Kao’s shampoo and laundry sheets ready to rocket to the International Space Station

13 Sep 2022 --- This autumn, on October 3, NASA and SpaceX are launching Crew-5 to the International Space Station (ISS), along with Kao’s 3D Shampoo and laundry sheet. PersonalCareInsights speaks to a Kao representative about product development and personal care in outer space.

“In space, astronauts live in an environment that differs from life on Earth, with limited access to resources such as water, as well as being in a weightless and enclosed space,” says the spokesperson explaining the limitations of space. 

Kao’s 3D Shampoo offers a convenient hair washing method that can easily wipe off the dirt from the scalp and hair, and the Space Laundry Sheet removes stains and odors from clothes.

The ISS is a large spacecraft orbiting Earth – where astronauts and cosmonauts live. It is also the location of a science laboratory, and orbits the Earth every 90 minutes. The ISS was created by several countries.NASA SpaceX’s Crew-5. Credit: Space Station Images.  

Efficiency drives development
The spokesperson shares that researchers watched a video of a female astronaut washing her hair in space, finding the process very complex. 

“Therefore, researchers thought that they could contribute to improving the astronauts’ quality of life by reducing the amount of labor required for washing hair on the ISS and increasing the comfort level of the astronauts by washing their hair.” 

“On the ISS, the astronauts wear the same clothes for many days without washing them because of the limited water and daily commodities. Some astronauts are concerned about the smell of their clothes,” continues the spokesperson.

Recognising this need, the researchers at Kao made use of technology to develop products that are useful for harsh living environments in space.

Space-based personal care for Earthly solutions
Finding space-like solutions for personal care on Earth, such as using less water, benefits the planet which is threatened by climate change. 

“We believe that the products we have developed for the ISS can be applied on the ground in situations such as droughts and disasters,” adds the spokesperson. 

Additionally, in space, exposure to stressors such as UV rays and disturbed circadian rhythm can have a negative impact on skin health. However, these stressors are not unique to space, as humans on Earth also experience skin health stressors due to high tension and global warming.

“In the long term, as space travel increases, and in the shorter term, as societies experience the impacts of weather extremes, temperature fluctuations and disruption to day/night rhythm with increasing changes to our Earth’s atmosphere, there will likely be interest from formulators and beauty brands for ingredients relevant to tackling issues felt in both environments,” Julie Droux, senior technical marketing specialist, actives and natural origins at Clariant, previously told PersonalCareInsights.

“Factors already experienced in space, like higher UV exposure, accelerated premature aging and the need to support cell function restoration will become more prevalent concerns here on Earth.”Kao believes that the products developed for the ISS can be applied to situations such as droughts and disasters. 

Restricted ingredients
Personal care in space differs from Earth due to various factors such as lack of resources, zero gravity and being within an enclosed environment for long periods, which requires solutions to maintain hygiene and care for the skin, body and hair. 

“There are restrictions on the ingredients that can be used on the ISS. For example, volatile solvents such as alcohol cannot be used,” adds the spokesperson.

“The use of volatile soluble components is strictly restricted in the ISS. It is because these ingredients negatively affect the performance of the Environmental Control and Life Support Systems (ECLSS), which regenerates air and water, which are essential for life in space.”

ECLSS is made of hardware that artificially provides clean air and water and filters out unwanted gasses from the International Space Station crew.

Space inspired science
In February, Colgate-Palmolive’s PCA Skin brand set up an orbiting space laboratory to investigate whether exposure to microgravity will accelerate skin repair. The research team was to send live tissue samples from tissue-engineered skin to examine these outcomes, which ultimately may help the partnership develop novel strategies for skin health management

Previously, Estée Lauder supported ISS’s National Laboratory Sustainability Challenge: Beyond Plastics (Sustainability Challenge) as an exclusive partner. The global beauty brand provided funding for the awarded proposals. 

By Venya Patel