Hair care study: The power of natural oils and esters in hair care

Why oils continue to win with consumers

Oils resonate strongly with today’s hair care consumer for several reasons:

• Rooted in ritual: oils are deeply embedded in global hair and scalp care traditions, trusted for generations.
• Aligned with wellness: the rise of self-care and holistic beauty has reinforced the perception of oils as nourishing, sensorial ingredients.
• Backed by science: advances in testing and ingredient science now allow brands to substantiate oil performance with robust data.

Oils continue to be a staple across hair care products, with heightened consumer connection from the perceived and proven effects.

The multi-benefit power of oils on hair

Oils offer a combination of functional performance and sensory appeal, making them indispensable in modern formulations. Key benefits include: 

• Improved manageability and softness: lubrication reduces friction, making hair smoother, softer, easier to comb and detangle, wet and dry.  
• Nourishment and protection: oils form a hydrophobic film on damaged hair, helping to reduce moisture loss and dryness.
• Visible enhancement: film-forming properties improve smoothness and deliver healthy-looking shine. 

However, not all oils perform in the same way and understanding these differences is essential to deliver targeted, credible claims. 

Our selection of oils and esters

To provide clear, actionable insights for formulators, we evaluated five Croda Beauty ingredients, selected for both performance potential and relevance to current markets:

• Crodamol™ EO
• Lipolami™ ER
• Avocadin™ HU25
• Phytolea™ Baobab EC
• Heliami™ Sea Fennel EC

Each ingredient offers a distinct functional and sensorial profile, enabling tailored solutions for a wide range of hair care needs.

Performance you can measure

To move beyond perception, we applied a robust, multi-instrumental, and sensorial testing approach, benchmarking our ingredients against relevant EMEA oil references.

Key attributes evaluated included:

• Wet and dry combing
• Hair smoothness
• Shine enhancement
• Hydrophobicity
• Frizz control
• Sensory perception

Using six complementary test methods across different hair types and conditions, we built a comprehensive performance map for each ingredient. The data clearly showed that while all oils deliver core benefits, each excels in different areas, allowing formulators to select the right solution based on specific consumer expectations. 

We also compared the lipid composition of our ingredients with well-known benchmarks such as jojoba, argan, olive, and sunflower oils, as well as a silicone reference. This comparison helps bridge consumer familiarity with oils and esters performance. 

Our test results confirm that:

• Heliami™ Sea Fennel EC mirrors olive oil's fatty acid profile, supporting nourishment and conditioning.
• Phytolea™ Baobab EC aligns closely with argan oil, a recognised reference for shine and smoothness.
• Avocadin™ HU25 is a phytosterol-rich butter derived from avocado and olive oils, delivering intensive care.
• Lipolami™ ER is an ester-based emollient offering silicone-like performance.
• Crodamol™ EO is an ester-based emollient that, despite presenting a different lipid composition to jojoba, ultimately offers similar performance to jojoba with greater formulation flexibility.

Ingredient highlights

Instrumental testing confirmed Crodamol™ EO's ability to significantly improve hair manageability while enhancing visible shine.

• +27% wet combing improvement
• +52% dry combing improvement
• +16% increase in consumer-perceivable hair shine

Consumer benefits: hair feels smoother, easier to detangle, and is visibly shinier.

Designed to tack one of consumers' biggest concerns, Lipolami™ ER delivers effective frizz control, even in high humidity.

• 37% reduction in total frizz volume
• +50.7% improvement in dry combing
• Consumer-perceivable moisturised feel

Consumer benefits: a moisturised, smooth hair feel that consumers can clearly perceive.

Avocadin™ HU25 provides intensive care for damaged hair, combining nourishment with visible performance. 

• +53% increase in hydrophobicity
• +47.5% improvement in dry combing
• +8.3% improvement in smoothness
• +14.5% increase in hair shine

Consumer benefits: hair feels nourished, smoother, easier to manage, and looks healthier.

• 47% reduction in total frizz volume
• Up to +47% increase in hydrophobicity
• +46.2% improvement in dry combing

Consumer benefits: hair appears smoother, stronger, more controlled and easier to style.

An option delivering excellent manageability and sensorial benefits.

• +62.2% improvement in dry combing
• +11.5% improvement in smoothness
• Consumer-perceivable moisturised feel

Consumer benefits: easier manageability combined with a smoother and moisturised feel for better comfort.

Conclusion 

By evaluating a wide range of sensory and instrumental properties, we identified the unique strengths of each oil and emollient within the Croda Beauty portfolio. While all deliver traditional oil benefits such as shine, smoothness, nourishment, and manageability, each offers a distinct performance profile. 

This data-driven approach empowers formulators to: 

• Select the right oil for the right benefit
• Build targeted, credible claims
• Create differentiated hair care solutions aligned with consumer expectations

With Croda Beauty, oils are not just heritage ingredients, they are tools for modern hair care innovation.