The real test of a truly essential, can’t-live-without-it beauty product: It’s something that is used in space.
As in, outer.
Enter the latest hair offering from Kao Corporation’s Merit brand—a dry shampoo rollout that was originally developed for use in space, but will now be available for Earth-dwellers (or, more specifically, consumers looking to purchase hair products in the drugstore in Asia).
According to Cosmetic Design, who first reported on the release, the company has introduced two forms of its Day Plus Dry Shampoo (a waterless spray and a sheet), both intended to clean hair on-the-go. The launch follows another intergalactic project, as the brand had previously been asked to formulate waterless shampoo sheets to be used on board the International Space Station.
“Consumers might be familiar with Kao’s U.S. brands like Jergens or Biore, but in Asia, Kao operates numerous cosmetic and household goods brands, in addition to developing innovative and sustainable raw materials for these industries,” says cosmetic chemist Kelly Dobos, who previously worked at the brand. “They have been in business since 1887—and it shows in their long-term commitments to environmental and social responsibility. Merit is a Japanese haircare brand specifically formulated to gently cleanse the hair and scalp.”
As Dobos explains, the shampoo sheet appears to be a wet wipe that combines mild but effective surfactants with a special textured substrate that helps physically remove oils and other build up. “Based on some of the marketing materials I found, the product may contain ingredients like menthol which produce a cooling, refreshing sensation to the scalp,” she adds.
