Adaptive Personal Care Formulation for Water-Specific Cleaning
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing shampoos, particularly clarifying shampoos, are not adapted to perform optimally in accordance with the varying pH, hardness, metal content, and other attributes of user-specific water, leading to sub-optimal cleaning results and hair damage.
Innovation Solution
A testing device and system that measures multiple physical and chemical attributes of water, such as pH, hardness, chlorine content, metal levels, and alkalinity, to generate a water attribute code, which is used to customize a personal care product, like a clarifying shampoo, for optimal performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a clarifying shampoo is used to remove mineral build-up and product residue, then cleaning performance is improved, but hair becomes dry and damaged due to removal of natural oils
Solution Approach 1:
The shampoo formulation contains different functional ingredients targeting different needs: strong surfactants and chelating agents for cleaning mineral build-up in specific water conditions, while also including moisturizing ingredients and emollients to protect hair from dryness. The formulation adapts its composition based on measured water attributes
Solution Approach 2:
The system measures water attributes (pH, hardness, metal content) and adjusts the shampoo formulation parameters accordingly. Different surfactant combinations, chelating agent levels, and conditioning ingredients are selected based on the measured water characteristics to optimize cleaning while minimizing damage
2Reliability
If a chelating shampoo is used to remove chlorine, nitrates, and metal deposits, then cleaning performance is improved, but hair color fades due to strong cleansing agents
Solution Approach 1:
The shampoo contains targeted chelating agents (EDTA, citric acid) that specifically bind to metal ions, chlorine, and nitrates without requiring harsh surfactants. Conditioning ingredients and color-protection agents are included to maintain hair color while providing the chelating action needed for contaminated water conditions
Solution Approach 2:
Chelating agents act as intermediaries that bind to metal ions and impurities, allowing them to be removed gently without requiring strong stripping surfactants. This mediator approach enables effective removal of contaminants while preserving hair color and natural oils
3Stability of the object's composition
If a regular shampoo is used to maintain hair texture and softness, then hair condition is preserved, but mineral build-up and product residue cannot be removed
Solution Approach 1:
The shampoo formulation includes targeted functional ingredients for different water conditions: chelating agents and higher surfactant levels for hard water or swimming conditions, while maintaining moisturizing ingredients and emollients to preserve hair texture and softness. The formulation adapts based on measured water attributes
Solution Approach 2:
The shampoo is formulated as a composite product containing multiple functional components: surfactants for cleaning, chelating agents for mineral removal, moisturizing ingredients for texture maintenance, and conditioning agents for softness. This composite formulation achieves multiple functions simultaneously
4Ease of manufacture
If shampoo formulation is standardized for general use, then manufacturing is simplified, but performance is sub-optimal for varying water conditions
Solution Approach 1:
The system transitions from static standardized formulations to dynamic adaptive formulations. Water attributes are measured in real-time, and the shampoo composition is adjusted accordingly by selecting from pre-formulated variants or by automated formulation adjustment, optimizing performance for each specific water condition
Solution Approach 2:
The shampoo formulation parameters (surfactant concentration, chelating agent levels, pH, moisturizing ingredient content) are varied based on measured water attributes. Different formulation variants are manufactured for different water condition profiles, allowing optimization of cleaning performance for each specific application context
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system enables personalized shampoo formulations that adapt to specific water attributes, improving cleaning performance and reducing hair damage by ensuring the shampoo is tailored to the user's water conditions.
Implementation Method 1
a probe configured to measure multiple physical and/or chemical attributes of the water
Implementation Method 2
the physical and/or chemical attributes are or are selected from the group comprising pH, hardness, chlorine content, metal (e.g. lead, iron or copper) content, alkalinity and nitrite content
Data Source
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AI summary
A testing device (1), system and method for customising a personal care product such as a shampoo to the water (22) with which the personal care product is used in which the device (1) comprises a probe (3) configured to simultaneously measure multiple physical and/or chemical attributes of the water (22), a processor to process the measured physical and/or chemical attributes and generate a water attribute code for the physical and/or chemical attribute, and, optionally, a display (12) to display the water attribute code.