Medical Hydrology and Balneology: Environmental Aspects

Cleaning effects for the hair and the skin of the
carbonate water
Maeda M (1) , Hara M (1) , Sakurai Y (1) , Kinoshita O (1) , Ohmura M (1) , Yamamoto J (1) ,
Kogure E (1) , Shioda A (1)
(1) Department of rehabilitation. International university of health & welfare
graduate school. Japan
mm@iuhw.ac.jp
Introduction and Objectives
Use of carbonate water for hair washing is recently starting to spread in the hairdressing
industry in Japan. It is said that carbonate water started been used when a
patient found that it feels more refreshing to wash with carbonated water during
high concentrate artificial bicarbonate warm water shower. It has been expected that
by using carbonate water, there will be effects of the acid and of the vasodilatation,
however no scientific evidence has been found. In this paper, experimental results
on hair and skin washing using high concentration artificial bicarbonate warm water
is reported.
Method & Results
1. Removal action of the protein with the hair shower
We divided hair into right and left in the middle. And we performed a shower
with tap water on one side and carbonated water on the other side with 38 degrees
centigrade for two minutes. As a result, it was confirmed that much protein was
included in carbonate warm water by a ninhydrin reaction.
2. Adsorption phenomenon of air bubbles seen at a moment of parting from skin
The process of bubble growth and parting from skin surface was observed using
high speed camera. It was observed that the bubbles stuck to skin surface when
parting.
3. Removal action of the lipid with air bubbles
Furthermore, the removal action of lipid by absorption of lipid into air bubbles
and floating was observed using the high speed camera.
Discussion
From these results, the lipids of the skin are taken in the air bubbles, and it is
thought that it is eliminated with the surfactant effect of air bubbles. Furthermore,
skin is cleaned by adsorbing lipids or dirt when air bubbles float. When there is
stimulation such as sebum or the dirt of the skin, the carbon dioxide which dissolved
in water forms air bubbles, but, at this time, this sebum and dirt are taken
into the air bubbles and - removed. Sebum, dirt and the protein which stuck to skin
are released in warm water with air bubbles of the carbon dioxide by these mecha-
Balnea
2012, núm. 6, 421-422
421
ISBN: 978-84-669-1887-0
978-84-669-3482-4