The “usability” of hair clay is actually hidden in every step of its manufacturing process — while all are styling products, some hair clays glide on without sticking to the hands and provide long-lasting hold, while others clump, snag the hair, and leave stubborn residue. The core difference lies in the manufacturer’s attention to detail in the production process.
Whether you’re an entrepreneur looking to launch a hair clay brand or simply a consumer curious about “how hair clay is made,” understanding the key stages of the manufacturing process can help you more accurately judge product quality and avoid falling into the trap of “low-quality hair clay.”
I. The Foundation of Hair Clay Manufacturing Process: Selection of 3 Core Ingredient Categories
The first step in the hair clay manufacturing process is selecting the right raw materials — the quality of the ingredients directly determines the product’s performance and safety. If corners are cut at this stage, even the most sophisticated manufacturing techniques cannot save the final product.
In hair clay production, core ingredients typically fall into three categories, each with strict selection criteria:
- Styling Agents (Determine Hold Strength): The most common are Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) or acrylic resins. In high-quality hair clay manufacturing, priority is given to “high-purity grade” raw materials (purity ≥ 99%) to avoid scalp irritation caused by impurities. For example, for “strong-hold hair clay,” high molecular weight PVP (molecular weight above 1,000,000) is chosen; for “natural-hold hair clay,” low molecular weight PVP is used. This is the key to “customizing hold strength” in the manufacturing process.
- Oil-Phase Ingredients (Determine Texture): These mainly include mineral oil and plant waxes (such as beeswax and carnauba wax). In the hair clay manufacturing process, the ratio of oil to wax is carefully controlled — too much oil makes the product sticky, while too much wax makes it dry and hard. Premium manufacturers select “refined-grade” mineral oil (free of heavy metals) or organically certified plant waxes. For instance, in the hair clay manufacturing process of Sino-German joint venture DESIFINE, organic camellia seed oil wax is often used to make the hair clay easier to spread.
- Auxiliary Ingredients (Determine Safety and Experience): These include humectants (glycerin, panthenol), preservatives (phenoxyethanol, concentration ≤ 1%), and fragrances (preferably natural). Strict control is maintained over preservative dosage to avoid irritation from excessive amounts. Humectants are typically added at a ratio of 5%-8% — too little makes the hair clay dry and hard, while too much weakens the hold. Balancing “hold” and “moisturization” is one of the challenges in the hair clay manufacturing process.
Hair clay manufacturing processes that fail in raw material selection may use industrial-grade mineral oil (with impurities) or expired waxes (which cause clumping). This ultimately results in products that “snag hair” or cause “scalp itching,” which is why it’s important to check the ingredient list before choosing a hair clay.
II. The Core of Hair Clay Manufacturing Process: Breaking Down the 4-Step Production Flow
Once the raw materials are prepared, the process moves into the core production stage of hair clay manufacturing — the temperature, stirring speed, and emulsification time at this stage directly affect the final texture of the hair clay. A standardized hair clay manufacturing process typically includes four key steps, with strict parameter controls for each step:
1. Raw Material Pre-treatment: Ensuring Uniformity and Purity
The first step in the hair clay manufacturing process is “raw material pre-treatment.” Solid waxes (such as beeswax) are placed in a heating tank and melted at a constant temperature of 65–70°C (too low a temperature leaves wax incompletely melted, while too high a temperature may damage the ingredients). Liquid raw materials (such as PVP solution and glycerin) are filtered twice to remove impurity particles (preventing “small lumps” in the final product). For example, DESIFINE uses a 0.22 μm precision filter to ensure liquid ingredients are completely free of impurities — a key factor in preventing hair clay from “snagging hair.”
2. Emulsification Reaction: Achieving the “Perfect Blend” of Oil and Water
Hair clay is an “oil + water” mixture system, but oil and water are naturally immiscible, making “emulsification” the core challenge in the hair clay manufacturing process. In production, melted oil-phase ingredients (wax + mineral oil) and water-phase ingredients (PVP solution + humectants) are poured into an emulsification tank. Emulsifiers (such as Ceteth-20) are added, followed by stirring at 300–500 rpm for 20–30 minutes while maintaining the temperature at 55–60°C (too high a temperature deactivates the emulsifier, while too low a temperature results in uneven mixing).
Inadequate emulsification in the hair clay manufacturing process can cause the product to “separate” — oil rises to the top while solids clump at the bottom, making it difficult to spread during use. In contrast, high-quality manufacturing processes achieve emulsification that is “non-separating and particle-free.” For example, in BASF Germany’s hair clay manufacturing process, dual-impeller emulsification tanks are used to ensure complete fusion of the oil and water phases — the secret behind the “smooth, easy-to-spread” texture of premium hair clay.
3. Cooling and Addition: Preventing Ingredient Degradation
After emulsification is complete, the process moves to the “cooling stage” of hair clay manufacturing. The emulsified mixture is slowly cooled, and when the temperature drops below 40°C, preservatives, fragrance, and pigments (if used) are added. This is because high temperatures can destroy preservative activity (shortening shelf life) and cause fragrance to evaporate (resulting in weaker scent).
In the hair clay manufacturing process, the cooling rate is typically controlled at about 5°C per hour. Cooling too quickly can create air bubbles in the hair clay (affecting appearance), while cooling too slowly prolongs production time and increases costs.
For example, in the hair clay manufacturing process of Japan’s Cosmo Beauty Lab, gradient cooling equipment is used to ensure a steady temperature drop. Natural fragrance is added precisely at 38°C, helping the hair clay maintain a longer-lasting scent.
4. Filling and Shaping: Ensuring Consistent Weight per Jar
The final step is “filling and shaping,” which is crucial for ensuring standardization in the hair clay manufacturing process. An automatic filling machine is used to inject the hair clay into packaging jars according to a preset weight (such as 50g/jar or 100g/jar). The filling speed is controlled at 20–30 jars per minute — too fast and overflow may occur, too slow and efficiency suffers.
After filling, manual inspections are carried out to check for any residue around the jar opening (which would affect appearance) and to ensure the weight meets specifications (with a tolerance of ≤ ±0.5g).
In contrast, small-scale workshops may use manual filling in their hair clay manufacturing process, resulting in significant weight variations between jars (some containing more, some less) and even leakage around the jar opening — common issues with “low-quality hair clay.”
III. The Bottom Line of Hair Clay Manufacturing Process: Three Essential Quality Tests
A good hair clay manufacturing process focuses not only on “making the product” but also on “making it well.” After production, three essential quality tests must be conducted, and only products that pass all tests can leave the factory — this is the bottom line of a standardized hair clay manufacturing process.
- Microbial Testing: A sample of the hair clay is taken to test the total number of colonies (≤1,000 CFU/g) and the count of mold and yeast (≤100 CFU/g), preventing scalp infections caused by excessive microorganisms. If the workshop hygiene in the hair clay manufacturing process is substandard (for example, if the air cleanliness is below Class 100,000), it is easy for the product to exceed microbial limits. For instance, one small factory’s hair clay manufacturing process failed to implement sterile handling, resulting in excessive mold growth and a full product recall.
- Stability Testing: The hair clay is tested under different environmental conditions (45°C high temperature, -10°C low temperature, and room temperature) to observe whether it separates, clumps, or changes color within seven days. A high-quality hair clay manufacturing process ensures stability under both high and low temperatures, while products from inferior processes may release oil under high temperatures or harden under low temperatures, making them practically unusable.
- Usability Testing: Professional testers evaluate the product’s “ease of spreading,” “longevity of hold,” and “ease of residue removal.” In hair clay manufacturing processes with insufficient emulsification, testers will find the product “difficult to spread and clumpy.” If the proportion of styling agents is improper, issues such as “losing hold after only two hours” or “difficult-to-wash residue” may occur.
In the hair clay manufacturing process of the Sino-German joint venture DESIFINE, an additional “scalp irritation test” is conducted (using the chick embryo chorioallantoic membrane test) to avoid irritation — one reason why their products are suitable for sensitive skin.
IV. Three Common Questions (FAQ) About Hair Clay Manufacturing Process
Q1: Why do some hair clays “wash out easily” while others “leave heavy residue”? Is this related to the hair clay manufacturing process?
Of course it’s related! In the hair clay manufacturing process, the “type of styling agent” and the “degree of emulsification” are the key factors: if water-soluble PVP is used (instead of oil-soluble) and emulsification is thorough, the hair clay will dissolve when it comes into contact with water, leaving little residue. However, if cheap oil-soluble styling agents are used with incomplete emulsification, it can result in “residue sticking to the scalp that can’t be washed off even after three rinses.”
For example, in Kolmar Korea’s hair clay manufacturing process, water-soluble PVP is often used together with a double emulsification step, making the hair clay easier to wash out.
Q2: For small-batch customized hair clay, will corners be cut in the hair clay manufacturing process?
Not necessarily — it depends on the manufacturer. In the small-batch hair clay manufacturing process of a reputable factory, the same raw materials and testing standards are used as in large-scale production; only the filling stage uses smaller filling machines. (For example, DESIFINE’s small-batch hair clay manufacturing process still conducts a full range of tests.)
However, in small workshops’ hair clay manufacturing processes, to reduce costs, they may skip “microbial testing” and “stability testing,” or even use inferior raw materials. Therefore, when choosing small-batch OEM services, it’s essential to check whether the manufacturer’s hair clay manufacturing process is standardized.
Q3: In the hair clay manufacturing process, can it be made “preservative – free”?
It’s very difficult! Hair clay contains moisture and nutrients (such as glycerin), which are prone to microbial growth. Therefore, preservatives must be added in the hair clay manufacturing process — unless it is “water-free hair clay”. However, water-free hair clay has weak styling power and is rarely seen.
That said, high-quality hair clay manufacturing processes use “mild preservatives” (such as phenoxyethanol) and control their concentration within a safe range (≤1%), which causes little irritation to the scalp. In contrast, inferior hair clay manufacturing processes may use industrial-grade preservatives (such as formaldehyde releasers). Although these are cheap, they are extremely irritating.
V. Conclusion: When Choosing Hair Clay or Looking for OEM, Identify the “Three Process Details”
Whether you’re buying hair clay for yourself or looking for an OEM manufacturer, paying attention to three details in the hair clay manufacturing process can help you avoid most pitfalls:
- Check the ingredients — Choose a hair clay manufacturing process that uses “high-purity styling agents + organic plant waxes,” and avoid industrial-grade raw materials.
- Check the production process — Prioritize manufacturers with “dual emulsification steps + gradient cooling” in their hair clay manufacturing process to ensure the product is fine-textured and stable.
- Check the testing — Confirm that the hair clay manufacturing process includes the three essential tests: microbial, stability, and usability, to avoid safety hazards.
There’s no “mystery” to hair clay manufacturing process — the attention to detail at every step ultimately determines how well the product performs and how safe it is.
If you’re looking for OEM services, the Sino-German joint venture DESIFINE is a partner worth prioritizing. Its hair clay manufacturing process combines German precision technology with Chinese supply chain advantages — from selecting raw materials such as organic camellia seed oil wax, to dual-impeller emulsification and gradient cooling, and through to “microbial + irritation” double testing — every step strictly follows high standards.
DESIFINE supports small-batch customization and can assist with global compliance registration, making it suitable for both startup brands in the trial-production phase and established brands expanding their product lines.
It is recommended that brands with needs first request process specifications and samples, experience the advantages of DESIFINE’s hair clay manufacturing process firsthand, and then proceed with cooperation.
