Saturday 26 July 2014

The sun protection experiment 2 months update

It's been two months since I started my sun protection experiment.
Time to report on what I have found.

I used up the Goldwell Dual Senses Sun Reflects Leave-In Protect Spray during the experiment, so the last two weeks I only used the Schwarzkopf Bonacure sun protect on the hair SPF test.


First

I have never thought of just how much dust and crap is in the air outside. I found out shockingly quick though. The set-up got really, really nasty in just a few days. I guess it got worse from sitting literally just inside a usually open window and being coated in a spray a lot. The wetness should really attract lint and stuff.
Still though. Ew.
Well, I guess the lint in the air explains why you some times take your hair down from a perfectly smooth updo and find mysterious tangles?
Seriously nasty though.

So please, please ignore the disgusting specks and dust caught in the hairs!

I tried to pick them out, but they almost seemed to "fuse" with the hair and spray-residue.

Second observation

The hair SPF test has a glossiness to it that makes me very suspicious of it. In my experience (And just I might be a cynical old rat here) this type of glossiness usually mask a crappy product hiding damage and making people want to buy it again for the "healthy shine". 

Third

The skin SPF really stained the cardboard. You can tell where the sticky tape is holding the hair in place: Under there, the cardboard still has its original colour. Around it, the cardboard is stained a yellowish brown that looks like aged paper.

Fourth and the most important

I definitely see colour differences:
  • The skin SPF patch is definitely darker than the control patch.
  • The hair SPF patch is definitely lighter than the control patch.
I took 63 pictures in total trying to get the effect, but I think it's very difficult to see any difference on the photos. Damn. I guess it's time for me to get a proper digital camera instead of my camera phone. The thought of buying a camera that would be used pretty much only for blogging does make me cringe though... But right now I have done a serious experiment where I feel I can't properly show the results due to camera quality and that makes me very unhappy.

Anyways. Pictures.

Indoors and in artificial light conditions, no flash




Indoors and in artificial light conditions, with flash


Outdoors and in natural light conditions, indirect sunlight



Outdoors and in natural light conditions, direct sunlight (Morning sun)



Outdoors and in natural light conditions, direct sunlight (Mid day sun)

In reality, the direct mid day sun made the hair SPF test very, very shiny, but that didn't even translate well in my phones camera. Hmm. 

So here is what I'm wondering
Does the skin SPF actively darken the hair or does it protect it from fading?
It does appear that the cardboard is slightly darker around the SPF for skin though!
So does it mean that the SPF for hair has darkening/miscolouring properties?

And does the hair SPF actively lighten the hair or does it just not protect from fading?

Let's compare to a fresh patch of shed hair from the collection. I got the shed hairs balled up a little more tightly than the SPF test, so it appears slightly darker in the middle. 

Indoors and in artificial light conditions, no flash



Indoors and in artificial light conditions, with flash



Outdoors and in natural light conditions, direct sunlight (Mid day sun)



Does anyone recognize any lightening or darkening ingredients in the products? 

Full ingredient list in first post
I'm not an ingredient expert (Not at all), but does someone else recognize any potential lightening or darkening properties in the ingredient lists?

I must admit I got a little weirded out by the potentially lightening effect of the hair SPF and put Schwarzkopf Bonacure sun protect back into the cabinet for now. 

Does anyone have any input on this?

6 comments:

  1. Great! I was really looking forward to the results of your experiment.
    Is it possible that the darkening that happened on the skin SPF batch was due to the same coating/staining that happened on your cardboard? Maybe comparing these hair batches after a good wash would help see results as they would happen in real life?

    Also, I suspect that the reason the hair SPF didn't work was because your color is all natural, and those hair UV filters can only protect dye.
    Anyway, I'm just thinking out loud here...

    Awesome experiments! Your blog really rocks!

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    1. Thank you!! <3 I really appreciate it :)
      That is a good point! Now I need someone with dyed hair or dying my own shed hairs. Hmm. Volunteers? :D

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  2. I am shocked! I can definitely see the lightening in the hair from the hair SPF (I had that product btw). Perhaps this explains why my ends get lighter in the summer---using those protectors (I've switched, but still use that brand).

    What fascinates me is the darkening of the hair with the skin SPF. That surprised me---but the above poster had a good point--perhaps wash all test pieces with shampoo? (to mimic what a real person would do as they would wash out any product). Then see how hair is? From the new shed hair, it looks like the same color as the hair used with the skin SPF. Hmm...me feels my own experiment coming on!

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    1. Scary, isn't it? Halfway through the experiment I stopped using the hair SPF on my own mane. I could see the lightening effect and it scares me :(

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  3. Wow this is so very cool XD and scary X__x
    All the expensive hair sun protectors I buy and maybe they even bleach my hair?
    But maybe Anon above is right and these only work for colored hair :O Will you colour a test strand and try again? XD
    Really your blog rocks! This is good information and important too <3 <3<3
    So I nominate your for the versatile blogger award!! :D

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    Replies
    1. Wow, thank you!!
      Can you please contact me? I'm going to need your name and blog if you have one so I can refer to you if I'm following the versatile blogger award :)
      Thank you again, kind Anon!!

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