Ingredient
Isomalt
Benefits
Synthetic
A spoonful of sugar may help the medicine go down, but isomalt gives structure and hold to the products it’s used in. It can even keep your styled hair looking sweet for longer by lightly coating each strand.
Isomalt was discovered in the 1960s and is a mixture of two disaccharide alcohols, gluco-mannitol and gluco-sorbitol, that are derived from sugars found in beetroot. Isomalt appears white, crystalline and has no scent. Products made with it have the same consistency, texture and appearance as those made with sugar, with a slightly less sweet taste.
Isomalt acts differently in the air than other sugars - it absorbs less moisture from the environment around it, meaning it can maintain shape for longer. This makes it the perfect structural ingredient for solid products, ensuring there’s no flopping or melting after a few days.
Once melted and applied to the hair, it dries and acts as a film former, meaning it forms a thin coating over the hair that helps to maintain it in the position you wish.