In subsequent testing, IOTA compared the new corn starch with similar products found on store shelves to determine how it performed in consumer styling applications. To highlight its formulation flexibility, IOTA developed a series of prototypes to test both performance and compatibility with other widely used hair styling ingredients.

The first prototype, “Stay My Way” is a styling wax – which was inspired by a popular commercial hair wax which uses PVP as the fixative polymer.

To appeal to consumers desiring more natural ingredients in their hair styling products, sunflower seed oil and the hydrolysed corn starch were incorporated in the prototype formulation. In addition, Polyox™ WSR-301 was added to deliver the unique stretchy, fibrous texture. 

IOTA tested the curl retention performance of Stay My Way styling wax at 1% and 3% hydrolysed corn starch and compared it with competitive alternatives, including: 

The same formula without a fixative polymer.
The same formula with 3% active PVP
The same formula with 3% competitive hydrolysed corn starch
The popular commercial styling wax benchmark with PVP and a polyacrylate2 cross-polymer. 
Figure 3 provides the average percent curl retention after eight hours at 80% relative humidity using a humidity chamber. The results display similar curl retention performance for all of the products tested, with the hydrolysed corn starch Stay my Way prototype delivering more resistance to humidity and longer-lasting curls. 

A male panellist was chosen to compare the Stay My Way prototype with the commercial benchmark, applying 1.5 grams of each product to wet hair on each side. The panellist initially reported easier control and hold with Stay My Way wax, and had difficulty removing curls with the top-selling benchmark. After eight hours, the panellist reported more hold and control with Stay My Way wax. The hair styled with the benchmark lost hold and became increasingly curly throughout the day.