Cosmo Oil to commercialize hair growth tonic made of amino acid

Cosmo Oil Co. and a group of researchers said Saturday they are jointly working to commercialize a hair growth tonic made of a type of amino acid.

According to Cosmo Oil officials, their prospective product would contain 5-aminolevulinic acid, which the oil distributor has sold as a plant fertilizer since 1999.

The company said combining the amino acid, which can be found in plants and animals, with iron and other substances can increase its effectiveness as a hair-growth catalyst.

A group of researchers led by Yoshiyasu Ito, a lecturer at National Defense Medical College, tested the amino acid on laboratory mice and observed the difference in hair growth after three weeks.

The hair grew 2 millimeters with the substance against 0.5 mm growth using hair growth products already available in the market, the company said.

Ito said he believes the amino acid was absorbed by the roots of the hair, and turned into a compound that supplied energy to cells, promoting hair growth.

Cosmo Oil and the researchers plan to tie up with pharmaceutical companies to market the tonic.