Everything you need to know about scents and your hair

The University of Cincinnati's Kelly Dobos was featured in an NBC News article discussing the science behind hair fragrances and shampoos. 

Hair fragrances primarily are focused on giving hair a nice scent, but they may have additional properties like moisturizing hair or providing UV protection. Dobos said UV protection ingredients can protect the product itself in addition to the consumer.

“Fragrance chemicals can be prone to oxidation especially with exposure to heat and light, shifting in color and odor,” said Dobos, a cosmetic chemist and adjunct instructor in UC's Cosmetic Science Program in the James L. Winkle College of Pharmacy. “If the spray is in a clear bottle, additional antioxidants or UV protectants may be part of the formula to help preserve the fragrance.” 

Dobos recommended only using hair perfumes that come with a spray nozzle to ensure the droplets aren't too large and don't weigh hair down. Depending on your hair care routine, you may want to avoid hair fragrances with extra moisturizer, she noted.

“If you’ve already styled your hair, too much moisture can destroy all the work you’ve done,” Dobos said.

Read the NBC News article.

Featured photo at top of a woman spraying product in her hair. Photo/gruizza/iStock Photo.