PVP forms a hygroscopic film that absorbs moisture in the air, causing it to lose its fixing properties in high-humidity climates. IOTA’s hydrolyzed cornstarch forms a non-hygroscopic film that provides excellent curl retention and better curl control. When tested, the new hydrolyzed cornstarch polymer showed significant advantages in moisture resistance and curl retention compared to PVP and commercial benchmarks after 8 hours in a humidity chamber at 90% relative humidity. Use a triple strand for all moisture tests.
The natural corn polymer provides excellent curl retention at all concentrations tested. Increasing the concentration from 1% to 5% improves curl retention properties.
These comparative tests show that the new hydrolyzed cornstarch is comparable to PVP in terms of stiffness and durability, but significantly better than PVP in terms of moisture resistance, curl retention and anti-curling properties, especially in high-humidity environments. A more sustainable material from 100% naturally sourced hydrolyzed cornstarch could replace the industry-recognized styling benchmark PVP.
