Comparative Study on the Cationic Deposition of Conditioning Polymers on Hair and Wool Fibers

Comparative Study on the Cationic Deposition of Conditioning Polymers on Hair and Wool Fibers | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Research Article Comparative Study on the Cationic Deposition of Conditioning Polymers on Hair and Wool Fibers Vishwas Dhanorkar, Jayaganesh sankar, Punita Kalra, Yogesh Nande This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-9252602/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Under Review Version 1 posted 6 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Cationic conditioning agents play a critical role in shampoo formulations by depositing onto negatively charged keratinous substrates during washing and rinsing and it helps to improving hair conditioning, feel, manageability, shine and overall appearance. In this study, the deposition behaviour of different cationic conditioning systems like cationic guar, polyquaterniums and cationic modified silicone was systematically evaluated on hair fibers and wool substrates using the Rubine dye test coupled colorimetric analysis. A series of prototype shampoo formulations with identical base composition but varying conditioning agents were prepared and compared against an absolute control without any cationic component. Deposition efficiency was quantified using the a* value as the primary indicator of cationic polymer substantivity. The results demonstrated that all cationic conditioning agents significantly enhanced dye uptake compared to the control, confirming effective deposition on negatively charged substrates. Among individual cationic polymers, low-nitrogen cationic guar exhibited the highest a* values on both hair and wool, indicating optimal charge density and superior electrostatic interaction. Low molecular weight polyquaternium showed better deposition performance than its high molecular weight counterpart, while cationic modified silicone displayed moderate deposition when used alone. Importantly, a synergistic blend of guar, polyquaternium, and cationic silicone in the final shampoo formulation resulted in a pronounced increase in a* values, along with reduced L* and b* values on both substrates, indicating enhanced color intensity and improved surface coverage. The consistent trends observed across hair and wool substrates confirm the robustness of the conditioning system. Overall, this study highlights the importance of cationic polymer chemistry, molecular characteristics, and synergistic formulation design in optimizing conditioning deposition. The Rubine dye test proved to be a sensitive and effective tool for differentiating deposition efficiency and guiding rational development of cost-effective shampoo formulations with superior conditioning performance. Cationic deposition Hair conditioning Polyquaternium Cationic guar Silicone emulsion Rubine dye test Figures Figure 1 Figure 2 Figure 3 Figure 4 Figure 5 Figure 6 Introduction Human hair fibers possess a net negative surface charge under typical washing conditions due to ionized carboxyl groups in keratin (Rushton et al., 1994 ; Utane et al., 2017 ; Thompson et al., 2023 ). This negative charge increases further alter due to surfactant cleansing, resulting in roughness, friction, and poor manageability. Cationic conditioning agents are incorporated into shampoo formulations to neutralize the surface charge, promote deposition during rinsing, and improve sensory attributes such as softness, smoothness, shine and combability (Hossel et al., 2000; Kakizawa and Miyake, 2019 ). Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride (GHPTC) is a naturally derived from cationic polysaccharide that enhances wet and dry combing and improves softness (Mc Mullen et al., 2021, Anthony et al., 1998 ). It is widely used in shampoo formulations as an effective cationic conditioning polymer due to its strong affinity for negatively charged hair fibers. During shampooing, hair surfaces become increasingly anionic because of surfactant action, enabling GHPTC to selectively deposit on damaged and porous regions of the fiber. This targeted deposition improves wet and dry combability, reduces friction between fibers, and imparts enhanced softness, smoothness, and manageability without excessive buildup. The performance of GHPTC is strongly influenced by its nitrogen content, which reflects the degree of cationic substitution on the guar backbone. Grades with lower nitrogen content (typically ~ 0.6–0.8% of nitrogen) provide lighter conditioning with improved volume and reduced risk of buildup, making them ideal for fine or low-density hair. Medium nitrogen grades (~ 0.9–1.1% of nitrogen) offer a balanced profile of conditioning, detangling, and sensory softness, and are commonly used in mainstream shampoos. Higher nitrogen grades (~ 1.2–1.5% of nitrogen) carry increased positive charge density, resulting in stronger deposition, superior wet combing, and enhanced slip, particularly on damaged or chemically treated hair. Polyquaterniums (polyquats) are widely used in shampoo formulations as cationic conditioning polymers that provide effective hair conditioning while maintaining cleansing performance. Polyquats, carrying multiple positively charged quaternary ammonium groups and it electrostatically attracted to these sites and selectively deposit on the hair surface (Davis et al., 2011 , Robbins and Crawford, 1991 ). This deposition reduces fiber–fiber friction, improves wet and dry combability, enhances softness and smoothness, and controls fly aways. The conditioning performance of polyquats is strongly influenced by their molecular weight, which determines deposition behaviour, sensory feel, and durability of conditioning (Drovetskaya et a., 2007; Jordan et al., 2009 ). Low molecular weight polyquats provide light conditioning with minimal buildup and are particularly suitable for fine or oily hair. Medium molecular weight polyquats offer a balanced conditioning profile, delivering effective detangling, softness, and improved wet combing. High molecular weight polyquats exhibit stronger substantivity and film forming properties and it helps to enhanced slip, cuticle smoothing, and long lasting conditioning benefits, especially for damaged, dry and chemically treated hair. Different polyquat types (e.g., Polyquaternium-6, Polyquaternium-10, Polyquaternium-73) are often blended to leverage complementary molecular weights and charge densities, enabling formulators to fine-tune sensory performance, deposition efficiency and consumer perceived benefits across diverse hair types and usage conditions. Silicones are widely used in shampoo formulations to enhance hair feel, appearance, and manageability by forming a thin, lubricating film on the hair surface during rinsing. Although inherently hydrophobic. Silicones are efficiently deposited in shampoos through emulsification and cationic polymer assisted deposition (Kazuyuki, 1992 ; Lim et al., 2010). Different types of silicones are selected based on desired hair benefits. Dimethicone provides intensive smoothing, slip and damage protection and it suitable for damaged hair. Amodimethicone, with its amine functional structure, selectively deposits on damaged areas of hair, offering targeted conditioning, color protection and long lasting smoothness with reduced buildup. Dimethiconol enhances gloss and softness by forming a more durable film and it often used for frizz control. Silicone emulsions such as high Spreadability microemulsions improve the wet combing and softness without heavy feel, while volatile silicones (e.g., Cyclopentasiloxane, in conditioning systems) aid in even distribution and leave hair light and non-greasy feel. By combining different silicone types with cationic polymers, formulators can balance smoothness, shine, and lightweight sensory performance across diverse hair types. Many researchers done the combination of different cationic polymers and silicone in shampoo system and evaluated the performance. In recent days in market shampoo developed with combination of cationic polymers and silicone system and it helps to provide the superior conditioning soft, smooth feel etc. Many research works are completed in this area, however the deposition study of cationic polymers (Guar / polyquat) and silicone system are lacking (Shrenik and Annette, 1994; Hossel et al. , 2000; Gruber et al., 2000 ). The amount of cationic polymer deposition is critical to understand the conditioning property and helps to optimise the dosage of the conditioning molecule to develop the cost effective and consumer benefit formula. Understanding the deposition efficiency of individual and combined conditioning agents is critical for rationalise shampoo formulation. The Rubine (Red Dye) test is a widely accepted qualitative and quantitative method to assess the cationic deposition by measuring dye uptake on negatively charged substrates (Crawford, and Robbins, 1980 ). In this study we aimed to systematically evaluate the deposition behaviour of different conditioning systems on hair swatches and woolen cloth with correlation to the sensory performance. Overall study helps to optimise the dosage of conditioning polymers and also helps to develop the consumer delight product. Materials and Methods The rubine dye (Red Dye) test is a widely used qualitative–quantitative method to evaluate the substantive conditioning efficacy of hair care formulations. Human hair and wool fibers possess a net negative surface charge due to ionized carboxyl groups present on keratin. Cationic conditioning polymers, carrying positive charges are electrostatically attracted to and deposited onto these negatively charged fiber surfaces during washing. Initially the fiber are exposed to an anionic Rubine dye solution. The dye selectively binds to the deposited cationic polymers via ionic interactions. The extent of dye uptake reflected by the intensity of red coloration on the fiber surface and it is directly proportional to the amount of cationic polymer deposited. Thus, higher red color intensity indicates that greater cationic deposition and superior conditioning performance. Prepare a 1% (w/v) stock solution of Rubine dye in deionized water. Filter the solution if turbidity is observed. Wash hair or wool swatches with the test shampoo at a dosage of 10% relative to the hair weight. Wash control swatches using a non-conditioning shampoo lacking cationic polymers. Immerse the washed swatches in the Rubine dye solution for 1 minute at ambient conditions. Rinse thoroughly with deionized water to remove unbound dye and allow the samples to air-dry at 25°C and 50% relative humidity condition Measure the color coordinates (L*, a*, b*) using a calibrated spectrophotometer. The a* value (red–green axis) is used as the primary indicator of cationic polymer deposition. An increase in the a* value relative to the control sample indicates enhanced binding of the anionic Rubine dye, attributable to a higher cationic charge density on the hair surface. This confirms improved substantivity and conditioning efficacy of the treatment. Results and Discussion The Rubine dye test was performed to assess the substantive conditioning deposition of the shampoo formulations by measuring color coordinates (L*, a*, b*) on treated hair swatches Table 1 . A controlled comparative study was conducted to assess the influence of different cationic conditioning systems on ‘a’ value. Six prototype formulations were developed using an identical base matrix. The formulations differed only in the type of cationic ingredient incorporated, namely guar derivatives with varying nitrogen content, polyquaterniums of different molecular weights, and a cationic modified silicone. A formulation without any cationic polymer or silicone served as the absolute control. An ‘a’ value was selected as the primary evaluation parameter, as it reflects the performance variation imparted by different cationic systems under standardized test conditions. All samples were prepared using the same processing parameters and evaluated under controlled laboratory conditions. The ‘a’ value readings were measured using a standardized instrumental method. Results represent mean values of measurements in triplicate. Table 1 Impact of cationic conditioning Agents on dye uptake on colorimetric parameters on hair fiber as a substrate Code Product Description Conditioning agents L a b 1 Absolute Control Without any cationic molecule* 67.31 8.11 17.27 2 Proto A Cationic Guar derivative with high Nitrogen content 60.03 13.75 14.7 3 Proto B Cationic Guar derivative with low Nitrogen content 60.48 14.1 13.45 4 Proto C Cationic Polyquaternium derivative with low molecular weight 57.45 18.46 11.62 5 Proto D Cationic Polyquaternium derivative with high molecular weight 62.18 9.8 15.38 6 Proto E Cationic modified Silicone derivative 62.74 18.62 15.2 *without guar derivative, polyquaternium and modified silicone derivative The absolute control exhibited the lowest Value ‘a’ (15.65), confirming the necessity of cationic conditioning agents for performance enhancement (Fig. 1 ). Guar-based systems demonstrated superior performance compared to polyquaterniums and cationic silicone. Notably, low-nitrogen guar (Proto B) achieved the highest Value ‘a’ (25.65), suggesting optimal charge density and better deposition efficiency. Among Polyquaternium, low molecular weight PQ (Proto C) performed better than high molecular weight PQ and it indicating that improved surface interaction and distribution (References). Cationic modified silicone (Proto E) showed moderate improvement but remained inferior to guar and PQ derivative treated, possibly due to its film forming rather than charge driven interaction mechanism. The study demonstrates that the nature and charge characteristics of cationic conditioning agents significantly influence ‘a’ value. Low nitrogen guar emerged as the most effective conditioning system, followed by low molecular weight polyquaternium. These findings support the strategic selection of guar based cationic polymers for enhanced performance in hair care formulations. The visual comparison of hair tresses treated with different prototypes demonstrates a clear increase in Rubine dye uptake relative to the control. The control sample shows minimal red coloration, indicating limited dye binding and lower surface cationic charge. In contrast, Proto-A to Proto-F exhibit progressively higher red/pink intensity along the fiber length, reflecting enhanced interaction of the anionic Rubine dye with the hair surface (Fig. 2 ). Among the prototypes, Proto-A, Proto-D, and Proto-F show notably stronger and more uniform coloration, suggesting higher cationic charge density and improved substantivity. This enhanced dye deposition is indicative of superior conditioning performance, as increased cationic sites promote stronger electrostatic binding to the negatively charged hair surface (Erazo-Majewicz and Su, 2004 ; Li et al., 2006 ). Overall, the visual results corroborate instrumental a* value trends and confirm improved conditioning efficacy of the selected prototypes compared to the control. Similar kind of study carried out in the wool to evaluate the conditioning deposition of the shampoo formulations. The absolute control formulation exhibited the lowest ‘a’ value (15.65), indicating minimal performance in the absence of cationic components. Incorporation of guarbased cationic polymers resulted in a marked improvement, with high-nitrogen guar showing an ‘a’ value of 23.34 and low nitrogen guar demonstrating the highest ‘a’ value of 25.65. Polyquaternium based systems also enhanced performance compared to the control, with low molecular weight polyquaternium (22.52) outperforming the high molecular weight variant (21.45). The formulation containing cationic modified silicone showed a moderate increase in ‘a’ value (19.83), though its performance remained inferior to guar and polyquaternium systems (Table 2 & Fig. 3 ). Table 2 Impact of cationic conditioning agents on dye uptake on colorimetric parameters on wool as a substrate Code Product Description Conditioning agents L a b 1 Absolute Control Without any cationic molecule* 70.81 15.65 6.51 2 Proto A Cationic Guar derivative with high Nitrogen content 64.27 23.34 3.75 3 Proto B Cationic Guar derivative with low Nitrogen content 60.09 25.65 3.34 4 Proto C Cationic Polyquaternium derivative with low molecular weight 63.88 22.52 4.28 5 Proto D Cationic Polyquaternium derivative with high molecular weight 64.91 21.45 4.42 6 Proto E Cationic modified Silicone derivative 66.57 19.83 7.79 *without guar derivative, polyquaternium and modified silicone derivative The results clearly indicate that both the type of cationic polymer and its charge characteristics significantly influence ‘a’ value. Low nitrogen guar provided optimal performance, suggesting improved deposition efficiency and balanced charge density. Lower molecular weight polyquaterniums demonstrated better interaction compared to higher molecular weight variants, while cationic modified silicone showed limited efficacy relative to polymeric cationic systems. Among the evaluated conditioning agents, low nitrogen guar emerged as the most effective in enhancing ‘a’ value, followed by low molecular weight polyquaternium. The study confirms the critical role of cationic chemistry selection in optimizing formulation performance and provides a clear direction for further product development (Dimitrova, et al., 2025 ; Minguet et al., 2010 Li et al., 2006 ). The control fabric strip exhibits minimal Rubine dye staining, indicating negligible interaction with anionic dye. In contrast, Proto-A to Proto-F show visibly higher pink/red coloration, confirming increased dye uptake (Fig. 4 ). This suggests the presence of higher cationic species in the prototype formulations, which promote stronger electrostatic binding of the anionic Rubine dye to the substrate. Overall, the fabric strip results support the hair tress observations and further validate the enhanced cationic character and conditioning potential of the prototype formulations compared to the control. The study was conducted on two substrates i.e. wool and fiber to understand substrate-dependent interactions of cationic conditioning systems. For each substrate, an absolute control formulation without guar, polyquaternium, or silicone was compared against a shampoo formulation containing a synergistic blend of guar, polyquaternium and silicone emulsion. For both substrates, incorporation of the guar derivative, polyquaternium, silicone blend resulted in a significant decrease in L* values, indicating enhanced deposition and reduced lightness due to stronger surface interaction. This effect was more pronounced on the fiber substrate, suggesting higher affinity or increased uptake of conditioning components. A substantial increase in a* values was observed for both wool (from 15.65 to 26.88) and fiber (from 8.11 to 22.79), reflecting enhanced red chromaticity and improved color intensity in the presence of the cationic blend (Fig. 5 ). This highlights the synergistic effect of combined cationic polymers and silicone in promoting color enhancement. The b* values decreased markedly for both substrates, particularly in wool (from 6.51 to 2.29), indicating reduced yellowness (Table 3 ). This shift suggests a cleaner and more balanced chromatic outcome upon treatment with the final shampoo formulation. The results demonstrate that a synergistic blend of guar, polyquaternium, and cationic silicone significantly improves colorimetric performance across different substrates. The formulation enhanced color intensity ( a* ), reduced lightness ( L* ), and minimized unwanted yellowness ( b* ). These effects were consistently observed on both wool and fiber substrates, confirming the robustness and broad applicability of the conditioner molecule system in shampoo formulations. Table 3 Impact of synergistic combination of cationic polymers on wool and fiber substrates dye uptake on colorimetric parameters Substrate Product Description Conditioning agents L a b Wool Absolute Control Shampoo without conditioning agent (W/O Guar, PQ, Silicone) 70.81 15.65 6.51 Wool Shampoo Shampoo with unique blend of conditioning agent 57.18 26.88 2.29 Fiber Absolute Control Shampoo without conditioning agent (W/O Guar, PQ, Silicone) 67.31 8.11 17.27 Fiber Shampoo Shampoo with unique blend of conditioning agent 50.23 22.79 8.91 This study systematically investigated the deposition behaviour of individual and combined cationic conditioning systems on hair and wool substrates using the Rubine dye method coupled with colorimetric analysis. The results clearly demonstrate that cationic polymer chemistry, charge density, and molecular characteristics play a decisive role in conditioning deposition efficiency. The shampoo treated samples exhibited visibly higher Rubine dye uptake compared to the control, as evidenced by increased red/pink coloration on both hair tresses and fabric strips. The control samples showed limited dye binding, indicating lower surface cationic charge density. In contrast, the shampoo treated hair demonstrated more intense and uniform staining along the fiber length, confirming enhanced electrostatic interaction with the anionic Rubine dye (Fig. 6 ). Similarly, the fabric strip assessment revealed stronger dye deposition for the shampoo-treated sample relative to the control, further supporting increased cationic substantivity. Collectively, these observations confirm the improved conditioning performance and deposition efficiency of the shampoo formulation compared to the control system. Among the individual conditioning agents evaluated, low nitrogen cationic guar consistently exhibited the highest a* values on both hair and wool substrates, indicating optimal charge balance and superior electrostatic interaction with negatively charged keratin surfaces. Low molecular weight polyquaternium also showed effective deposition, outperforming its high molecular weight counterpart, which likely suffers from reduced mobility and less uniform surface distribution Dimitrova, et al., 2025 ; Erazo-Majewicz and Su, 2004 ; Jordon et al, 2009). Cationic modified silicone, while contributing to conditioning, displayed comparatively lower deposition efficiency when used alone, reflecting its primarily film-forming rather than charge-driven interaction mechanism (Dimitrova, et al., 2025 ; Li et al., 2006 ) Importantly, the synergistic combination of guar, polyquaternium, and cationic silicone in the final shampoo formulation resulted in a pronounced enhancement of conditioning deposition across both substrates. This was evidenced by significant increases in a* values, reductions in L* values, and lowered b* values, indicating improved color intensity, stronger surface coverage, and reduced yellowness. The consistency of these effects on both wool and fiber substrates confirms the robustness and broad applicability of the combined conditioning system. Conclusion Overall, the findings highlight that optimized blends of cationic polymers and silicone emulsions offer superior conditioning performance compared to individual components. The Rubine dye test proved to be a sensitive and effective tool for differentiating deposition behaviour and guiding formulation optimization. This work provides valuable insights for the rational design of cost-effective shampoo formulations that deliver enhanced conditioning performance and improved consumer sensory benefits. Declarations The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request. Acknowledgement: The researchers thanks to Ms. Priti Sureka, Director, EMAMI Limited for her constant encouragement throughout the study. Funding Declaration No, this research did not receive funding. Clinical trial number: Not applicable Compliance with ethical standards Conflict of interest: The authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper. Ethical Approval: Not applicable Consent to Participate: Informed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study. Consent to Publish: All participants provided consent for publication of anonymized data/findings. References Anthony, O.; Marques, C. M.; Richetti, P. Bulk and Surface Behavior of Cationic Guars in Solutions of Oppositely Charged Surfactants. Langmuir 1998 , 14 (21), 6086–6095. Crawford, R. J., and Robbins, C. R. A replacement for Rubine dye for detecting cationics on keratin. Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, 1980; 31, 273-278. Davis, M.G, Thomas, J.H, van de Velde S, Boissy Y, Dawson TL, Jr, Iveson R, 2011. A novel cosmetic approach to treat thinning hair. Br J Dermatol.;165 (Suppl 3):24–30. Dimitrova, N. K., Georgiev, M. T., and Anachkov, S. E. (2025). Optimizing lubricant deposition on hair-like substrates using cationic polymer/anionic surfactant complexes . Langmuir , 41(27), 17494–17504. Drovetskaya TV, Diantonio EF, Kreeger RL, Amos JL, Frank DP. New high-charge density hydrophobically modified cationic HEC polymers for improved co-deposition of benefit agents and serious conditioning for problem hair. J Cosmet Sci. 2007;58(4):421-34. Erazo-Majewicz PE, Su SC. Cationic conditioning -polymer deposits on hair. J Cosmet Sci. 2004;55(1):125-7. Erazo-Majewicz PE, Su SC. Cationic conditioning--polymer deposits on hair. J Cosmet Sci. 2004;55(1):125-7. Gruber, J. V.; Lamoureux, B. R.; Joshi, N.; Moral, L. Influence of Cationic Polysaccharides on Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Deposition onto Keratin Surfaces from a Surfactant Emulsified System. Colloids Surfaces B Biointerfaces 2000 , 19 (2), 127–135. Hössel, P.; Dieing, R.; Nörenberg, R.; Pfau, A.; Sander, R. Conditioning Polymers in Today’s Shampoo Formulations – Efficacy, Mechanism and Test Methods. Int. J. Cosmet. Sci. 2000 , 22 (1), 1–10. Jordan SL, Zhang X, Amos J, Frank D, Menon R, Galley R, Davis C, Kalantar T, Ladika M. Evaluation of novel synthetic conditioning polymers for shampoos. J Cosmet Sci. 2009;60(2):239-50. Kakizawa, Y.; Miyake, M. Creation of New Functions by Combination of Surfactant and Polymer - Complex Coacervation with Oppositely Charged Polymer and Surfactant for Shampoo and Body Wash -. J. Oleo Sci. 2019 , 68 (6), 525–539. Kazuyuki Yahagi, 1992. Silicones as conditioning agents inn shampoos. J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem., 43: 275-284. Li W, Amos J, Jordan S, Theis A, Davis C. Selecting the optimum silicone particle size/cationic polymer structure to maximize shampoo conditioning performance. J Cosmet Sci. 2006;57(2):178-80. Lim, Y.H., Park, C.H. and Kim. J., 2010. Hair conditioning effect of amino silicone softeners in varied treatment conditions. Fibers and polymers. 3:507-515. McMullen, R. L.; Laura, D.; Zhang, G.; Kroon, B. Investigation of the Interactions of Cationic Guar with Human Hair by Electrokinetic Analysis. Int. J. Cosmet. Sci. 2021 , 43 (4), 375–390. Minguet M, Subirats N, Castán P, Sakai T. Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine: unique behaviour in solution and in hair care formulations. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2010;32(4):246-57. Robbins CR and Crawford, RJ., 1991. Cuticle damage and the tensile properties of human hair. J Soc Cosmet Chem. 1991;42:59–67. Rushton H, Gummer CL, Flasch H. 2‐in‐1 shampoo technology: State‐of‐the‐art shampoo and conditioner in one. Skin Pharmacol. 1994;7:78‐83. Shrenik Nanavati and Annette Hami, 1994. A preliminary investigationof the interaction of a quat with silicones and its conditioning benefits on hair. J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem., 45: 135-148 Thompson, C. J.; Ainger, N.; Starck, P.; Mykhaylyk, O. O.; Ryan, A. J. Shampoo Science: A Review of the Physiochemical Processes behind the Function of a Shampoo. Macromol. Chem. Phys. 2023 , 224 (3). Utane R, Deo S, Itankar P. Preparation of herbal shampoo (HS) by green method and their characterization. Int J Res Soc Sci Inf Stud. 2017;5:254-8. Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Under Review Version 1 posted Reviewers agreed at journal 11 May, 2026 Reviewers invited by journal 20 Apr, 2026 Editor invited by journal 16 Apr, 2026 Editor assigned by journal 04 Apr, 2026 Submission checks completed at journal 03 Apr, 2026 First submitted to journal 03 Apr, 2026 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-9252602","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Research Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":617536003,"identity":"fc7cbc7b-d329-482c-a847-a39f647f2075","order_by":0,"name":"Vishwas Dhanorkar","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"EMAMI Limited","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Vishwas","middleName":"","lastName":"Dhanorkar","suffix":""},{"id":617536004,"identity":"9856125a-f8e8-4e31-bf0e-f2d305e12e52","order_by":1,"name":"Jayaganesh sankar","email":"data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAZAAAAAyAQMAAABI0h/eAAAABlBMVEX///8AAABVwtN+AAAACXBIWXMAAA7EAAAOxAGVKw4bAAAA9UlEQVRIiWNgGAWjYFCCAzAGD+MDEMlHihZmAxDJRoJ1PGwSIIqgFvnGw88kfvyyy+PnP3us8muOnQwbA/PDRzfwaDE4cMxMsrcvuVhyRl7abdltyUCHsRkb5+DTwnDATIK3hzlxww0es9uS25iBWnjYpPFpkW84/k3yb0994v7zZ8yKJbfVE9bCcOCMmTTPj8OJGxhyzBg/bjtMWIvBgTPF1rINxxNn3MgxlmbcdpyHjZmAX+RnHN94882f6sT+/jOGH39uq7bnZ29++BivwyQOsEgwtkHYzDxgEp9yEOBvYP7A8AfCZvxBSPUoGAWjYBSMSAAAeftLfeoqq98AAAAASUVORK5CYII=","orcid":"","institution":"EMAMI Limited","correspondingAuthor":true,"prefix":"","firstName":"Jayaganesh","middleName":"","lastName":"sankar","suffix":""},{"id":617536005,"identity":"f528c0d0-c678-4bdf-bca5-7980022611ce","order_by":2,"name":"Punita Kalra","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"EMAMI Limited","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Punita","middleName":"","lastName":"Kalra","suffix":""},{"id":617536006,"identity":"92d393a2-94c8-447e-b48e-50b2bd42344a","order_by":3,"name":"Yogesh Nande","email":"","orcid":"","institution":"EMAMI Limited","correspondingAuthor":false,"prefix":"","firstName":"Yogesh","middleName":"","lastName":"Nande","suffix":""}],"badges":[],"createdAt":"2026-03-28 12:23:14","currentVersionCode":1,"declarations":"","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9252602/v1","doiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9252602/v1","draftVersion":[],"editorialEvents":[],"editorialNote":"","failedWorkflow":false,"files":[{"id":106328008,"identity":"05fbc4d5-06a6-4837-91b5-a9d3f3e7f1e5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-07 13:29:08","extension":"png","order_by":1,"title":"Figure 1","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":23578,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEffect of Different Cationic Conditioning Agents on \u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ea*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e Value – Hair fiber\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"1.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9252602/v1/9971eb68710514c6384bfc09.png"},{"id":106328017,"identity":"032d5913-341d-4175-ac30-0bc31b60c356","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-07 13:29:13","extension":"png","order_by":2,"title":"Figure 2","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":352050,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVisual Comparison of Hair Tresses Treated with Different Conditioning Formulations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"2.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9252602/v1/59b7ee75f2a4caf2076fc0a2.png"},{"id":106328052,"identity":"715c2336-c20c-46f4-a697-398180927db5","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-07 13:29:22","extension":"png","order_by":3,"title":"Figure 3","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":30920,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEffect of different cationic conditioning agents on \u003c/strong\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cstrong\u003ea*\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e value – Wool as substrate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"3.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9252602/v1/5ef4ea093a19726a1156ace3.png"},{"id":106404119,"identity":"1e47d004-ba75-441c-8b4c-b4f67d3a9ee0","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-08 09:15:31","extension":"png","order_by":4,"title":"Figure 4","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":563579,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVisual comparison of wool substrate treated with different Conditioning formulations\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"4.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9252602/v1/a33e72e9e74e3c5763889e68.png"},{"id":106328014,"identity":"0c9a02b4-ce62-415d-abfe-216dd888ee51","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-07 13:29:12","extension":"png","order_by":5,"title":"Figure 5","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":25414,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEffect of synergistic combination of cationic conditioning system on a* value on wool and fiber substrate\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"5.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9252602/v1/1bef7293e931c617fe5e5ac9.png"},{"id":106328009,"identity":"a45040a8-70b3-4ebb-b6bf-031cd776c0f4","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-07 13:29:08","extension":"png","order_by":6,"title":"Figure 6","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"figure","size":430175,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eVisual comparison of wool and fiber substrate treated with synergistic combination of cationic polymers\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e","description":"","filename":"6.png","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9252602/v1/687d6b14bd2f3a57b62a0733.png"},{"id":106405650,"identity":"04ea82b7-b0cf-4123-bdb7-a7672835c806","added_by":"auto","created_at":"2026-04-08 09:28:03","extension":"pdf","order_by":0,"title":"","display":"","copyAsset":false,"role":"manuscript-pdf","size":2553628,"visible":true,"origin":"","legend":"","description":"","filename":"manuscript.pdf","url":"https://assets-eu.researchsquare.com/files/rs-9252602/v1/da0e6077-dbce-4471-b51c-f6023370a3b8.pdf"}],"financialInterests":"No competing interests reported.","formattedTitle":"Comparative Study on the Cationic Deposition of Conditioning Polymers on Hair and Wool Fibers","fulltext":[{"header":"Introduction","content":"\u003cp\u003eHuman hair fibers possess a net negative surface charge under typical washing conditions due to ionized carboxyl groups in keratin (Rushton et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR18\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1994\u003c/span\u003e; Utane et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR21\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2017\u003c/span\u003e; Thompson et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR20\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2023\u003c/span\u003e). This negative charge increases further alter due to surfactant cleansing, resulting in roughness, friction, and poor manageability. Cationic conditioning agents are incorporated into shampoo formulations to neutralize the surface charge, promote deposition during rinsing, and improve sensory attributes such as softness, smoothness, shine and combability (Hossel et al., 2000; Kakizawa and Miyake, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR11\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2019\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eGuar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride (GHPTC) is a naturally derived from cationic polysaccharide that enhances wet and dry combing and improves softness (Mc Mullen et al., 2021, Anthony et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR1\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1998\u003c/span\u003e). It is widely used in shampoo formulations as an effective cationic conditioning polymer due to its strong affinity for negatively charged hair fibers. During shampooing, hair surfaces become increasingly anionic because of surfactant action, enabling GHPTC to selectively deposit on damaged and porous regions of the fiber. This targeted deposition improves wet and dry combability, reduces friction between fibers, and imparts enhanced softness, smoothness, and manageability without excessive buildup. The performance of GHPTC is strongly influenced by its nitrogen content, which reflects the degree of cationic substitution on the guar backbone. Grades with lower nitrogen content (typically\u0026thinsp;~\u0026thinsp;0.6\u0026ndash;0.8% of nitrogen) provide lighter conditioning with improved volume and reduced risk of buildup, making them ideal for fine or low-density hair. Medium nitrogen grades (~\u0026thinsp;0.9\u0026ndash;1.1% of nitrogen) offer a balanced profile of conditioning, detangling, and sensory softness, and are commonly used in mainstream shampoos. Higher nitrogen grades (~\u0026thinsp;1.2\u0026ndash;1.5% of nitrogen) carry increased positive charge density, resulting in stronger deposition, superior wet combing, and enhanced slip, particularly on damaged or chemically treated hair.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePolyquaterniums (polyquats) are widely used in shampoo formulations as cationic conditioning polymers that provide effective hair conditioning while maintaining cleansing performance. Polyquats, carrying multiple positively charged quaternary ammonium groups and it electrostatically attracted to these sites and selectively deposit on the hair surface (Davis et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR3\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2011\u003c/span\u003e, Robbins and Crawford, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR17\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1991\u003c/span\u003e). This deposition reduces fiber\u0026ndash;fiber friction, improves wet and dry combability, enhances softness and smoothness, and controls fly aways. The conditioning performance of polyquats is strongly influenced by their molecular weight, which determines deposition behaviour, sensory feel, and durability of conditioning (Drovetskaya et a., 2007; Jordan et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR10\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2009\u003c/span\u003e). Low molecular weight polyquats provide light conditioning with minimal buildup and are particularly suitable for fine or oily hair. Medium molecular weight polyquats offer a balanced conditioning profile, delivering effective detangling, softness, and improved wet combing. High molecular weight polyquats exhibit stronger substantivity and film forming properties and it helps to enhanced slip, cuticle smoothing, and long lasting conditioning benefits, especially for damaged, dry and chemically treated hair.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eDifferent polyquat types (e.g., Polyquaternium-6, Polyquaternium-10, Polyquaternium-73) are often blended to leverage complementary molecular weights and charge densities, enabling formulators to fine-tune sensory performance, deposition efficiency and consumer perceived benefits across diverse hair types and usage conditions.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSilicones are widely used in shampoo formulations to enhance hair feel, appearance, and manageability by forming a thin, lubricating film on the hair surface during rinsing. Although inherently hydrophobic. Silicones are efficiently deposited in shampoos through emulsification and cationic polymer assisted deposition (Kazuyuki, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR12\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1992\u003c/span\u003e; Lim et al., 2010). Different types of silicones are selected based on desired hair benefits. Dimethicone provides intensive smoothing, slip and damage protection and it suitable for damaged hair. Amodimethicone, with its amine functional structure, selectively deposits on damaged areas of hair, offering targeted conditioning, color protection and long lasting smoothness with reduced buildup. Dimethiconol enhances gloss and softness by forming a more durable film and it often used for frizz control. Silicone emulsions such as high Spreadability microemulsions improve the wet combing and softness without heavy feel, while volatile silicones (e.g., Cyclopentasiloxane, in conditioning systems) aid in even distribution and leave hair light and non-greasy feel. By combining different silicone types with cationic polymers, formulators can balance smoothness, shine, and lightweight sensory performance across diverse hair types. Many researchers done the combination of different cationic polymers and silicone in shampoo system and evaluated the performance. In recent days in market shampoo developed with combination of cationic polymers and silicone system and it helps to provide the superior conditioning soft, smooth feel etc. Many research works are completed in this area, however the deposition study of cationic polymers (Guar / polyquat) and silicone system are lacking (Shrenik and Annette, 1994; Hossel \u003cem\u003eet al.\u003c/em\u003e, 2000; Gruber et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR8\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2000\u003c/span\u003e). The amount of cationic polymer deposition is critical to understand the conditioning property and helps to optimise the dosage of the conditioning molecule to develop the cost effective and consumer benefit formula. Understanding the deposition efficiency of individual and combined conditioning agents is critical for rationalise shampoo formulation. The Rubine (Red Dye) test is a widely accepted qualitative and quantitative method to assess the cationic deposition by measuring dye uptake on negatively charged substrates (Crawford, and Robbins, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR2\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e1980\u003c/span\u003e). In this study we aimed to systematically evaluate the deposition behaviour of different conditioning systems on hair swatches and woolen cloth with correlation to the sensory performance. Overall study helps to optimise the dosage of conditioning polymers and also helps to develop the consumer delight product.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Materials and Methods","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe rubine dye (Red Dye) test is a widely used qualitative\u0026ndash;quantitative method to evaluate the substantive conditioning efficacy of hair care formulations. Human hair and wool fibers possess a net negative surface charge due to ionized carboxyl groups present on keratin. Cationic conditioning polymers, carrying positive charges are electrostatically attracted to and deposited onto these negatively charged fiber surfaces during washing.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eInitially the fiber are exposed to an anionic Rubine dye solution. The dye selectively binds to the deposited cationic polymers via ionic interactions. The extent of dye uptake reflected by the intensity of red coloration on the fiber surface and it is directly proportional to the amount of cationic polymer deposited. Thus, higher red color intensity indicates that greater cationic deposition and superior conditioning performance.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003ePrepare a 1% (w/v) stock solution of Rubine dye in deionized water. Filter the solution if turbidity is observed. Wash hair or wool swatches with the test shampoo at a dosage of 10% relative to the hair weight. Wash control swatches using a non-conditioning shampoo lacking cationic polymers. Immerse the washed swatches in the Rubine dye solution for 1 minute at ambient conditions. Rinse thoroughly with deionized water to remove unbound dye and allow the samples to air-dry at 25\u0026deg;C and 50% relative humidity condition Measure the color coordinates (L*, a*, b*) using a calibrated spectrophotometer. The a* value (red\u0026ndash;green axis) is used as the primary indicator of cationic polymer deposition. An increase in the a* value relative to the control sample indicates enhanced binding of the anionic Rubine dye, attributable to a higher cationic charge density on the hair surface. This confirms improved substantivity and conditioning efficacy of the treatment.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Results and Discussion","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe Rubine dye test was performed to assess the substantive conditioning deposition of the shampoo formulations by measuring color coordinates (L*, a*, b*) on treated hair swatches Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e. A controlled comparative study was conducted to assess the influence of different cationic conditioning systems on \u003cem\u003e\u0026lsquo;a\u0026rsquo;\u003c/em\u003e value. Six prototype formulations were developed using an identical base matrix. The formulations differed only in the type of cationic ingredient incorporated, namely guar derivatives with varying nitrogen content, polyquaterniums of different molecular weights, and a cationic modified silicone. A formulation without any cationic polymer or silicone served as the absolute control. An \u0026lsquo;a\u0026rsquo; value was selected as the primary evaluation parameter, as it reflects the performance variation imparted by different cationic systems under standardized test conditions. All samples were prepared using the same processing parameters and evaluated under controlled laboratory conditions. The \u003cem\u003e\u0026lsquo;a\u0026rsquo;\u003c/em\u003e value readings were measured using a standardized instrumental method. Results represent mean values of measurements in triplicate.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab1\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 1\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eImpact of cationic conditioning Agents on dye uptake on colorimetric parameters on hair fiber as a substrate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCode\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProduct Description\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConditioning agents\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eL\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ea\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eb\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbsolute Control\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWithout any cationic molecule*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67.31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProto A\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCationic Guar derivative with high Nitrogen content\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60.03\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.7\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProto B\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCationic Guar derivative with low Nitrogen content\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60.48\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e14.1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e13.45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProto C\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCationic Polyquaternium derivative with low molecular weight\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57.45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.46\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e11.62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProto D\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCationic Polyquaternium derivative with high molecular weight\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e9.8\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.38\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProto E\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCationic modified Silicone derivative\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e62.74\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e18.62\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"6\"\u003e*without guar derivative, polyquaternium and modified silicone derivative\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe absolute control exhibited the lowest Value \u0026lsquo;a\u0026rsquo; (15.65), confirming the necessity of cationic conditioning agents for performance enhancement (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig1\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e1\u003c/span\u003e). Guar-based systems demonstrated superior performance compared to polyquaterniums and cationic silicone. Notably, low-nitrogen guar (Proto B) achieved the highest Value \u0026lsquo;a\u0026rsquo; (25.65), suggesting optimal charge density and better deposition efficiency. Among Polyquaternium, low molecular weight PQ (Proto C) performed better than high molecular weight PQ and it indicating that improved surface interaction and distribution (References). Cationic modified silicone (Proto E) showed moderate improvement but remained inferior to guar and PQ derivative treated, possibly due to its film forming rather than charge driven interaction mechanism. The study demonstrates that the nature and charge characteristics of cationic conditioning agents significantly influence \u0026lsquo;a\u0026rsquo; value. Low nitrogen guar emerged as the most effective conditioning system, followed by low molecular weight polyquaternium. These findings support the strategic selection of guar based cationic polymers for enhanced performance in hair care formulations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe visual comparison of hair tresses treated with different prototypes demonstrates a clear increase in Rubine dye uptake relative to the control. The control sample shows minimal red coloration, indicating limited dye binding and lower surface cationic charge. In contrast, Proto-A to Proto-F exhibit progressively higher red/pink intensity along the fiber length, reflecting enhanced interaction of the anionic Rubine dye with the hair surface (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong the prototypes, Proto-A, Proto-D, and Proto-F show notably stronger and more uniform coloration, suggesting higher cationic charge density and improved substantivity. This enhanced dye deposition is indicative of superior conditioning performance, as increased cationic sites promote stronger electrostatic binding to the negatively charged hair surface (Erazo-Majewicz and Su, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e; Li et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e). Overall, the visual results corroborate instrumental a* value trends and confirm improved conditioning efficacy of the selected prototypes compared to the control.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eSimilar kind of study carried out in the wool to evaluate the conditioning deposition of the shampoo formulations. The absolute control formulation exhibited the lowest \u0026lsquo;a\u0026rsquo; value (15.65), indicating minimal performance in the absence of cationic components. Incorporation of guarbased cationic polymers resulted in a marked improvement, with high-nitrogen guar showing an \u0026lsquo;a\u0026rsquo; value of 23.34 and low nitrogen guar demonstrating the highest \u0026lsquo;a\u0026rsquo; value of 25.65. Polyquaternium based systems also enhanced performance compared to the control, with low molecular weight polyquaternium (22.52) outperforming the high molecular weight variant (21.45). The formulation containing cationic modified silicone showed a moderate increase in \u0026lsquo;a\u0026rsquo; value (19.83), though its performance remained inferior to guar and polyquaternium systems (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab2\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e2\u003c/span\u003e \u0026amp; Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab2\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 2\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eImpact of cationic conditioning agents on dye uptake on colorimetric parameters on wool as a substrate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCode\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProduct Description\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConditioning agents\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eL\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ea\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eb\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e1\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbsolute Control\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWithout any cationic molecule*\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70.81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProto A\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCationic Guar derivative with high Nitrogen content\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e23.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.75\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProto B\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCationic Guar derivative with low Nitrogen content\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e60.09\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e25.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e3.34\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProto C\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCationic Polyquaternium derivative with low molecular weight\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e63.88\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.52\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.28\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e5\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProto D\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCationic Polyquaternium derivative with high molecular weight\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e64.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e21.45\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e4.42\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProto E\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eCationic modified Silicone derivative\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e66.57\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e19.83\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e7.79\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003ctfoot\u003e \u003ctr\u003e\u003ctd colspan=\"6\"\u003e*without guar derivative, polyquaternium and modified silicone derivative\u003c/td\u003e\u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tfoot\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe results clearly indicate that both the type of cationic polymer and its charge characteristics significantly influence \u0026lsquo;a\u0026rsquo; value. Low nitrogen guar provided optimal performance, suggesting improved deposition efficiency and balanced charge density. Lower molecular weight polyquaterniums demonstrated better interaction compared to higher molecular weight variants, while cationic modified silicone showed limited efficacy relative to polymeric cationic systems. Among the evaluated conditioning agents, low nitrogen guar emerged as the most effective in enhancing \u0026lsquo;a\u0026rsquo; value, followed by low molecular weight polyquaternium. The study confirms the critical role of cationic chemistry selection in optimizing formulation performance and provides a clear direction for further product development (Dimitrova, et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e; Minguet et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR16\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2010\u003c/span\u003e Li et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e).\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe control fabric strip exhibits minimal Rubine dye staining, indicating negligible interaction with anionic dye. In contrast, Proto-A to Proto-F show visibly higher pink/red coloration, confirming increased dye uptake (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig4\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e4\u003c/span\u003e). This suggests the presence of higher cationic species in the prototype formulations, which promote stronger electrostatic binding of the anionic Rubine dye to the substrate. Overall, the fabric strip results support the hair tress observations and further validate the enhanced cationic character and conditioning potential of the prototype formulations compared to the control.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe study was conducted on two substrates i.e. wool and fiber to understand substrate-dependent interactions of cationic conditioning systems. For each substrate, an absolute control formulation without guar, polyquaternium, or silicone was compared against a shampoo formulation containing a synergistic blend of guar, polyquaternium and silicone emulsion. For both substrates, incorporation of the guar derivative, polyquaternium, silicone blend resulted in a significant decrease in L* values, indicating enhanced deposition and reduced lightness due to stronger surface interaction. This effect was more pronounced on the fiber substrate, suggesting higher affinity or increased uptake of conditioning components. A substantial increase in a* values was observed for both wool (from 15.65 to 26.88) and fiber (from 8.11 to 22.79), reflecting enhanced red chromaticity and improved color intensity in the presence of the cationic blend (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig5\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e5\u003c/span\u003e). This highlights the synergistic effect of combined cationic polymers and silicone in promoting color enhancement. The b* values decreased markedly for both substrates, particularly in wool (from 6.51 to 2.29), indicating reduced yellowness (Table\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Tab3\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e3\u003c/span\u003e). This shift suggests a cleaner and more balanced chromatic outcome upon treatment with the final shampoo formulation. The results demonstrate that a synergistic blend of guar, polyquaternium, and cationic silicone significantly improves colorimetric performance across different substrates. The formulation enhanced color intensity (\u003cem\u003ea*\u003c/em\u003e), reduced lightness (\u003cem\u003eL*\u003c/em\u003e), and minimized unwanted yellowness (\u003cem\u003eb*\u003c/em\u003e). These effects were consistently observed on both wool and fiber substrates, confirming the robustness and broad applicability of the conditioner molecule system in shampoo formulations.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"gridtable\"\u003e\u003ctable float=\"Yes\" id=\"Tab3\" border=\"1\"\u003e \u003ccaption language=\"En\"\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionNumber\"\u003eTable 3\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv class=\"CaptionContent\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eImpact of synergistic combination of cationic polymers on wool and fiber substrates dye uptake on colorimetric parameters\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/div\u003e \u003c/caption\u003e \u003ccolgroup cols=\"6\"\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c1\" colnum=\"1\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c2\" colnum=\"2\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"left\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c3\" colnum=\"3\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c4\" colnum=\"4\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c5\" colnum=\"5\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cdiv align=\"char\" char=\".\" class=\"colspec\" colname=\"c6\" colnum=\"6\"\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003cthead\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eSubstrate\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eProduct Description\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eConditioning agents\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eL\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003ea\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003cth align=\"left\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eb\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/th\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/thead\u003e \u003ctbody\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWool\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbsolute Control\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eShampoo without conditioning agent (W/O Guar, PQ, Silicone)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e70.81\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e15.65\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e6.51\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eWool\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eShampoo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eShampoo with unique blend of conditioning agent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e57.18\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e26.88\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e2.29\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFiber\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eAbsolute Control\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eShampoo without conditioning agent (W/O Guar, PQ, Silicone)\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e67.31\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.11\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e17.27\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003ctr\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c1\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eFiber\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c2\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eShampoo\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"left\" colname=\"c3\"\u003e \u003cp\u003eShampoo with unique blend of conditioning agent\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c4\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e50.23\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c5\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e22.79\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003ctd align=\"char\" char=\".\" colname=\"c6\"\u003e \u003cp\u003e8.91\u003c/p\u003e \u003c/td\u003e \u003c/tr\u003e \u003c/tbody\u003e \u003c/colgroup\u003e \u003c/table\u003e\u003c/div\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThis study systematically investigated the deposition behaviour of individual and combined cationic conditioning systems on hair and wool substrates using the Rubine dye method coupled with colorimetric analysis. The results clearly demonstrate that cationic polymer chemistry, charge density, and molecular characteristics play a decisive role in conditioning deposition efficiency.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eThe shampoo treated samples exhibited visibly higher Rubine dye uptake compared to the control, as evidenced by increased red/pink coloration on both hair tresses and fabric strips. The control samples showed limited dye binding, indicating lower surface cationic charge density. In contrast, the shampoo treated hair demonstrated more intense and uniform staining along the fiber length, confirming enhanced electrostatic interaction with the anionic Rubine dye (Fig.\u0026nbsp;\u003cspan refid=\"Fig6\" class=\"InternalRef\"\u003e6\u003c/span\u003e). Similarly, the fabric strip assessment revealed stronger dye deposition for the shampoo-treated sample relative to the control, further supporting increased cationic substantivity. Collectively, these observations confirm the improved conditioning performance and deposition efficiency of the shampoo formulation compared to the control system.\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003e \u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eAmong the individual conditioning agents evaluated, low nitrogen cationic guar consistently exhibited the highest a* values on both hair and wool substrates, indicating optimal charge balance and superior electrostatic interaction with negatively charged keratin surfaces. Low molecular weight polyquaternium also showed effective deposition, outperforming its high molecular weight counterpart, which likely suffers from reduced mobility and less uniform surface distribution Dimitrova, et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e; Erazo-Majewicz and Su, \u003cspan citationid=\"CR6\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2004\u003c/span\u003e; Jordon et al, 2009). Cationic modified silicone, while contributing to conditioning, displayed comparatively lower deposition efficiency when used alone, reflecting its primarily film-forming rather than charge-driven interaction mechanism (Dimitrova, et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR4\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2025\u003c/span\u003e; Li et al., \u003cspan citationid=\"CR13\" class=\"CitationRef\"\u003e2006\u003c/span\u003e)\u003c/p\u003e \u003cp\u003eImportantly, the synergistic combination of guar, polyquaternium, and cationic silicone in the final shampoo formulation resulted in a pronounced enhancement of conditioning deposition across both substrates. This was evidenced by significant increases in a* values, reductions in L* values, and lowered b* values, indicating improved color intensity, stronger surface coverage, and reduced yellowness. The consistency of these effects on both wool and fiber substrates confirms the robustness and broad applicability of the combined conditioning system.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Conclusion","content":"\u003cp\u003eOverall, the findings highlight that optimized blends of cationic polymers and silicone emulsions offer superior conditioning performance compared to individual components. The Rubine dye test proved to be a sensitive and effective tool for differentiating deposition behaviour and guiding formulation optimization. This work provides valuable insights for the rational design of cost-effective shampoo formulations that deliver enhanced conditioning performance and improved consumer sensory benefits.\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"Declarations","content":"\u003cp\u003eThe datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAcknowledgement:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe researchers thanks to Ms. Priti Sureka, Director, EMAMI Limited for her constant encouragement throughout the study.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFunding Declaration\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNo, this research did not receive funding.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClinical trial number:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot applicable\u003cbr\u003e\u0026nbsp;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCompliance with ethical standards\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConflict of interest:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eThe authors declare that there is no conflict of interest regarding the publication of this paper.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u0026nbsp;Ethical Approval: Not applicable\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to Participate:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eInformed consent was obtained from all individual participants included in the study.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConsent to Publish:\u0026nbsp;\u003c/strong\u003eAll participants provided consent for publication of anonymized data/findings.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c/p\u003e"},{"header":"References","content":"\u003col\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eAnthony, O.; Marques, C. M.; Richetti, P. Bulk and Surface Behavior of Cationic Guars in Solutions of Oppositely Charged Surfactants. \u003cem\u003eLangmuir\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e1998\u003c/strong\u003e, \u003cem\u003e14\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e(21), 6086\u0026ndash;6095.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eCrawford, R. J., and Robbins, C. R. A replacement for Rubine dye for detecting cationics on keratin. Journal of the Society of Cosmetic Chemists, 1980; 31, 273-278.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDavis, M.G, Thomas, J.H, van de Velde S, Boissy Y, Dawson TL, Jr, Iveson R, 2011. A novel cosmetic approach to treat thinning hair. Br J Dermatol.;165 (Suppl 3):24\u0026ndash;30.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDimitrova, N. K., Georgiev, M. T., and Anachkov, S. E. (2025). \u003cem\u003eOptimizing lubricant deposition on hair-like substrates using cationic polymer/anionic surfactant complexes\u003c/em\u003e. \u003cstrong\u003eLangmuir\u003c/strong\u003e, 41(27), 17494\u0026ndash;17504.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eDrovetskaya TV, Diantonio EF, Kreeger RL, Amos JL, Frank DP. New high-charge density hydrophobically modified cationic HEC polymers for improved co-deposition of benefit agents and serious conditioning for problem hair. J Cosmet Sci. 2007;58(4):421-34.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eErazo-Majewicz PE, Su SC. Cationic conditioning -polymer deposits on hair. J Cosmet Sci. 2004;55(1):125-7.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eErazo-Majewicz PE, Su SC. Cationic conditioning--polymer deposits on hair. J Cosmet Sci. 2004;55(1):125-7.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eGruber, J. V.; Lamoureux, B. R.; Joshi, N.; Moral, L. Influence of Cationic Polysaccharides on Polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) Deposition onto Keratin Surfaces from a Surfactant Emulsified System. \u003cem\u003eColloids Surfaces B Biointerfaces\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2000\u003c/strong\u003e, \u003cem\u003e19\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e(2), 127\u0026ndash;135.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eH\u0026ouml;ssel, P.; Dieing, R.; N\u0026ouml;renberg, R.; Pfau, A.; Sander, R. Conditioning Polymers in Today\u0026rsquo;s Shampoo Formulations \u0026ndash; Efficacy, Mechanism and Test Methods. \u003cem\u003eInt. J. Cosmet. Sci.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2000\u003c/strong\u003e, \u003cem\u003e22\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e(1), 1\u0026ndash;10.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eJordan SL, Zhang X, Amos J, Frank D, Menon R, Galley R, Davis C, Kalantar T, Ladika M. Evaluation of novel synthetic conditioning polymers for shampoos. J Cosmet Sci. 2009;60(2):239-50.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKakizawa, Y.; Miyake, M. Creation of New Functions by Combination of Surfactant and Polymer - Complex Coacervation with Oppositely Charged Polymer and Surfactant for Shampoo and Body Wash -. \u003cem\u003eJ. Oleo Sci.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2019\u003c/strong\u003e, \u003cem\u003e68\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e(6), 525\u0026ndash;539.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eKazuyuki Yahagi, 1992. Silicones as conditioning agents inn shampoos. J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem., 43: 275-284.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eLi W, Amos J, Jordan S, Theis A, Davis C. Selecting the optimum silicone particle size/cationic polymer structure to maximize shampoo conditioning performance. J Cosmet Sci. 2006;57(2):178-80.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eLim, Y.H., Park, C.H. and Kim. J., 2010. Hair conditioning effect of amino silicone softeners in varied treatment conditions. Fibers and polymers. 3:507-515.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMcMullen, R. L.; Laura, D.; Zhang, G.; Kroon, B. Investigation of the Interactions of Cationic Guar with Human Hair by Electrokinetic Analysis. \u003cem\u003eInt. J. Cosmet. Sci.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2021\u003c/strong\u003e, \u003cem\u003e43\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e(4), 375\u0026ndash;390.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eMinguet M, Subirats N, Cast\u0026aacute;n P, Sakai T. Behenamidopropyl Dimethylamine: unique behaviour in solution and in hair care formulations. Int J Cosmet Sci. 2010;32(4):246-57.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eRobbins CR and Crawford, RJ., 1991. Cuticle damage and the tensile properties of human hair. J Soc Cosmet Chem. 1991;42:59\u0026ndash;67.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eRushton H, Gummer CL, Flasch H. 2‐in‐1 shampoo technology: State‐of‐the‐art shampoo and conditioner in one. Skin Pharmacol. 1994;7:78‐83.\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eShrenik Nanavati and Annette Hami, 1994. A preliminary investigationof the interaction of a quat with silicones and its conditioning benefits on hair. J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem., 45: 135-148\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eThompson, C. J.; Ainger, N.; Starck, P.; Mykhaylyk, O. O.; Ryan, A. J. Shampoo Science: A Review of the Physiochemical Processes behind the Function of a Shampoo. \u003cem\u003eMacromol. Chem. Phys.\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e2023\u003c/strong\u003e, \u003cem\u003e224\u0026nbsp;\u003c/em\u003e(3).\u003c/li\u003e\n \u003cli\u003eUtane R, Deo S, Itankar P. Preparation of herbal shampoo (HS) by green method and their characterization. Int J Res Soc Sci Inf Stud. 2017;5:254-8.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e"}],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":true,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":true,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":false,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":false,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":false,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-chemistry","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Chemistry](https://link.springer.com/journal/44371)","snPcode":"44371","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/44371/3","title":"Discover Chemistry","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Cationic deposition, Hair conditioning, Polyquaternium, Cationic guar, Silicone emulsion, Rubine dye test","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9252602/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9252602/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eCationic conditioning agents play a critical role in shampoo formulations by depositing onto negatively charged keratinous substrates during washing and rinsing and it helps to improving hair conditioning, feel, manageability, shine and overall appearance. In this study, the deposition behaviour of different cationic conditioning systems like cationic guar, polyquaterniums and cationic modified silicone was systematically evaluated on hair fibers and wool substrates using the Rubine dye test coupled colorimetric analysis. A series of prototype shampoo formulations with identical base composition but varying conditioning agents were prepared and compared against an absolute control without any cationic component. Deposition efficiency was quantified using the a* value as the primary indicator of cationic polymer substantivity. The results demonstrated that all cationic conditioning agents significantly enhanced dye uptake compared to the control, confirming effective deposition on negatively charged substrates. Among individual cationic polymers, low-nitrogen cationic guar exhibited the highest a* values on both hair and wool, indicating optimal charge density and superior electrostatic interaction. Low molecular weight polyquaternium showed better deposition performance than its high molecular weight counterpart, while cationic modified silicone displayed moderate deposition when used alone. Importantly, a synergistic blend of guar, polyquaternium, and cationic silicone in the final shampoo formulation resulted in a pronounced increase in a* values, along with reduced L* and b* values on both substrates, indicating enhanced color intensity and improved surface coverage. The consistent trends observed across hair and wool substrates confirm the robustness of the conditioning system. Overall, this study highlights the importance of cationic polymer chemistry, molecular characteristics, and synergistic formulation design in optimizing conditioning deposition. The Rubine dye test proved to be a sensitive and effective tool for differentiating deposition efficiency and guiding rational development of cost-effective shampoo formulations with superior conditioning performance.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Comparative Study on the Cationic Deposition of Conditioning Polymers on Hair and Wool Fibers","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2026-04-07 13:27:26","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-9252602/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"251878784618901035359813119451010134280","date":"2026-05-11T17:09:45+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-20T06:36:15+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2026-04-16T16:45:12+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2026-04-04T12:40:53+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2026-04-03T12:56:09+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Discover Chemistry","date":"2026-04-03T12:50:58+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"discover-chemistry","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"","sideBox":"Learn more about [Discover Chemistry](https://link.springer.com/journal/44371)","snPcode":"44371","submissionUrl":"https://submission.nature.com/new-submission/44371/3","title":"Discover Chemistry","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Discover Series","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"1ed59470-bdd6-4e80-9a91-b2fa4a820c72","owner":[],"postedDate":"April 7th, 2026","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"251878784618901035359813119451010134280","date":"2026-05-11T17:09:45+00:00","index":67,"fulltext":""}],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"under-review","subjectAreas":[],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-04-20T06:41:44+00:00","versionOfRecord":[],"versionCreatedAt":"2026-04-07 13:27:26","video":"","vorDoi":"","vorDoiUrl":"","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-9252602","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-9252602","identity":"rs-9252602","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"XKTyCvWXoU3ODBz1xrDgd","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}