2012 Beauty Breakthroughs

Photo by: David Cook

Finesse Color Lock Mousse and Hairspray

If the dye molecules in your hair had their own military defense force, it would be at DEFCON 1 every time you stepped into the shower. Water is hair color's biggest threat because it opens up the cuticle and allows the dye to leech out slowly over time, which is why the only remedy to date has been to cross your fingers and wash with color-protective shampoo and conditioner. ... more 

Photo by: David Cook

Finesse Color Lock Mousse and Hairspray

If the dye molecules in your hair had their own military defense force, it would be at DEFCON 1 every time you stepped into the shower. Water is hair color's biggest threat because it opens up the cuticle and allows the dye to leech out slowly over time, which is why the only remedy to date has been to cross your fingers and wash with color-protective shampoo and conditioner. However, scientists for Finesse recently figured out why these duos can only help so much: The surfactants found in shampoos and conditioners can lower the surface tension of water, making it even easier for the water to strip away hair color. Their solution: Add color-protecting polymers to the styling products we use every day. That way, a protective barrier is already in place when you turn on the shower.

HOW IT WORKS: Because the hair's cuticle is made up of tiny, overlapping scales, there are lots of little crevices where water can sneak into each hair and erode dye molecules. The color-protective polymers in the Finesse styling formulas affix to these gaps along the cuticle layer, forming a water-resistant film. When you wash your hair, the water slowly rinses away the polymer film rather than the color sealed beneath it, and a small amount remains on strands to ensure the pigments are protected until you reapply the styling formula. "We designed the protective seal to mostly wash away so that there was no product buildup in less