Amino Acid Surfactants
Hair-Identical Amino Acid Cleansing System
Most shampoos face an inherent tension. The surfactants that cleanse effectively tend to be the same ones that strip the hair of moisture, disrupt the scalp's natural balance, and leave strands feeling rough and depleted after washing. The solution the industry settled on was to add heavy conditioning agents after the fact, often synthetic quats, to compensate for the damage done during cleansing. AminoSensyl™ Ultra MB was built to make that compromise unnecessary.
What It Is
AminoSensyl™ Ultra MB is an amino acid-based conditioning surfactant system derived from two natural sources: valine, an essential amino acid naturally found in both hair and skin, and Brassica Napus seed oil, better known as rapeseed. That pairing produces a cationic amino lipid, a conditioning molecule that carries a gentle positive charge, which naturally attracts to the negatively charged surface of hair strands for even, thorough coverage.
How It Works
When AminoSensyl™ Ultra MB meets water and hair, it self-organizes into lamellar liquid crystals, a layered molecular structure that mimics the natural lipid layers found in healthy hair and skin. Those layers deposit evenly onto each strand during cleansing, delivering conditioning benefits at the same time as the cleanse rather than requiring a separate conditioning step. The result is hair that emerges from washing already smoother, softer, and more defined, not stripped and waiting to be repaired.
What It Delivers
- Deep moisturization through amino acid and seed oil-derived lipid technology
- Smooths and defines hair from the first wash, not after a separate conditioning treatment
- Strengthens strands with valine-derived chemistry that works in harmony with hair's natural protein structure
- Weightless conditioning that doesn't leave buildup, greasiness, or residue
- Gentle on sensitive scalps, with no synthetic quats and no harsh cationic agents
Clean Credentials
AminoSensyl™ Ultra MB carries one of the most complete clean certifications of any conditioning surfactant available. It is 100% USDA biobased, COSMOS approved, NSF/ANSI 305 certified, readily biodegradable, and non-toxic to aquatic life. Its amino acid origin means it is inherently biocompatible, derived from the same building blocks your hair is already made of.
Clean doesn't have to mean a compromise on lather, conditioning, or feel. This ingredient proves it.
Castor Oil Esters (Proshine)
The Science of Seriously Shiny Hair
Shine isn't just cosmetic. It's actually a sign of health. When a hair cuticle lies flat and smooth, light reflects evenly off it, creating that glossy, vibrant look. When it's lifted or damaged by heat, chemicals, or UV exposure, light scatters instead of reflecting, and the result is dull, flat hair.
What It Is
A 100% plant-based ester derived from castor oil, developed under Green Chemistry principles. Zero synthetic silicones. 100% biodegradable.
How It Works
ProShine® binds directly to keratin proteins inside the hair fiber, forming a uniform molecular coating with a high refractive index. Engineered to reflect light with intensity and consistency across every strand.
What the Science Shows
ProShine® was clinically tested across virgin, bleached, and color-treated hair, and the results speak clearly:
- 184% more shine on natural hair vs. placebo
- 428% more shine on bleached hair vs. placebo
- 127% shinier bleached hair vs. untreated strands
- 42% shinier color-treated hair vs. untreated strands
- Enhances the vibrancy of dyed hair, helping color look fresher for longer
These results hold across all hair types and textures, whether your hair is natural, lifted, or chemically treated.
Clean Credentials
ProShine® is derived entirely from castor, a renewable plant source, and produced under Green Chemistry guidelines. It's 100% biodegradable, contains zero synthetic silicones, and delivers real optical performance without any of the buildup or residue that traditional shine ingredients leave behind.
Brilliant hair. Clean formula. No compromise.
Creatine (Cosmo C 100)
Your Hair's Natural Rebuilder, Activated
You've heard of creatine in the context of muscles. That's because it's one of the body's most fundamental building blocks, a naturally occurring amino acid derivative that the body uses to repair and reinforce structure under stress. Your hair works the same way. And when it's been bleached, colored, heat-styled, or chemically treated, it needs the same kind of rebuild.
What It Is
The creatine in this formula is bioidentical to the creatine your skin and scalp naturally produce. That means your hair recognizes it and knows exactly what to do with it. It's not a synthetic coating or a foreign compound. It's a molecule your hair fiber is already designed to work with, delivered in concentrated form where it's needed most.
How It Works
Creatine penetrates into the hair fiber and strengthens it from the inside by forming new electrostatic bridges between the keratin proteins that give your hair its structure. When those bonds are damaged or missing from heat and chemical exposure, creatine steps in to rebuild them.
It also raises the hair's natural resistance to heat, measurably increasing the temperature threshold at which hair proteins begin to break down. That means better protection every time a flat iron or blow dryer comes near your strands.
What the Science Shows
Tested against both a vehicle control and hydrolyzed wheat protein, creatine outperformed across every damaged hair scenario:
- 64% repair of bleached Caucasian hair, vs. 11% for the control
- 48% repair of chemically relaxed Ethnic hair, matching hydrolyzed wheat protein at a lower concentration
- 33% heat protection against flat iron damage on Asian hair, where the control offered zero protection
- Effective across all hair types, including Caucasian, Ethnic, and Asian hair in clinical testing
Clean Credentials
Creatine is one of the most body-compatible ingredients in hair care. It is identical to what the body already makes, which means it carries no risk of toxicity and works in harmony with your biology. There are no synthetic additives, no harsh processing agents, and no ingredients of concern.
Just a molecule your hair already knows, doing the work it was built to do.
Ceramide NG (Hairflux™)
- Scalp and strands, restored together.
Healthy hair starts at the scalp. When it is irritated, dry, or inflamed, hair cannot thrive no matter what you put on the lengths. At the same time, color, bleach, and chemical treatments break down the fiber from within, weakening the structure that keeps strands strong. Most ingredients address one or the other. Hairflux® addresses both at once, leaving the scalp visibly calmer and the fiber measurably stronger after just two weeks.
What It Is
Hairflux® is a bio-inspired ceramide complex combining plant-derived Ceramide NG with Olive Fruit Oil and Castor Seed Oil. Developed through over 20 years of ceramide science, it is the only ingredient in this formula engineered to work simultaneously on the scalp environment and the hair fiber itself.
How It Works
For the Scalp
Scalp discomfort is more common than most people realize, affecting around 60% of women and 40% of men. Hairflux® works by reducing Interleukin-1, one of the primary inflammatory proteins behind dryness, redness, and itching. The result is a calmer, more balanced scalp environment where hair is able to grow and behave the way it should.
For the Fiber
Chemical treatments break down the internal protein structure of each strand, causing the fiber to swell, weaken, and become prone to breakage. The ceramide complex in Hairflux® penetrates the fiber and repairs that damage from within, restoring structural integrity and reducing the swelling that makes chemically treated hair feel rough and behave unpredictably.
What the Science Shows
Clinically tested on panelists with dry, itching scalps and visible redness, and on chemically treated hair across all hair types. Results confirmed by clinical expert grading and before-and-after photography.
- Measurable improvement in scalp dryness, redness, and itching after two weeks, confirmed by clinical grading
- 82% repair effect on chemically straightened hair via clinical fiber stress testing
- 75% reduction in swelling of bleached hair, restoring the fiber closer to its virgin state
- Reduces breakage on color-treated, bleached, and chemically processed hair
- Validated across all hair types, including Afro-textured, Asian, and European hair
Clean Credentials
Hairflux® is built on over 20 years of ceramide science and delivered through a bio-inspired, plant-derived complex. Ceramide NG mirrors the ceramides naturally found in the scalp and hair fiber, which means the body recognizes it and works with it rather than against it. Paired with Olive Fruit Oil and Castor Seed Oil, it is a formula that earns its results through biology, not chemistry shortcuts.
Pine Tree Terpenes (Citropol )
Citropol
Silicone-Free. Frizz-Free. No Compromise.
For decades, silicone has been the default ingredient for smooth, manageable hair. It works by coating the strand with a synthetic film that temporarily tames frizz and adds slip. The problem? Silicones are not biodegradable; they build up on your hair over time, and they sit on a clean beauty no-fly list for good reason. Citropol is the answer the industry has been working toward.
What It Is
Citropol is a plant-derived, forest-sourced polymer made from terpenes, the naturally occurring compounds found in pine trees. It is biorenewable, 100% biodegradable, and certified to meet Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) standards. Every molecule is upcycled from a byproduct of the paper-making process, meaning nothing goes to waste. It is one of the very few ingredients that is genuinely better than silicone in both performance and sustainability.
How It Works
Citropol coats each strand with a lightweight, uniform layer that smooths the cuticle, reduces friction, and locks out humidity. Unlike silicone, which sits on top of the hair and accumulates with repeated use, Citropol integrates cleanly and leaves no heavy residue behind.
The result is hair that moves, feels natural, and stays smooth without the weight or buildup you'd expect from a conventional anti-frizz ingredient.
What the Science Shows
When tested head-to-head against a benchmark silicone, Citropol outperformed across every key hair care metric:
- 58% reduction in frizz vs. 55% for silicone, in controlled testing
- 45% less product buildup after 10 applications compared to silicone
- Heat protection up to 450°F, guarding hair from styling damage
- Humidity resistant, keeping frizz at bay even in high-moisture conditions
- Improved combability and shine, without grease or residue
Clean Credentials
Citropol carries one of the cleanest sustainability profiles of any performance hair ingredient available. It is biorenewable, biodegradable according to the OECD 301B standard, non-toxic, and non-allergenic. The terpenes it is made from are FSC-certified pine, upcycled from what would otherwise be an industrial byproduct.
No silicones. No synthetic buildup. No environmental trade-off.
Just smooth, healthy hair, straight from the forest.
Hydrolyzed Cornstarch
The Ingredient Your Scalp Has Been Asking For
Scalp itch is common and commonly misdiagnosed. Most people reach for anti-dandruff formulas or assume dry scalp. The actual source is often deeper: a neuropeptide called Substance P, released by sensory nerves in the epidermal layer when they encounter irritation or stress. It triggers a cascade of inflammation and histamine response that registers as itch. Most topical treatments can't reach it. Hydrolyzed Cornstarch can.
What It Is
A naturally derived ingredient produced through enzymatic hydrolysis: enzymes, not harsh chemicals, break corn starch down into short-chain sugars called oligosaccharides. Biocompatible and bioavailable, it works at the level of the scalp's sensory biology rather than the surface.
How It Works
The oligosaccharides in Hydrolyzed Cornstarch block the NK-1 receptor, the specific receptor Substance P activates to trigger itch. That intercepts the signal before inflammation begins, addressing discomfort at its source rather than masking it after the fact.
It also forms a gentle moisturizing film on the scalp and hair fiber, improving slip and reducing manipulation damage during cleansing. No heaviness. No residue.
What It Delivers
- Reduces scalp itch by blocking the specific nerve receptor responsible for itch signaling
- Anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties that calm scalp sensitivity at the source
- Improves slip and detangling during cleansing, reducing breakage and manipulation damage
- Supports scalp barrier health through moisturizing, film-forming properties
- Gentle on sensitive scalps, including those with compromised barrier function
Clean Credentials
Produced through enzymatic hydrolysis, one of the cleanest processing methods in cosmetic chemistry. No harsh solvents. No synthetic additives. Corn starch, broken down by enzymes into smaller compounds the scalp can actually use.
Sometimes the most effective ingredients are also the simplest ones.
EverGuard (Capryloyl Glycine) Amino Acid
Your Scalp's Built-In Balance, Restored
Dandruff, excess oil, and scalp irritation are usually the same problem at different stages. Sebum imbalance creates conditions for Malassezia, a naturally occurring scalp yeast, to overgrow. That overgrowth triggers inflammation, accelerates skin cell shedding, and produces visible flaking. Standard anti-dandruff ingredients target one point in that chain. Capryloyl Glycine addresses all of them.
What It Is
An amino acid derivative built from glycine, one of the simplest and most naturally occurring amino acids in the human body, paired with a naturally derived fatty acid. 100% naturally derived. COSMOS compliant. Natural Origin Index of 100%.
How It Works
Capryloyl Glycine acts at each stage of the imbalance cycle simultaneously.
Oil regulation: Directly reduces sebum secretion at the cellular level, measurable even at low concentrations. Less excess oil means less fuel for dandruff-causing conditions.
Microbiome protection: Inhibits Malassezia furfur overgrowth, the yeast species most directly responsible for dandruff, without disrupting the broader scalp microbiome.
Irritation reduction: Actively reduces the inflammation and scalp irritation that sebum imbalance and microbial overgrowth produce.
What It Delivers
- Reduces dandruff by targeting the yeast overgrowth at its source
- Regulates sebum secretion to prevent imbalance from starting
- Calms scalp irritation and redness associated with sensitized scalps
- Supports a healthy scalp microbiome, the environment where hair grows
- Conditions strands with amino acid-derived chemistry that supports hair health alongside scalp health
Clean Credentials
100% naturally derived. COSMOS compliant. Free from synthetic preservatives and harsh antimicrobial agents. Amino acid origin means it is inherently gentle, biocompatible, and effective without overriding the scalp's natural biology.
A balanced scalp is not a trend. It is the foundation of healthy hair.