New Research Published: Effects of repeated exposure to ozonated water on hair fiber structure and integrity: Part I

HAIR TEAM PUBLISH SCIENTIFIC WORKS IN LEADING JOURNAL

Pedro Augusto Laurindo Igreja Marrafa, then a doctoral researcher at Universidade Anhembi Morumbi completing a research internship at TRI Princeton, led an original study recently published in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science. The research was conducted with contributions from TRI scientists Shamish Ganpule, Vanessa Castro-Haly and Ernesta Malinauskyte, Director of Hair Research, and a support from Adriana Barrinha Fernandes and Carlos José de Lima from the Instituto de Engenharia Biomédica at Universidade Anhembi Morumbi and the Centro de Inovação, Tecnologia e Educação (CITÉ) in São José dos Campos, Brazil.

In this work, they considered the repeated exposure of hair fibers to ozone, which has been marketed as a hair-revitalizing treatment claimed to enhance shine, softness and overall fiber quality. A range of analytical techniques were used to detect and quantify changes, including FTIR to reveal chemical changes from ozone exposure, SEM and fluorescence microscopy to assess surface and internal morphological alterations, and DSC to analyze keratin and matrix thermal behavior. Physical changes were determined through tensile testing to assess mechanical responses, and combability, shine and color measurements to evaluate consumer-relevant attributes. 

Overall, exposure to ozone did results in changes to the hair fiber structure. FTIR revealed oxidation had occurred by increased presence of cysteic acid-related bands and carbonyl groups. Consistent with oxidation, the SEM and fluorescence imaging showed cuticle fusion and increased cortical fluorescence. DSC demonstrated an increased denaturation temperature accompanied by a slight reduction in enthalpy, indicating altered cross-link density and partial disruption of keratin order. Combing forces were also increased after treatment, and tensile testing revealed increased post-yield stiffness. 

Overall, they concluded that exposure of hair to ozonated water led to hair fiber damage, due to cumulative oxidative modifications of hair proteins, lipids and pigments, resulting in alterations to various hair properties. 

Laurindo Igreja Marrafa, P. A.; Ganpule, S.; Castro-Haly; Barrinha Fernandes, A.; Malinauskyte, E.; de Lima, C. J. (2026). Effects of repeated exposure to ozonated water on hair fibre structure and integrity: Part I, Int. J. Cosmet. Sci., 2026; 00:1–16. https://doi.org/10.1111/ics.70099