ABSTRACT
Hair cleaning is more frequent where water is abundant or where it is considered as a symbol of purification, like in Japan and Korea. The role of a cleansing or detergent agent is to weaken the adhesive forces that stick the soil to hair and scalp, then transfer it into water medium and disperse it within while avoiding any redeposit onto the hair. The goal is to efficiently and rapidly clean without drying; keeping unaltered normal scalp homeostasis, given that the scalp is more sensitive than the hair to degreasing action. The rather poor cosmetic properties of the highly suitable hair cleansing agents have led to them being combined with amphoteric surfactant, the fatty chain of which ends with both anionic and cationic sites. A variety of shampoos ranging from general use to hair-or scalp-specific conditions are available on the market. The hair surface undergoes multiple physical and chemical stresses depending upon hair routines and exposures.
