MANILA, Philippines — There is real science behind haircare. By knowing and understanding this can real women achieve their best and healthiest hair yet.
This was the key takeaway of Filipinas who attended the recent Dove Care Labs held at Whitespace in Makati City. At this one-of-a-kind event, experts shared the science behind everything haircare: from what’s causing hair damage to finding the right hair products for an itchy scalp.
As Dove wanted to instill, women can better care for their hair if they know it better. So here are five things you may not know yet about your hair that we learned at Dove Care Labs.
1. Damage happens on the inside and outside of hair
In the Philippines, more than half of Filipinas are affected by hair damage according to Daniella de Leon-Gaguan, R&D country lead for Unilever Philippines Beauty and Wellbeing. And that this damage can happen from the cuticle to the cortex.
On the surface, damage happens on the cuticle where cells can overlap; begin to chip and lift; and worse, if cells are lost, the cortex is exposed. Internally, holes can appear on the cells; cells can break down; and lastly, protein can also be lost significantly.
She added that external damage can lead to frizz, dryness, dullness and roughness, while internal damage to split ends and hair fall.
But what’s causing all these? For Filipinas, common causes include heat from styling, chemicals from treatment, and environmental factors such as pollution.
2. Keratin is the building block of hair and it can be replenished
Continuing her talk, de Leon-Gaguan noted that one way to address and prevent damage is by replenishing the building block of hair, which is what we know as keratin.
Dove, with decades of hair and scalp research from countless R&D centers including here in the Philippines, has formulated its product range with revolutionary ingredients, including keratin.
“We formulated our shampoos, serums and conditioners with keratin to make sure it helps replenish the lost keratin from damage. Second we have serum ingredients helps nourish the outside of the cuticle layers with nutrients. While our patented keratin-repair actives penetrate cellular level of the core,” de Leon-Gaguan.
3. Hair damage can have psychological impact on women
In the next talk, Dr. Alodia Cueno-Mercado, clinical psychologist and registered psychometrician, expressed that “hair is an extension of oneself.” Which is why hair damage can affect women’s self-esteem and confidence.
Citing a recent study, she said that 81% of women are more confident when their hair looks great, while 72% feel more powerful when they feel good about their hair.
As such, she told attendees that a “powerful haircare routine” is indeed a must.
4. The scalp is special so taking care of it leads to healthier hair
In the next haircare session, Dr. Mara Evangelista-Huber, board certified dermatologist and international board-certified dermatopathologist, and Karen Ibanez, specialist in product development and part of Unilever Philippines Beauty and Wellbeing R&D team, enlightened attendees about scalp care.
“How many of you know that scalp is the oiliest part of the body?” Evangelista-Huber asked.
“Scalp is special so if you don’t give it love and attention the way you do for the rest of your body, you can have scalp problems,” she added.
This could be the beginning of various concerns, such as dandruff, the most common scalp condition.
The good news is, according to Ibanez, one can have both haircare and scalp care in Dove Dermacare Scalp. Not only are the products ideal for sensitive scalp—dermatologically tested to be gentle and mild for everyday use—but also help achieve smoother and stronger hair.
5. Haircare is a personal journey
Lastly, Dove Care Labs imparted to everyone that haircare is a personal journey.
To show this, four demo labs were staged, each representing a Dove Hair variant and addressing different hair concerns.
- Pink Lab for Straight and Silky Regimen: Dove R&D team members conducted a test wherein Dove-treated hair was attached to balloons. When the balloons were released, the hair glided smoothly through a comb vs. hair without Dove.
- Blue Lab for Intense Repair Regimen: Here, a triple knot test took place. Two knotted hair swatches were placed underwater. The Dove-treated hair swatch was able to unravel on its own while the one without Dove stayed knotted and tangled.
- Purple Lab for Dermacare Scalp Soothing Moisture: Two bouquets of roses were revealed, one remained fresh and nourished while the other became dry and wilted. The fresh roses show the care and nourishment your hair can receive from Dove’s anti-dandruff solutions.
- Green Lab for Dermacare Scalp Hairfall Recovery: In this demo lab featuring Dove's newly launched anti-dandruff and anti-hairfall shampoo, two hair swatches were simultaneously brushed. The swatch without Dove saw a large amount of hair fall. With Dove treated hair on the other hand, there was virtually no hairfall.
All demo labs also featured interactive games and activities for participants such as hair talk wall and word search.
In Dove Care Labs, Dove proved why it is the global specialist in hair damage and scalp solutions, and why it is trusted by dermatologists in the country. More importantly, Dove fulfilled its purpose of empowering real women with real science and real beauty.
Dryness, damage, dandruff or hairfall? Discover the perfect Dove hair regimen for your personal hair needs and concerns on Lazada and Watsons.
Editor’s Note: This #BrandSpace story is created with Dove. It is produced by the Advertising Content Team that is independent from our Editorial Newsroom.
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