Home Cosmetic Science Talk Formulating Hair Hydrolyzed Corn Starch

  • Hydrolyzed Corn Starch

    Posted by tcurious on March 8, 2023 at 1:41 pm

    Does anyone have suggestions of where I can find a good hydrolyzed corn starch for styling hold and curl definition?

    So far, MaizeCare Clarity Polymer by Dow seems like a great candidate but the minimums are too large for use right now. Any idea where I can find an analogous ingredient? I’m especially interested in plant-based options.

    Loretta replied 1 year, 5 months ago 5 Members · 5 Replies
  • 5 Replies
  • chemicalmatt

    Member
    March 8, 2023 at 3:21 pm

    Here’s a cheap hack for you. Buy Argo corn starch from the store, mix it with some sorbitol 70% and a little plasticizer-detackifier like propylene glycol or butylene glycol, dissolve all in water or water-ethanol (Everclear from the liquor store) then apply to the hair, style and see what happens. Ya need to heat it up to affect hydration of starch, just like making Chinese stir-fry.

    • tcurious

      Member
      March 8, 2023 at 4:59 pm

      Hahaha! Amazing. Thanks!

    • acat777

      Member
      July 17, 2023 at 7:08 pm

      Thank you so much, I’m also interested in this! I read that you can hydrolyze corn starch with a potent acid like HCI and heat - would you suggest trying this at home before mixing it with sorbitol and a de-tackifier (or is this quite hard to do properly without industrial equipment)? Would this be optimal for creating a styling polymer? Are there any other steps you’d suggest?

    • fareloz

      Member
      July 18, 2023 at 10:09 am

      I see a lot of recipes like starch+vinegar+glycerin to make DIY biodegradable plastic sheets in a mold. How sorbitol and propylene glycol affect the end result?

    • Loretta

      Member
      July 19, 2023 at 9:22 am

      You make me laugh. Very True

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