Shaving products
How do shaving products work?
nbelievably, the average
man spends up to two
months of his life
shaving. For many men it is a
daily ritual. The male grooming
market is booming – with new
products hitting the shelves
every week. But how much do
we know about how shaving
products work?
U
Kevin Powell,
Head of Upstream
R&D at Gillette
explains the science
behind shaving
products...
What is hair and
how does it grow?
One strand of hair consists of
three parts: the cortex, the
cuticle and the medulla. Human
hairs are contained within a hair
follicle; the root, or papilla, is
found at the base of the follicle,
deep within the skin. It is the
only living portion of the hair.
Once the cells that comprise
hair are produced, they die and
harden, forming the hair shaft.
The hair shaft is then pushed up
through the follicle opening
towards the surface of the skin.
Hair grows at an average rate
of a quarter of an inch per
month. A man’s beard typically
contains between 7,000 and
15,000 hair follicles, a number
that is genetically determined.
No new follicles are formed
after birth.
How does shaving
affect the hair?
Contrary to popular belief,
shaving does not alter the size
or colour of hair. Nor does it
cause shaved hair to grow back
thicker, darker or faster. Shaving
does, however, alter the tip
shape of the re-grown hair,
which may initially change the
way hair feels as it grows back.
Men’s and women’s hairs are
different. Men’s facial hairs are
50 to 60 percent larger in
diameter and more irregularly
shaped than women’s leg hairs,
which are primarily oval-shaped.
The difference in diameter
between men’s and women’s
hair explains why the
recommended pre-shave soaking
period is different – three
minutes for men, two minutes
for women.
Why do we need
shaving products?
For many men shaving is a daily
necessity. The shaving process
acts as an exfoliator, removing
dead cells, which exposes
underlying skin cells to the
environment. Well-formulated
male grooming products and
high performance razors can
ensure that skin and hairs are
well-hydrated, resulting in a
more comfortable shaving
experience.
Shaving products
How do shaving
products work?
Beard hair is about as tough
as copper wire and can be
softened by soaking. Water
evaporates quickly, so shaving
gels moisturise and soften beard
hair and create a protective
layer of lubrication on the skin
to maximise razor glide.
Shaving products allow the razor
to slide smoothly over the skin
and minimises damage to the
skin surface. Shaving products
contain soaps, detergents and
lubricants. These soaps remove
lipids on the skin.
New innovations
Manufacturers are constantly
working on scientific innovations
to make the shave smoother.
For instance, razors have been
developed with more blades
that are spaced closer together
in order to distribute the shaving
force across the blades for
significantly less irritation and
more comfort. Companies are
also working on shaving gels
with additional emollients and
lubricants to soften hair and
increase the glide across the skin.
Foaming shaving creams are
soapy emulsions consisting of
6-10% fatty acids that are
converted into soap in the
manufacturing. Aerosol shaving
creams contain soaps that are
soluble in water, which are
ready-foamed as they leave the
can by the pressurised gases in
the packaging.
Shaving products are also
designed to ensure that the
razor blade is not so easily
damaged. Stubble is harder than
you might think!
The CTPA is the trade association for the UK cosmetic, toiletry and perfumery industry.
For further information on cosmetic products and their regulation, visit www.ctpa.org.uk