The 'Soft style': Wilton firm makes new material for hair-care products

Having trouble controlling unruly hair? That problem could be in the past, thanks to an advancement developed by a Wilton-based company.

Momentive Performance Materials Inc. has introduced Silsoft Style silicone, an anionic film-forming emulsion that can help retain curls and make hair more manageable.

Silsoft Style silicone dries quickly and has a naturally flexible hold in high humidity, said Beatriz Blanco, global marketing manager at Momentive.

The firm was formed by the sale of General Electric's Advanced Materials business to Apollo Management late last year.

GE retains 10 percent ownership in the business, which provides high-technology materials to the silicones, quartz and ceramics markets.

With Silsoft Style silicone, personal-care companies can more easily and cost-effectively refine hair-care products while retaining the natural feel of hair, Blanco said.

"By developing a silicone-based material for hair-styling applications, we are giving our customers a way to offer consumers hair-styling products with many enhanced sensory and performance benefits," she said.

Momentive develops products like Silsoft Style after consultation with corporate customers, said spokeswoman Nancy Pitts.

"We work with clients to solve their problems. It's marketed to personal-care companies. It's one of the industries we focus on. It takes one year to 18 months to develop a product," she said. "It's available to anyone globally that wants to buy it."

Silsoft Style silicone can be used in a wide range of products including pump sprays, spritzes, styling gels, styling mousses, smoothing creams and lotions, spray gels, pomades and glazes.

Chemists at a specialty materials company like Momentive Performance Materials are constantly working on chemical combinations to improve an ingredient or develop a new one, said Rob Krebs, spokesman for the American Chemistry Council.

"These guys are following paths down curiosity trails," he said. "Sometimes it's an intuition."

Major personal-care corporations like Procter & Gamble use advancements developed by companies such as Momentive in their products, said Brent Miller, a spokesman for Procter & Gamble.

"Silicone is something we use in our hair products. It's a really important ingredient that helps make hair smooth, soft and shiny - all signs of healthy-looking hair," he said.

The company often works with suppliers to new technology and ingredients, Miller said.

"Procter & Gamble always looks for new ingredients to help us make better products," he said. "Often they come from outside suppliers."

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