This article considers traditional and modern surfactants, silicones and alternatives, and looks to the future of these categories with specific examples from the industry. Some readers may remember that hair care before the 1980s was simpler with respect to the role of shampoos and the benefits they provided. Most brands essentially offered the consumer a dry, normal or greasy hair product variant in which the level and type of surfactant would be varied to deliver slightly different benefits. Light conditioning benefits were delivered via cationic polymers, just as modified guar would help to deliver frizz control and manageability. However, the inclusion of silicones in shampoos in the mid-1980s heralded a step-change in conditioning performance, starting with the creation of 2-in-1 shampoos.
