HAIR STRENGTHENERS - Proteins

We need a balance of moisture and protein for strong, flexible hair. Water hydrates the hair, promoting suppleness and  elasticity. Protein provides strength and structure.  Water and protein work together synergistically to give hair tensile strength. Proteins are humectants. They attract water and are film formers and emollients that soften hair.

A wide variety of proteins play different roles and serve different functions. Proteins with higher molecular weight  bind to the surface of hair, filling gaps left by broken cuticles and help to rebuild weakened areas temporarily.  These proteins form a film on the outside of your hair, making it look lustrous and silky.

lower molecular weight hydrolysed protein (2)  can penetrate the hair and form cross linkages to strengthen the cortex of the hair (1). The reinforced hair shaft is able to withstand mechanical stress and breakages better.

Traditionally people use eggs, powdered pulses and powders beans for protein treatment.  Now, modern technology hydrolyzed the protein to improve solubility in water. Hydrolyzed protein is protein that has been ‘chopped’ into smaller pieces through a chemical process or enzymatic action.

you only need to use a small amount of hydrolyzed protein in your conditioner – between 2 to 5 percent only. Since protein is water soluble, you can add them to water-based conditioners. According to Susan Barclay-Nichols, “In surfactant blends, they will increase foam stability, add slipperiness, and offer creaminess and density.”

Among the hydrolyzed protein you can choose from are silk, wheat, oat, corn, soy etc.

Some manufacturers use hydrolyzed human hair protein in their products, claiming it  not only penetrate hair  and skin better but also contain all the needed amino acids.

Besides water and protein, there are other substances that help to strengthen hair weakened by chemical treatment, mechanical stress from over styling, high heat   or pollutants. The natural alternatives are ceramides, horsetail, henna, Cassia etc.

There are specially formulated man-made positively charged Cationic polymers and silicones tailored-made as artificial hair strengtheners, thermal protectors, glossers  and hair reconstructors. (More about them in another article.)

(1) Journal of Cosmetic Science, 1993

(2) Hydrolyzed protein - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

WHICH TYPE OF HAIR CONDITIONER TO CHOOSE?

TYPES OF CONDITIONERS

One of the ways to classify conditioner is as follows:

• Moisturizer

• Reconstruct or

• Detangler

The ingredients in the above types of conditioners may overlap but proportions differ. Manufacturers also add other properties to differentiate hair care products within their product range to meet different user needs. For example, they may include :

• Thermal protector to shield the hair from excessive heat for people who use hair dryers, curling irons, hot rollers etc.

• Sunscreen to ward off radiation damage due to UV (Ultra violet) light. UV rays can cause protein degradation and color loss.

• Antistatic agents to ward off frizz

• Glosser is light-reflecting chemicals that coat hair strands to give dull hair more luster.

CHOOSING A CONDITIONER

• To get the most out of your conditioner, choose one made for your hair type and hair condition. Consider your hair texture and needs. Does your hair need an oiling before wash followed by strengthening and moisturizing? Does your hair require conditioning before styling? Some people may need more than one type of conditioner whereas others just require a conditioning shampoo only.
• If you have fine lank hair, you would not want a thick, heavy conditioner to weigh it down further. Your hair will look even more limp, oily and lifeless. A light, volumizing conditioner is more appropriate for this hair type. Heavy, oily conditioner is more suitable for smoothening down frizzy, flyaway voluminous hair. Hair prone to frizziness benefit from positively charged antistatic agents in the conditioner.

• Use color-safe conditioner to protect color treated hair. This type of conditioner helps to retain and enhance your hair color longer. Use a conditioner appropriate for your hair color. They protect against the dulling effect due to washing and over styling. Heat and UV rays of the sun can fade hair color. Thermal protector and sunscreen can mitigate this problem.

• Dry hair benefit from humectants in the conditioner. However, if the hair is too porous, the strands can swell from soaking up too much moisture from the air, leading to frizziness. Occlusives such as Wax, oil or silicone in the recipe help to reduce this problem. 

Rinse off conditioner tends to be creamy and thicker than leave-in conditioner.

• Hair with adequate moisture but tend to lose it easily due to porosity require occlusives more than humectants. Occlusives form a barrier on the hair to retard moisture lost. They are also called anti-humectants.

• Hair with open cuticles allows water and nutrients to enter easily. The flip side is the hair tangles and loses internal moisture easily. Acidic conditioners can close the cuticles.

• Use a mildly acidic conditioner that adds slip and lubricity for tangled hair.

• Hair damaged and weakened from over processing and styling benefit from protein and ceramides treatments to help strengthen and repair the damage. Ceramides are a group of lipid (fats) found in cells of plants, animals and human. The lipids provide an effective barrier on our skin. Used in hair care, ceramides help the hair to accept protein treatment better. This is because ceramides bound covalently (share electron) with the proteins.

Modern conditioner formulation may also include silicone or polymers to strengthen and fill in gaps left by broken cuticles. However, some people do not like it because these man-made substances adhere so strongly to the hair that it takes a strong shampoo to remove build-up.

You may notice elastin and collagen in the ingredients list of conditioner for weak hair strands. They provide tensile strength and elasticity to hair.

Before buying a conditioner, scrutinize the label. You would not want to add body to voluminous hair or waste your money on a conditioner with color protector or thermal protector when you do not dye or use heat styling tools.