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Chemistry, Formulation Techniques, and Activity in
Hair, Skin & Nail Care Products
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Phytantriol which was first synthesized and patented by F.Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd in 1963, has been used in hair and skin care products for over three decades.
Studies conducted in the 70s with damaged hair (over-permed) indicated that products containing Phytantriol reduced the breakage of hair. Additional studies in combination with Panthenol and its derivatives showed an overall improvement in the hair texture.
Over the years, it was shown that the addition of Phytantriol to conventional hair care products, improved their performance by increasing the deposition of certain materials on the hair shaft. Other studies showed prevention of split-ends and increased moisturization. Moreover, the addition of Phytantriol to leave-on and rinse-off shampoos and conditioners for use with hot blow-dryers, protected the hair shaft. The protection was further enhanced in combination with UV filters.
In recent years, Phytantriol has been added to skin care products and nail care products in order to enhance their performance.
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Phytantriol is a long-branched triol, which makes it extremely substantive
to hair, skin and nails.
Empirical Formula: C20H42O3
Molecular Weight: 330.55
Chemical Name: 3,7,11,15-tetramethyl-hexadecane-1,2,3-triol
Structure
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- Soluble in alcohol, mineral oil, corn oil, isopropyl palmitate, propylene glycol, and alkanolamides.
- Insoluble in water.
- Disperses in dimethicone, cyclomethicone, and glycerin.
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- Stable to heat (up to 80° C).
- Relatively stable to weak acids and alkalis.
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Phytantriol is recommended for use in hair, skin, and nail care products. In particular, it is beneficial in the formulation of hair conditioners, shampoos, mousses, skin creams, lotions, lipsticks, nail conditioners and nail lacquers, because of its substantivity and its protective properties.
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Phytantriol can be added to the oil phase of creams and lotions without special precautions. However, temperatures above 80° C should be avoided. It can be predissolved in alcohol, glycols, oils or esters. In formulating shampoos, Phytantriol can be easily incorporated by premixing with alkanolamides.
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- The Oral LD50 in mice is over 5000 mg/kg.
- A 3% solution in corn oil showed no dermal irritation or sensitization after 21 days of repeated applications on human skin.
- Phytantriol has been utilized extensively and safely in many commercial hair and skin care products.
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Phytantriol has become an essential ingredient in hair care products and in particular shampoos, conditioners and leave-on conditioners. Its main functions in such products are moisturization, enhancement of deposition on hair of active ingredients and protection against hot blow-drying.
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Studies conducted with Phytantriol at 0.1 - 0.2% and Panthenol at various levels, have shown enhancement of the deposition of Panthenol on the hair shaft, and indirectly an increase on the level of hair moisturization, since the moisturizing effect of Panthenol is dose dependent.
Figure 1
Effect of Phytantriol and Panthenol at various levels in shampoo, on hair moisture retention
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In another study, the moisture retention of Normal Hair after washing with a shampoo containing 0.5% Panthenol was shown to be greater than with the Control Shampoo or just water. Increased moisturization makes the hair more flexible and healthier looking.
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The addition of Phytantriol to hair care products containing Panthenol and Ethyl Panthenol enhances their deposition on the hair shaft. Furthermore, this effect is cumulative, with increased values after five shampoo or conditioning cycles.
Figure 2
Effect of Phytantriol and Panthenol on the moisture retention of Normal Hair
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In addition to the enhanced deposition of Panthenol and Ethyl Panthenol, Phytantriol at levels of 0.1% increases the deposition of various types of amino acids (Keratin Amino Acids, Silk Amino Acids).
Figure 3
Effect of 0.1% Phytantriol on hair deposition of panthenol
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Hair, upon extension with increasing force, passes through three phases. The first phase — the elastic phase, is characterized by reversible extension.
The second phase is the yield region, characterized by an irreversible transformation, in which covalent bonds are probably broken.
Finally, the third phase corresponds to the breaking point, where complete fiber breakage takes place.
Research at several laboratories has shown that the breaking-point of hair is closely related to the hair diameter and may not necessarily be an indication of the overall hair damage. Therefore, the yield region (second phase) is the one most likely to correlate with covalent and disulfide bond breakage of hair, and therefore, analyzing the yield slope can provide a measurement of hair damage.
In the test with Phytantriol and other ingredients, a custom designed tensile strength tester was used to assess the stress-strain behavior of hair.
Undamaged hair (virgin) and damaged hair (bleached) tresses were treated with experimental shampoos containing various levels of Panthenol. A second group of hair tresses were treated with shampoos containing the same levels of Panthenol and 0.1% Phytantriol. The shampoo containing Phytantriol showed higher levels of hair strengthening as compared to the shampoos without Phytantriol.
Figure 4
Phytantriol - Effect on deposition of amino acids
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Hot blow-drying of hair induces measurable damage to hair as indicated by the decrease in tensile strength after blow-drying.
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Pre-treatment with 0.1% solution of Phytantriol not only protected the hair against hot blow-drying but also improved the tensile strength after continuous use.
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In a study conducted in early 1996, both undamaged hair (virgin) and damaged hair (bleached) were treated respectively with experimental shampoos containing Phytantriol at levels of 0.3% and 0.5% for one and five cycles. After treatment for two minutes, the hair tresses were rinsed twice with warm water (40° C).
After the rinse, the hair tresses were dried by blowing the hair with a professional hair dryer under high heat setting for two minutes. Separately, hot blow-drying was also performed on water treated hair tresses as a control.
The mean yield values for the untreated wet hair as well as the hair treated by the various experimental shampoos and conditioners were measured.
The results indicate measurable damage to hair reflected by the decrease in tensile strength for both virgin and bleached hair treated with shampoos which did not contain Phytantriol.
The formulas containing 0.3% and 0.5% showed considerable decrease in hair damage after one treatment cycle and extra protection after five treatment cycles.
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Similar results were obtained with conditioners formulated with 0.3% and 0.5% Phytantriol, with the best results reached with 0.5% Phytantriol.
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Hair tresses were soaked in 25% Test Shampoo and Control solutions for 2 minutes and then rinsed twice with warm water. The hair was exposed to a solar simulator to mimic approximately one week of high-noon summer sun exposure. The hair was then blown at a distance of 12 inches with a professional hair dryer at high heat setting for 2 minutes.
The Control sample showed that hot blow-drying and UV radiation can damage hair by weakening the hair fibers.
Phytantriol helps prevent the loss of hair strength due to exposure to hot blow-drying and UV radiation. The addition of UVA/UVB sunscreens (Parsol® MCX & Parsol® 1789) provided even more protection against the damaging effects of the combination of hot blow-drying and UV radiation.
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In a study conducted by Bayer, AG, creams containing Phytantriol showed improved activity of the Vitamin A Palmitate in terms of reduction of wrinkles. Such an effect is due to the enhanced deposition on the skin and possibly an improved penetration (German patent DE 3,817,623 assigned to Bayer AG).
Figure 8
Phytantriol in a conditioner - Protection against hot blow-drying
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Brittle nails are a common complaint. According to studies conducted in the 90s', approximately 20% of the women questioned indicate splitting and breakage of their nails.
One form of nail brittleness is caused by a breakdown of the intercellular substance between the horny lamellae of the nails.
In studies conducted with 1% Panthenol solutions in hand creams, liquid soaps and dishwashing detergents, it was shown that due to the penetration of Panthenol and its moisture binding, the nail flexibility improved considerably.
Since Phytantriol increases the deposition of Panthenol on Keratin surfaces, it was assumed that it will also enhance the deposition on nails and thus improve the nail flexibility even more.
In a study conducted in 1994, solutions of 1% Panthenol and 0.1% Phytantriol were tested against similar solutions without Phytantriol (the fingernails were soaked for three minutes).
The combination of Panthenol with Phytantriol increased the nail flexibility as compared to the control containing Panthenol only. The measurements were carried out with a gas bearing electro-dynamometer.
Figure 9
Effect of Parsol® UV filters & Phytantriol in shampoo on prevention of hair damage from UV and hot blow-drying
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Figure 10
Effect of Parsol® UV filters & Phytantriol in conditioner on prevention of hair damage from UV and hot blow-drying
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Figure 11
Panthenol & Phytantriol - Fingernail flexibility study
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Phytantriol is a hydrophobic branched triol. As such, it is extremely substantive to hair, skin and nails.
Its main attributes in hair care products are:
- Enhanced deposition of amino acids and other active ingredients
- Moisturization
- Hair strengthening in combination with Panthenol
- Protection against hot blow-drying and UV radiation.
In skin care, Phytantriol can increase the deposition of certain ingredients, and enhance the moisturizing effects of Panthenol and other moisturizers.
In nail care, Phytantriol increases the flexibility of fingernails in combination with Panthenol, making the combination ideal for use in hand creams, liquid soaps, and dishwashing detergents.
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1. Djerassi, David, The Effect of Panthenol Concentration in Shampoo on Hair Moisture Retention, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. USA (Oct. 1990).
2. Djerassi, David and Marks, Alan, Effect of 0.1% Phytantriol on the Hair Deposition of Panthenol, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. USA (Sept. 1993).
3. Djerassi, David, Increase in the Deposition of Amino Acids by Phytantriol, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. USA (April 1993).
4. Djerassi, David and Marks, Alan, Hair Strengthening Study of Panthenol and Phytantriol in a Shampoo, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. USA (June 1993).
5. Djerassi, David and Marks, Alan, Effect of Phytantriol Upon Hair Tensile Strength After Hot Blow-drying, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. USA (August 1995).
6. Djerassi, David, Making Hair Sun Safe, Global Cosmetic Industry, August 2001, pages 31-34.
7. Djerassi, David, Making Hair Sun Safe, Global Cosmetic Industry, August 2001, pages 31-34.
8. German Patent No. DE 3,817,623, assigned to Bayer AG.
9. Djerassi, David and Marks, Alan, Panthenol and Phytantriol Effect on Nail Flexibility, Hoffmann-La Roche Inc. USA (October 1994).
This information is based on data we believe to be reliable. It is intended only as a guide for use at your discretion and risk. We assure no liability in connection with its use or the products described. None of this information is to be taken as a license to infringe or apply for a patent.
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