Mycofuse™ Protect

Product Code: 16916

INCI Name: Water & Lentinus Edodes Mycelium Extract & Lactobacillus Ferment

INCI Status: Conforms

Suggested Use Levels: 1.0 – 10.0%

Suggested Applications: Hair Smoothing, Strengthening, Prevents Damage

Solubility: Water Soluble

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectHair Pollution Protection + Hair Damage Protection + Smoothing

16916 Mycofuse™ Protect“The path to the future is the path of the mycelium”

• Paul Stamets, one of the world’s most revered mycologists hasbeen studying the magic world of mushrooms for over 40 years.

• He discusses that “Recently an avalanche of new scientificdiscoveries of the power of mycelium, the mother cellularnetwork of fine fibres that birth mushrooms, has producedmany new molecules of significant medicinal benefit”.

• Mycelium, the root structure of mushrooms, co-exist innature’s complex communities forming symbiotic relationshipson the ‘wood wide web’.

• The environment’s best recyclers, mycelium is forming aninfluential network in food, agriculture, fashion, and beauty.From mycoremediation and honeybee viruses, to woundscaffolding and biofabrication, mycelium are establishinginnovation for a biotechnology revolution.

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectFungal Biotechnology

• Mycelium-harnessed technology is achieving scaffolding for skinsubstitutes and organ replacements, as well as environmentalremediation, and alternatives to Styrofoam and plastics.

• From plant-based meats to reliable building materials,mycelium could curb our reliance on plastics, fuel, andexcessive energy use.

• Fungal fashion reduces the carbon footprint commonlyassociated with the textile industry.

• With minimal waste and energy cost, mycelium offers ananswer to sustainability concerns.

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectMushrooms on Trend

• Fungi components such as mushrooms and mycelium are at theforefront of an environmental and medicinal movement, makingthem essential for the future of the planet as well as health andinnate immunity.

• Research shows that mycelium has the ability to break down toxinsincluding chemical pollutants. This ability to detoxify theenvironment may make mycelium effective enough to clean oilspills, purify rivers, and absorb radiation – mycoremediation.

• In nature, mycelium is the final decomposer, working to makecomponents available for reuse in the ecosystem, a true circle oflife. Grown in house, cultured mycelium eliminates traditionalharvesting while protecting natural ecosystems.

• Mycelium grow due to a symbiotic relationship with the materials that feed it, ultimately creating anetwork of branching fibers and hyphae. These networks extend for excessive lengths such as themycelium network in the Oregon Blue Mountains that occupies 10km2.

• Mycelium establish connections between plants for nutrient transfers and increased defensive responses.

• Expansive benefits of mycelium encourage its use in mycorestoration projects to filter water, co-cultivatefood crops, denature toxic wastes, and control insect populations.

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectMycelium as the root structure of mushrooms

• As mycelium progress through an environment, whether in nature or througha predetermined engineering design, enzymes are released to degrade foodparticles. Food for mycelium can include plant components to toxic wasteand pollutants.

• As materials are degraded, mycelium physically bind together leftoverparticles creating stable forms and structures. Soil erosion is mitigated withmycelium as the fungal hyphae physically bind soil particles togetherreducing erosion and offering a stable network.

• Polysaccharides contribute to the fungi’s adhesive capability. Mycelialbiomass create and optimize polysaccharide materials to bind physicalparticles together. Mycelium polysaccharides enhance adhesive bonding aswell as improve structural elasticity and strength of the materials they bond.

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectFungi Science – Nature’s Glue

• Mycofuse™ Protect optimizes mycelium polysaccharides, from Lentinulaedodes (Shiitake).

• To improve physical and mechanical properties of the hair strand -strength and elasticity.

• To provide a protective shield, forming a barrier against externalaggressors such as pollution and thermal damage.

• Mask visible damage from bleach.

• The adhesive properties of mycelium encourage Mycofuse™ Protect toattach or fuse to the hair strand sealing the cuticle.

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectSeal and Protection of Hair Utilizing Nature’s Sustainable Innovations

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectAvailable Efficacy

• Ex-vivo Efficacy Studies• Hair Pollution Protection Assay• Tensile Strength Assay• SEM Assay

• Safety Information• in-vitro Dermal and Ocular Irritation Tests• Bacterial Reverse Mutation Test• Phototoxicity Assay• OECD 442C Direct Peptide Reactivity Assay• OECD 442D TG in-vitro Skin Sensitization• OECD 201 Freshwater Alga Growth

Inhibition Test• OECD 301B Ready Biogradability Assay• Allergen Statement

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectScanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Assay Protocol

• An ex-vivo Scanning Electron Microscopy study evaluated the ability of Mycofuse™ Protect to shield virginhair strands as well as bleached hair strands from thermal damage.

• Four hair swatches offered various testing parameters including one untreated, straightened hair swatch,one straightened hair swatch treated with 5.0% Mycofuse™ Protect solution, one bleach (40V) untreatedhair swatch, and one bleach (40V) hair swatch treated with 5.0% Mycofuse™ Protect solution.

• All swatches were spritzed with either water alone or the water and Mycofuse™ Protect solution beforebeing blown dry and flat ironed at 232°C (450°F) for 25 passes.

• The blow dry and flat iron process mimics long-term effects of styling the hair.

• Scanning Electron Microscopy Imaging (SEM) provides images of chemically treated hair by scanning thehair with a focused beam of electrons. These electrons interact with the atoms of the hair sample toprovide longitudinal and cross-section images of the hair’s surface topography and composition.

• The SEM images depict how stressors such as thermal styling and chemical bleach treatments effect theoutermost layer of the hair, the cuticle.

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectScanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Assay Results

Figure 1. Longitudinal image of Straightened Hair, Untreated. The hair strand is split in half and cuticles are not present.

Figure 2. Longitudinal image of Straightened Hair + 5.0% Mycofuse™ Protect. The hair is intact and protected.

Untreated 5.0% Mycofuse™ Protect

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectScanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Assay Results

Figure 3. Cross-section image of Straightened Hair, Untreated. The outer edges of cross-section are crumbling and cuticles are flared.

Figure 4. Cross-section image of Straightened Hair + 5.0% Mycofuse™ Protect. The outer edges of cross-section are smooth with clean lines. The cuticles are not flaring.

5.0% Mycofuse™ ProtectUntreated

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectScanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Assay Results

Figure 5. Longitudinal image of Straightened + Bleached (40V) Hair, Untreated. The cuticle layer is destroyed due to the bleaching process. The rigid exterior makes hair feel rough to touch.

Figure 6. Longitudinal image of Straightened + Bleached (40V) Hair + 5.0% Mycofuse™ Protect. The cuticle layer is smoothed down, making hair feel soft and healthy to touch.

5.0% Mycofuse™ ProtectUntreated

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectScanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Assay Results

Figure 7. Cross-section image of Straightened + Bleached (40V) Hair, Untreated. The cuticles on the outer edge are flared up, allowing openings for particles to enter the cortex. Note how the cortex is already cracked.

Figure 8. Cross-section image of Straightened + Bleached (40V) Hair + 5.0% Mycofuse™ Protect. The outer edges are smoothed down, providing a protection layer for the cortex. Note how the cortex remained intact.

5.0% Mycofuse™ ProtectUntreated

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectScanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) Assay Discussion

• The SEM images depict how the outermost layer of the hair, the cuticle, is effected by stressors, in this casethermal styling stressors and chemical bleach treatments.

• The SEM imagery results of the Straightened Untreated Hair samples depict an extensively damaged, splitcuticle. The cuticle acts as a protective layer to the fiber. This type of damage leads to irregular growth,breakages, and overall unhealthy, dead appearance.

• The SEM imagery results of the Straightened + Bleached Untreated Hair samples show cracks within the cortexsurrounded by crumbling cuticle layers. This type of damage contributes to inevitable loss of moisture andleaves hair strands more prone to breaking and splitting.

• When the untreated images are compared to the Mycofuse™ Protect treated swatches, a significant decreasein damage of the both the cuticle and cortex is exhibited. Better yet, the Mycofuse™ Protect treated SEMimages prevented cortex cracking in both Straightened and Straightened + Bleached samples.

• Overall Mycofuse™ Protect is an ideal addition to everyday treatment to repair and protect against thermalstyling stressors and chemical treatments.

Figure 9. Force to Rupture, defined as the force measured in gram-force (g) necessary to rupture the hair.

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectTensile Strength Assay – Force to Rupture

Protocol

• 3 virgin hair swatches - a control, one swatch sprayed with 5.0% Mycofuse™ Protect in a water solution and left to dry, and one swatch untreated.

• The untreated swatch and the swatch sprayed with a Mycofuse™ Protect solution went through a flat iron 25 times at 232°C (450°F).

• Results indicate hair treated with Mycofuse™ Protect to be protected from applied heat stress compared to the untreated straightened hair swatch.

• Parameters examined including linear density, force to rupture, time to rupture, and work to break offer statistically significant results when comparing the treated Mycofuse™ Protect hair swatch to the untreated, straightened hair swatch.

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Figure 10. MDA concentration and percent change.

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectHair Pollution Protection

Protocol

• 3 virgin hair swatches

• 3 testing groups – untreated, control shampoo/conditioner, experimental shampoo/conditioner with 5.0% Mycofuse™ Protect

• Hair was exposed to cigarette smoke in a custom 22”x15”x6” smoke chamber for 30 minutes

• Lipid peroxidation assay was performed to quantitatively assess oxidative damage

• Malondialdehyde is useful for quantitatively measuring the end product of lipid peroxidation and determining oxidative stress.

• An increase in MDA indicates an increase in lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress.

• Hair samples treated with 5.0% Mycofuse™ Protect displayed 40.0% less MDA than the control.

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Untreated Shampoo & Conditioner Mycofuse™ Protect Shampoo & Conditioner

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Product Code: 16916

INCI Name: Water & Lentinus Edodes Mycelium Extract & Lactobacillus Ferment

INCI Status: Conforms

Suggested Use Levels: 1.0 – 10.0%

Suggested Applications: Hair Smoothing, Strengthening, Prevents Damage

Solubility: Water Soluble

16916 Mycofuse™ ProtectHair Pollution Protection + Hair Damage Protection + Smoothing

Active Concepts, LLCLincolnton, NC. USAwww. activeconceptsllc.com Office: +1 704 276 7100info@activeconceptsllc.com

Mycofuse™ Protect