The "Dynamic Vapor Sorption" Machine

In the development of No Frizz, our scientists used a device to measure the amount of moisture flux in and out of hair - or "dynamic vapor sorption". An excellent means to determine humidity's effect on hair, the DVS instrument has made the measurement of moisture sorption (the process of soaking up by either adsorption or absorption) 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. Think of the same scenario with a piece of aluminum foil. Because foil is resistant to moisture absorption, even in high humidity, it would only collect moisture on its surface. As the air dries, the water would simply evaporate. Because the sponge is more porous and absorbs more water than the foil, it's 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, Living Proof scientists observe this process on hair 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.

The Scanning Electron Microscope

When we think of microscopes and microscopy (the use of or investigation with a microscope), we are most familiar with "light microscopy". Light microscopy views an object through a series of lenses that magnify the visible-light image. The result is a much closer view of an object than can be seen by the naked eye; however, the images we see are only 2-dimensional.

Living Proof scientists use an instrument to examine hair fibers called a scanning electron microscope or SEM. Electrons are shot down on the fiber and "deflected" onto a detector. These electrons are then converted into a high resolution, 3-dimensional image. Since its development in the middle of the twentieth century, the SEM has been used to examine all different kinds of materials, from metal alloys to insects and cells.