SELF-PERCEPTION OF SENSITIVE SKIN 273 sponders in the non-sensitive skin group indicates that individual perception of sensitive skin by self-assessment may not always conform to the functional determination of sensitivity to chemical probes. CONCLUSIONS Our major findings were: 1. Perception of sensitive skin and reaction to probes did not correlate. 2. Questionnaire items did not forecast reactions to probes. 3. Balsam of Peru reactions decreased with age. 4. There was a surprising number of non-responders to the probes. 5. Results were not climatically dependent. The goal of this research was to identify individuals whose acceptance of prototype formulations, under use conditions, would be predictive of that of the target consumer with sensitive skin. As we did not specifically demonstrate/define individuals with sensitive skin, it is therefore recommended to test a product designed for sensitive skin consumers utilizing a panel of subjects who both define themselves as sensitive and who react to the application of chemical probes. REFERENCES (1) L. P. Oddo, J.P. Bowman, L. Lockhart, and O. H. Mills, An epidemiological study of adult female sensitive skin in differing climates, 55th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology, San Francisco, 1997, p. 151. (2) P.J. Frosch and A.M. Kligman, A method for appraising the stinging capacity of topically applied substance, J. Soc. Cosmet. Chem., 28, 197-209 (1977). (3) D. Soschin and A.M. Kligman, "Adverse Subjective Responses," in SaJkty and Efficacy of Topical Drugs and Cosmetics, Albert M. Kligman and James J. Leyden, Eds. (Grune & Stratton, New York, 1982), pp. 377-388. (4) Z. D. Draelos, Sensitive skin: Perceptions, evaluations, and treatment. Am. J. Contact Dermatitis, 8(2), 67-68 (1997). (5) N. Muizzuddin, K. D. Marenus, and D. H. Maes, Factors defining sensitive skin and its treatment. Am. J. Contact Dermatitis, 9(3), 170-175 (1998).

j. Cosmet. Sci., 51,275-287 (September/October 2000) Advancements in spectroscopic and microscopic techniques for investigating the adsorption of conditioning polymers onto human hair JAMES S. DALTON, GEOFFREY C. ALLEN, PETER J. HEARD, KEITH R. HALLAM, NICK J. ELTON, MATTHEW J. WALKER, and GARY MATZ, Interface Analysis Centre, University of Bristol, 121 St. Michaels Hill, Bristol BS2 8BS, UK (J.S.D., G.C.A., P.J.H., K.R.H.), Imerys Central Research, Par Moor Laboratories, St. Austdl, Cornwall PL24 2SQ, UK (N.J.E, M.J.W.), and Calgon Corporation, P.O. Box 1346, Pittsburgh, PA 15230 (G.M.). Accepted for publication August 11, 2000. Synopsis Adsorption of the polyquaternium-6 (Merquat ©- 100) conditioning polymer onto bleached human hair has been investigated using environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM), X-ray photoelectron spec- troscopy (XPS), and secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS). ESEM is not limited to a high-vacuum environment, and therefore hair morphology could be studied under ambient and hydrated conditions. XPS gave elemental analysis on the surface of the hair, in addition to information on the chemical environment of the surface atoms. SIMS can produce high-resolution ion distribution images on the hair's surface. Both XPS and SIMS detected carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur on the surface of the untreated bleached hair, all of which were attributed to the biological matrix. Silicon was also detected and its presence was attributed to either a previous silicone cosmetic application or to surface contamination. Due to the similar elemental composition of hair and Merquat-100, treatment of the hair with a phosphorus-labeled polyquaternium-6 cationic conditioning polymer was also investigated. XPS, with sensitivity of 1000 parts per million (ppm), could not detect phosphorus present from any adsorbed polymer, but SIMS, with 1-10 ppm sensitivity, allowed high-resolution images to be obtained that illustrated the adsorption of polymer onto the hair's surface. INTRODUCTION Due to the increasing complexity of personal care formulations and strong market forces, there is now a greater necessity than ever for manufacturers to substantiate claims concerning their products. Therefore, there is a current need for further development of analytical techniques capable of giving biological and chemical information on both the hair's surface and adsorbed cosmetic molecules such as polymers. The aim of this paper is to demonstrate how techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and environmental scanning electron micros- 275