Hi everyone,
I have been meaning to research up a bit on palmitoyl tetrapeptide-20, which in many in-vivo studies helps melanin production in the follicle, which can transfer via the hairs' natural transportation systems to the roots. (given that the hair is in good condition and is not damaged — by heat or drying products)
This is very groundbreaking for my mid-40 year-old mother

I wanted to find a nice treatment spray that contains this peptide, but the most famous one (Phyto) contains a lot of alcohol and would likely weaken hydration levels. She hates brittle/dry hair . . . so not the Phyto.
I contacted some cosmetic suppliers and requested for samples of palmitoyl tetrapeptide-20. I want to make a simple spray for my mother, with:
water
hydrolyzed silk (7%)
glycerin (5%)
black walnut hull extract (5%)
purple tulip extract (3%)
PhytoCell Argan (3%)
palmitoyl tetrapeptide-20 (Greyverse) (1%)
HOW MUCH OF THE PEPTIDE SHOULD BE USED?!
Are there any penetration enhancers that can be used to enhance the results of this spray? Anything I should be aware of?
Thank you in advance!
Warmly,
Jamie
Comments
Also, what is the purpose of using hydrolyzed silk, clack walnut extract, tulip extract and phytocell argan? What evidence has convinced you that these ingredients will actually do anything for hair?
Finally, alcohol does not dry out or weaken hair. What evidence has convinced you that it does?
Amino acids (i.e. hyrdolyzed proteins) for hair is a very established link. Just search for any study on amino acids and overall hair health/strength, and you
'll see that the benefit is kind of indisputable.
Black walnut shell extract acts as a natural colourant (sometimes even advertised as a skin-tanning extract — but that's stretching it a little). Honestly, it doesn't hurt to try; I'm hoping for a superficial dye that's obviously temporary.
- Efficacy studies from my suppliers about the tulip and phytocell
Since denatured alcohol is the 2nd ingredient from the Phyto spray, I thought I would steer clear because alcohol disrupts the surface lipid balance of skin and hair. Haircare is all about lipids (to my understanding anyway).
By the way, which ingredients do you agree with? (apart from glycerin, mineral oil, etc?) Just curious
Thanks!
While you may be convinced by the studies of amino acids (hydrolyzed proteins) for hair, I'm not. But I can't dispute the nebulous claim of "just search any study." Here is a study looking at amino acids and hair. It says nothing about hair health/strength. Here is a link to a Google Scholar search of "amino acids hair", there are no studies here supporting your claim. So, I ask what specific studies have convinced you?
My skepticism of the benefits of amino acids and hydrolyzed protein come from personal studies and formula product development for hair care brands like Tresemme and VO5. I've tried these ingredients in formulas. I've done blinded tests. I saw no significant benefits.
Walnut shell - fair enough.
On supplier studies. While suppliers can provide some interesting avenues of investigation, the studies they publish are not reliable. These studies are designed to convince you to buy and use an ingredient. They aren't science and should not be trusted. It's like relying on what a used car sales person tells you about a car they are trying to sell you.
Alcohol evaporates off the surface rather quickly & will have no significant, negative impact on hair. I don't really know what you mean by "disrupts the surface lipid balance." Could you clarify?
(Incidentally, I'm also not convinced that it has a negative impact on the skin but that's a different topic).
I can't really answer your question "what ingredients do you agree with" without knowing what you're referring to. If you are looking for humectants then yes glycerin is a good ingredient. Hydrolyzed protein are also humectants. Water is a good solvent, as is ethanol. But perhaps you mean something else?
Thanks for reading and engaging. My comments are not meant to be critical. As I said, I'm genuinely curious how people develop the beliefs that they do. I try to base what I believe on supported science & when I see claims that aren't supported by any science I've read, I like to investigate further.
Here is a brochure about the technology for reference.
Their brochure makes a claim that "two factors have been identified as the main causes of greying." Is that true? Perhaps, but there are certainly many other important factors too. We don't exactly know why greying happens or when. The company is overstating but in a way that is not specifically lying. However, this claim supports the story they want to tell.
You've got to understand, companies that are selling products (ingredients) want to present the ingredient in the best light to convince you to buy it. It's illegal to lie so for every claim they make, they need to have done some study. But they don't need to publish EVERY study they do. They only publish studies that support the claims they want to make.
If they were really interested in science, they would do studies to demonstrate that the product doesn't work. They would challenge their hypothesis. Only after you've exhausted all the ways you can think of to disprove what you want to believe, can you really say that you've made some discovery. That's science.
So the studies published in their brochures are going to be the best case scenario. The before and after pictures are decidedly unimpressive. And this is as good as it gets! And they also have no control. Maybe just rubbing your head every night for 3 months is enough to stimulate melanogenesis?
A technology that can reverse grey hair would be extraordinary. Whenever an extraordinary claim is made, there must be some extraordinary proof. The studies presented here are the best case and they just don't rise (in my view) to extraordinary proof.
Perry, I didn't mean to complain about you or anything! I understand that you know a lot about this field and that you are genuinely curious. Thanks for reminding me not to blindly trust marketing claims.
Can you please elaborate/attach any studies on alcohol having no negative effects on skin and hair?
I did not consider that alcohol evaporates too quickly for any damage to be made.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/ics.12364 (on skin)