How we get firsthand feedback on ingredients for hair care
Ingredients for hair care products need to be tested. Not just for their objective scientific performance, but also for the consumer experience they offer. How pleasant is the foam produced by a shampoo? What kind of sensation is left on the hair after a conditioner has been rinsed out? And how long does it take to rinse it out? These types of questions can only be answered with feedback from actual human beings, which is why Syensqo’s Beauty Care team has its own in-house testing lab at the department’s headquarters in Aubervilliers, near Paris, where models are invited to come and test formulations containing the new ingredients they develop.
But we decided to go one step further. In order to be closer to a wider range of consumers and collect more direct, qualified feedback, we started collaborating a few years ago with two highly regarded hair salons in Paris: Medley and Studio Ana’e. How? By organizing testing sessions for which the salons reach out to their customer base to come and try out new products – be it a shampoo, conditioner, serum or spray. During these sessions, Syensqo staff can observe, listen, take notes and discuss with consumers and hairdressers to get hands-on feedback on how the products are perceived.
“Working with models is amazing because we can really see what’s happening on the full head, not just a little strand of hair,” says Gabin Ahmed, Art Director at Medley Hair Salon. “It also allows us to see the real impact on the consumer, who will tell us what she feels, so we can combine our perspective as professionals with the scientific aspects and the consumer’s opinion.”
(Pictured, Medley hair salon, Paris)
These sessions are organized on a regular basis at Medley, the Parisian salon’s training arm, and on-demand with Studio Ana’e. “We test different products in each salon,” explains Margot Bon, Syensqo’s Home & Beauty Care Lab Manager. “Medley is mostly for Caucasian and Asian hair, whereas Studio Ana’e specializes in textured hair. We have a really fluid collaboration, because we speak the same language.” “We particularly enjoy this partnership because the whole Syensqo team is totally dedicated to understanding the needs of curly haired women and men,” confirms Aude Livoreil-Djampou, the founder of Studio Ana'e. “The quality of the products we test reflects their commitment to providing their clients with a high-level textured hair regimen.”
(Pictured: Studio Ana'e Team)
A differentiating argument
The way this works is that Margot’s team determines what products need to be tested among the numerous new ingredients they’re constantly developing, and then ask their partner salons for specific profiles, for example people with damaged hair due to excessive dyeing, to test the performance of a particular repair molecule. Participating customers are gratified with free hair care products.
But this means Syensqo needs to provide ready-to-use formulations so that its ingredients can be tested, which goes beyond our mission of providing ingredients like surfactants, emollients or polymers to manufacturers. Why go through all this trouble? “We need to share with our customers, the hair care brands, the performance of our ingredients, and that’s much easier with finished products that have been tested in real life conditions,” says Margot. “Thanks to our chemists and formulators, we know how to formulate a product, ensuring its stability, sensory aspect, etc., but working with salons externally allows us to work with specific hair types and get access to more models.”
On testing day, Syensqo experts are in the salon to check if the ingredients perform well, and if the consumer is happy with it. “For example, they might find a product sticky or hard to rinse; these things are difficult to measure in the lab,” continues Margot. Together with the salon’s staff, they fill out a questionnaire gathering all their observations and feedback from the hairdressers and models. “We always try to adopt the point of view of the consumer, so that we can help our customers address their demands. Also, that way they avoid wasting time with ingredients that don’t perform as well. It’s a differentiating argument for us.”
