1.5: Chemistry at Work

Chemicals can be found in many locations at work. You may remember completing the Workplace Safety course (HCS 3000) and learning more about the MSDS sheets and proper storage of many chemicals. Examples of places here in Provost that require people in your age group to safely handle chemicals at work are:

• Crescent Point Place Swimming Pool

• UFA

• Farms

• Provost Golf Course

• Oilfield shops

What are three other places? Record them on your handout.

Prior to closing the golf course for the season, the groundskeeper must spray chemicals on the course to prevent the growth of mold under the snow.

Read page 15 of the textbook and respond to the following questions:

1. Name four areas of work where a working knowledge of chemistry is needed.

2. How are chemicals used in an automotive repair shop?

3. How are chemicals used in a hair salon?

Hair Products 101: Everything You need to know 

This site provides customers with a list of hair products that can be used and what they do to your hair. If you go into many bathrooms that belong to a woman, you may find a lot of products that may or may not be used on a regular basis. The cosmetic industry in Canada is expected to grow to $1.8 billion by 2026. Being such a big revenue for companies, there is a greater emphasis to create products that contain more natural ingredients, are safer for users and developers, are animal cruelty-free, and are cleaner for the environment. 

Before Science helped to encourage the development of better cosmetic products, most people used plain soap to wash their hair. However, this would leave their hair dull and rough. This happens because soap breaks down proteins, such as hair. There are also chemical reactions that take place when soap is used in water that contains more calcium. The scummy residue that remains makes it difficult to comb hair.

Hair stylists prior to the 1940's were aware of these reactions and attempted to use natural kitchen ingredients to counteract the reactions, such as:

• lemon juice or vinegar mixture would help to dissolve the scum because the acid would counteract the residue remaining on the hair 

• Apple Cider Vinegar and baking soda worked well as a shampoo

• Honey and bananas which act as a natural moisturizer

Chemistry is very important in hair styling. Even the pH of shampoo is important when washing your hair. Read the information presented in “Cosmetic Chemistry” on page 16 of the textbook. 

Before 1938, how did hair stylists remove the soap scum from hair after washing.

How do shampoos add texture to your hair? 

According to the pH scale at the bottom of page 16, what is the pH of detergents?

As previously mentioned, many cosmetics today are being developed to be less harmful to people and are not being tested on animals. Unfortunately there are many countries that continue to require cosmetics to be test on animals first. 

Spend a few moments to investigate which countries these are and what animals they use. 

Find out what can happen to animals who are used for cosmetic testing and record these on your document. 

PROJECT: Consumer Products Project