Humidity‐Responsive Polyvinyl Alcohol/Microcrystalline Cellulose Composites with Shape Memory Features for Hair‐Styling Applications

Abstract

This study investigates the maintenance of humidity‐responsive shape memory polymer composites comprising polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and cellulose microcrystal for maintaining hair curls in humid environments. The composite films are prepared by a simple blending method using aqueous solutions of different polymer ratios and characterized for thermal properties, chemical structure, and surface morphology. The hydroxyl groups in the PVA and cellulose provided hydrogen‐bonding interactions and improved the miscibility of the composites. Increasing the cellulose content in the composites enhanced mechanical properties and curl‐shape recovery performance, with 20–25 wt.% cellulose achieving maximum recovery. When the PVA/cellulose solution is applied to natural hair, it effectively maintains the shape of curled hair bundles for at least 6 h under 80% humidity and promotes the hair shape recovery rate to 8–10%. Overall, The proposed humidity‐responsive PVA/cellulose composites present promising application potential in the field of hairstyling to withstand humid weather.