We’ve mentioned before how humidity affects your hair but how exactly did the scientists at Living Proof test No Frizz’s resistance to humidity? The answer lies in a machine that sounds like it came straight out of an episode of Star Trek.

The Dynamic Vapor Sorption Machine is a device that measures the amount of moisture flux in and out of the hair (also known as “dynamic vapour sorption”). With the DVS instrument, the measurement of moisture sorption (the process of soaking up by either adsorption or absorption) is expedited and more effective.

To understand the science behind it, imagine a sponge placed outside on a humid day. As humidity rises, it soaks up moisture in the air – the same process that causes frizz. If the air suddenly dries, the water is sucked out of the sponge and it dries out.

Now think of the same scenario with a piece of aluminum foil. Foil is resistant to moisture absorption so even in high humidity, it would only collect moisture on its surface. As the air dries, the water would simply evaporate. So it’s easy to see why the sponge, which is more porous, is more affected by changes in humidity.

The human hair is highly porous and thus acts like a sponge—adversely affected by changes in humidity. With DVS, our scientists can observe this process with different formulas. This way, they can tell if formulas in development like No Frizz are effective in helping the hair resist humidity—and in coating the hair to act more like the foil than the sponge.