Leeds partnership with Aveda helps uncover why hair dye fades
A new study involving researchers from the University of Leeds has revealed, for the first time, what happens at the molecular level when hair dye fades.
The work, published in the journal Heliyon, was carried out in collaboration with sustainable beauty brand Aveda and Keracol Limited, a University of Leeds spin-out company co-founded by Professor Chris Rayner from the School of Chemistry.
Hair colouring is widely used around the world, but fading remains a common problem. Until now, most ways of measuring colour change have focused only on surface appearance, using spectrophotometric colour analysis, but these methods don’t show the complex chemistry and interactions happening between dye molecules inside the hair fibre itself.
The new method developed by the team directly links the way dye molecules leave the hair fibre with the colour changes seen over time. It works across different hair types and shades, from blonde and grey to black and curly, offering a much clearer picture of the fading process.
By extracting dye molecules using a special solvent mixture and then analysing them with high-performance liquid chromatography, the researchers were able to measure how well dyes are retained and what factors influence colour fastness and hair health. Aveda and Keracol believe the findings could help companies design hair colour products that last longer and are gentler on hair.
Professor Rayner said: “We’ve been working with Aveda for many years, and it’s great to see some of the results we have achieved now in the public domain, such that others active in the field can read and maybe adopt some of the techniques we have developed.
“The ongoing collaboration between the Keracol and Aveda is a great example of teamwork between two companies with complementary expertise and resources, and we expect there to be further high-profile outputs in the near future.”
Keracol was founded in 2011 by Professor Rayner and Professor Richard Blackburn of Leeds’ School of Design. The company combines rigorous scientific research with sustainable materials and natural ingredients to develop innovative, future-ready solutions for hair and skin care.
The company prioritises ethical sourcing, upcycling and traceable supply chains, while its research and formulations draw on expertise in chemistry, colour science, polymer science and natural product extraction.
Further information
- Lead image: Keracol members, left to right: Dr Joe Houghton, Dr Alenka Tidder, Professor Richard Blackburn, Professor Chris Rayner, Hannah Kitchingman, and Dr Kristine Hetherington.
- Read the paper, “Method to analyse and quantify the propensity of hair dyes to desorb from human hair fibre,” at Heliyon.
- For media enquiries, please contact Faculty Communications Manager Matt Gardner at M.D.Gardner@leeds.ac.uk.
