to continually develop future-proof products and solutions that meet or exceed consumer expectations.

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Formulators No Longer Have to Trade-off Between Performance & Sustainability

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Resources

[1] Mintel

[2] Euromonitor, Ingredient-Led Beauty: How Consumer Interest in Ingredients is Transforming the Hair Care Industry, 2023.

[3] IFF Consumer Pulse Program