USES OF GELATIN

Gelatin as Binder

Gelatin is protein that has broken down into its component amino acids through boiling or action of enzymes. When you mix gelatin powder with a little water, it feels sticky. Some people use this sticky substance as glue.

In ancient times, the Chinese use gelatin to stick paper on the Chinese flute. When the glue hardened, it stiffened and strengthened the paper. In modern times it is occasionally used to size and strengthen paper such as   some glossy printing papers, artistic papers, playing cards, and it maintains the wrinkles in crêpe paper.

It is used as a binder in match heads and sandpaper.

Besides using it as adhesives, it is found it in deodorants, dyes and fabrics. You can use this very same sticky and stiffening   quality of gelatin to thicken fine hair, style and keep hair in place. Synchronized swimmers apply gelatin to their hair since it does not dissolve in water.

RECIPE

HOMEMADE HAIR GEL: Mix unflavored gelatin powder into a paste with tepid/cool water. Stir while you pour in boiling water, fragrant herbal tea or hydrosol. A clear gel will form and thicken when cool. Store in a bottle with well-fitting lid/cover and keep in the fridge. It can keep for about a week. Use 1 part gelatin to 5 -8 parts liquid.

Thickener & Stabilizer

Gelatin and partially hydrolyzed protein is a thickener and stabilizer. You can find it in food, shampoo, hair styling products, hair conditioner, face cleanser, face mask as well as other cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.

Gelatin is also used in nail polish remover and makeup applications. The gelatin is often tinted in different colors to match the person’s natural skin tone. (Wikipedia)

RECIPE

NOURISHING FACE MASK: Mix 1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder with 1 tablespoon of milk into a smooth paste. Stir in hot water (4 to 7 tablespoons). Microwave to heat up or put in a pan of simmering water and stir. Add in 1 tablespoon of mashed avocado or apricot. If you have oily skin, use mashed berry or tangerine flesh instead. Leave to cool, apply on clean, washed face.  Avoid eye and mouth areas. Leave on for 25 to 35 minutes, and then wipe off with dampened cotton balls. Wash with cool water.

Film former

It is a film former so it is used as a coating for photographic film and photographic paper.

Next time you pop your vitamin pill, take a look at the capsule. It may be made of gelatin.

RECIPE

BLACKHEAD REMOVER:  Mix 1.5 tablespoon of milk into 1 tablespoon of unflavored gelatin. Stir into a smooth paste and put into a pan of simmering water. Cover pan or the container with a glass cover so you can see when the gelatin is ready. The gelatin will swell up. Switch off fire. While the milk-gelatin is still warm, apply on blackhead area with a cotton ball or sponge. (Clean your face thoroughly beforehand)  Wait till the gelatin has hardened completely and peel off.

Clarifier

Suspended sediments in wine and beer make them look cloudy. Manufacturers add gelatin to their product to make it look crystal clear. Gelatin, which carries a positive electrical charge, attracts negatively suspended particles like a magnet. The particle-laden gelatin sinks to the bottom when it becomes too heavy dragging other particles with it. Manufacturers may use other sources of protein such as albumen (from egg white), casein (from milk), Isinglass (from fish), chitin (Chitosan),   in this ‘fining’ process.

Gelatin also reduces the astringency of wine.

You can use it to clarify juices and vinegar as well.

Chitin & Chitosan

Chitosan is hydrolyzed form of chitin, a substance extracted from crustaceans and mollusks such as prawns, crabs, lobsters, octopus   and squids. It is the main component of the cell wall of fungi and exists in insect.

In terms of structure, chitin may be compared to the polysaccharide cellulose of plants but with addition of nitrogen within the structure. It functions like the protein, ‘keratin’. Surgeons sew up patients with biodegradable surgical thread made from chitin.

Some farmers spray their crops with chitosan to naturally induce systemic resistance (ISR) against disease, pathogens and pests.

According to Wikipedia, “separation membranes and ion-exchange media can be made from chitin.  ”

EAT UP YOUR COW SKIN, HOOVES AND BONES!

Through Hydrolyzing Their Protein

When you tenderize meat with papain (enzyme extracted from papaya), you are actually hydrolyzing protein.

For thousands of years, people have been hydrolyzing protein to make it more digestible. In times of food shortages, people would eat the skin, tendons, muscles, hoofs and cartilage of animals. These parts are high in protein.  The skin of large animals such as cattle, horses and camels are too tough to chew. Therefore, the long chains of proteins that make the parts so tough are hydrolyzed or broken down into shorter chains (called peptides) to make them more edible. Usually this is accomplished by boiling for a long time with acid, alkali or through enzymatic action. The enzymes from pineapple and sap of papaya are two of the traditional methods to break down the protein chains.

Both humans and animals secrete proteolytic enzymes to break down protein into amino acids as part of digestion. Enzymes speed up the process (between 160 to a million times faster) and do not need high heat to occur, making them suitable choices to hydrolyze protein commercially. The jar of baby food, special weightlifters’ hydrolyzed Casein protein drink or patients’ special diet may well be ‘pre-digested’ by proteolytic enzymes (also called proteases).  

Manufacturers extract proteolytic enzymes like trypsin, chymotrypsin and pepsin from animal organs. Rennin is extracted from the gastric juices of calves and lambs. It is used to coagulate milk into cheese and hydrolyze protein.

When the hydrolyzing process occurs for too long, the protein is broken down completely into its component amino acids and become gelatin. The product of hydrolysis may also be called gelatin hydrolysate, hydrolyzed collagen or collagen peptide.

People not only eat hydrolyzed protein, they also noticed gelatin is very sticky and harden when cooled.

What do you think people do with a substance with such properties when they did not eat it? I will tell you the answer in the next installment.

CASSIA RECIPES TO STRENGTHEN & CONDITION HAIR

There is a ‘Mom & Pop’ grocery store in my area that sells coconuts and grates the chosen coconut for its customers. When I want coconut with a lot of oil, I would choose a very mature nut. At home, I placed the grated coconut flesh in a muslin bag to squeeze out the coconut milk. The milk from the first extraction is very rich and thick. 50 percent of coconut flesh comprises lauric acid (a.k.a dodecanoic acid), a fatty acid that is found in smaller quantities in human breast milk. Another fatty acid called capric acid has pharmaceutical and medical uses.

For the second round of extraction, I mixed a little water with the grated coconut before squeezing it into a separate bowl. Normally, milk from the second round of extraction is used for cooking.

Let’s use coconut milk in our first cassia recipe.  If you do not have fresh coconut, use the packaged variety instead. Alternatively, use warm water, honey water or brew a pot of herbal tea to dissolve the cassia powder.

Check out ‘GOOD SKINCARE NATURALLY [3] - Skincare herbs’ for herbs and their properties.

Do NOT use metal utensils to hold and mix your recipes. Use inert materials such as glass/porcelain/wood/bamboo instead.

Cassia for dry hair

POWDER INGREDIENTS:

3 parts cassia powder

1 part amla powder

LIQUID INGREDIENT:

Warm coconut milk

A little oil with ceramides (See previous article)

Essential oil of your choice for fragrance (optional)

METHOD

• Warm up coconut milk from first extraction. (It should not be boiling hot. Boiling first extraction can result in separation of oil and water.)
  
  
• Place Ingredient 1 into a bowl/container. Pour in warm coconut milk and oil gradually, stirring to mix into a paste with pancake batter / yogurt consistency. Wait for 30 minutes.
  (If the weather is cold, place container into a pan of hot water and cover)
  
  
• After 30 minutes, stir in fragrance and spoon cassia batter into a squeeze bottle with enough quantity for one treatment.
  
  
• Put excess cassia batter into container with well- fitting lid and store in the freezer.

Applying cassia treatment

This process may be quite messy if you are doing it for the first time. Thankfully, cassia is not as staining as henna.

1. Apply cassia batter in your bathroom, just before you take a bath.
   
   
2. Divide your hair into sections. If you have long hair, clip up your hair according to section.
   
   
3. Use the squeeze bottle to apply cassia from root of the hair to tip of the hair section-by-section, starting from the back of the head.
   
   
4. When you have finished, cover hair with shower cap and let hair marinate for between 30 minutes to one hour.
   
   
5. Take your beauty bath.
   
   
6. After your hair has marinated long enough, wash off cassia batter. Use your fingers to help to remove residue from the hair.
   
   
7. Wash until all residues are gone.

Note:

You can either apply cassia treatment before or after you have washed your hair.

Depending on hair type, a cassia treatment can last between one to three weeks.

Your hair should feel soft and lustrous. If it feels dry, apply a light coating of oil on the dry parts.

Condition and thicken hair

Cassia-Fenugreek Mask

INGREDIENTS

4 tbsp. cassia powder

1 tsp. fenugreek powder

LIQUID INGREDIENT

Warm water or herbal tea

Essential oil of your choice for fragrance (optional)

METHOD

1. Soak fenugreek powder in 2 tablespoon of very warm water for several hours until mucilage is released.
   
   
2. Mix fenugreek mucilage and warm water/warm herbal tea with cassia powder into yogurt consistency. Wait for 30 minutes.
   (If the weather is cold, place container into a pan of hot water and cover)
   
   
3. After 30 minutes, stir in fragrance and spoon cassia batter into a squeeze bottle and use immediately.

[Refer to ‘ADD MORE BODY TO YOUR HAIR’ for other ingredients and ideas you can add to cassia powder to thicken your hair.]

If you have very greasy, dirty hair, wash your hair before cassia treatment.  For liquid ingredients, besides warm water or herbal water, you can use juices of acidic fruits such as orange or diluted lime/lemon juice, diluted vinegar or citric acid.

Acid can breakdown protein molecules into shorter chains. It is one of the substances to hydrolyze protein. However, the short span of time recommended in the conditioner recipe is not likely to breakdown the protein in cassia. For benefits of acid in a conditioner, refer to PH AND YOUR HAIR.

Check the pH of your preparation to ensure it is not too acidic.

CASSIA AS HAIR STRENGTHENER & CONDITIONER

Cassia is a plant with a yellow dye that   strengthens the hair shaft, adds richness, texture and luster to light color hair. The yellow color comes from its active component, chrysophanic acid, also called chrysophanol. This compound has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.

Rhubarb root has higher concentration of chrysophanol. Consequently, when manufacturers sold their product as ‘blond henna’ to dye hair yellow, they may include rhubarb in their formulation. Cassia does not dye dark hair yellow. Blond henna (cassia) is a totally different plant from henna.

When you buy cassia, the plant may go by different names. This is due to its ‘complex taxonomy’. Put simply, the scientists who classified the hundreds of species within this plant family were confused or did not agree on their lineage.  Therefore, the plant that is most often used as a hair dye and hair conditioner is often called ‘Cassia obovata’, but may also be called Senna italica ssp. Its common names are cassia, senna, neutral henna or blond henna.

The resin in cassia is positively charged (with cationic molecules) which are attracted preferentially to areas of damage along your hair strands and fill in gaps left by broken cuticles. It also envelops your hair in a protective sheath that glues down hair cuticles. This makes your hair feel soft, smooth and silky, reduces friction during wet and dry combing and acts as an anti-static agent to reduce frizz. 

The germicidal, fungicidal and anti-inflammatory properties keep scalp healthy and eliminate dandruff.

OTHER CASSIA SPECIES USED IN HAIRCARE

Some manufacturers may use Cassia alata (Senna alata) another plant with the yellow chrysophanic acid. This plant is a very effective fungicide. Hence its popular name, Ringworm Bush, due to its effectiveness in treating ringworm infection. Some people add turmeric to cassia since the herb also has germicidal and anti-fungal properties as well as contain a yellow dye that stains hair yellow.

The company, Lubrizol Advanced Materials Inc., patented a product based on carbohydrates derived from Cassia gum extracted from the endosperm of the seed of Cassia tora and Cassia obtusifolia.

Lubrizol chemically modify mannose and galactose sugars extracted from cassia gum and described its product as ‘quaternised cassia gum polymers’. The ‘chemically enhanced’ cationic properties of cassia polymers were “used as a deposition polymer to deposit silicone and/or other conditioning agents to improve the performance of a shampoo.” The silicones help to improve the conditioning properties of two-in-one shampoo.

Research by another company testing ‘quaternized cassia galactomannan polymers’ in hair conditioner found that the cassia formula increased silicone deposition by 16 percent, demonstrating that the chemically modified ingredient enhances the efficacy of the synthetic ingredients. The cassia also decreased the thickness of the conditioner, making it easier to spread through the hair.

In oriental traditional medicine, * Cassia obtusifolia/ Cassia tora are taken for eyes, lungs, kidney, liver and bowels ailments. Since the last three organs mentioned are for detoxification and waste elimination, their proper functioning affects the skin and hair. These leguminous plants are germicidal fungicides as well. Since legumes are rich in protein, you do not need to add any protein to a cassia treatment.  The seeds come in powdered form.

Although Cassia obovata is used as a hair treatment with effects similar to henna, it does not thicken hair significantly like henna. If you wish to thicken your hair as well, include a little Cassia obtusifolia/ Cassia tora as thickener. The latter are used as gel and thickener in food.

Next week I shall post some hair recipes that use cassia.

*some scientists think Cassia obtusifolia and Cassia tora should be classified as one plant.

HAIR STRENGTHENERS - Ceramides & Horsetail

Horsetail is good for people with weak hair, prone to split ends or hair fall. Try a horsetail tea rinse after washing your hair. If you have dry hair, follow up by applying ceramides oil on your strands. Give your hair a double boost by taking horsetail internally. You can get the herb from some health food stores.

CERAMIDES

Ceramides oil is the glue that binds to proteins through sharing electrons. The Ceramides oils found in polyunsaturated fats glue down the hair cuticle thus preventing the scales from being entangled with neighboring scales and breaking off. The oil form a protective film on each strand of hair, thus preventing moisture lost. Examples of oils with ceramides are grape seed oil, walnut oil, wheat germ oil, evening primrose oil, borage oil, carrot tissue oil, sunflower oil and   safflower oil. Sunflower and safflower oils come in two varieties: one is high in monounsaturated fats and the other is high in polyunsaturated fats.  Use the polyunsaturated variety if you want the benefits of Ceramides oils.

Apply a light coating of the oil on the tips and dry parts of your hair. This allows the oil to penetrate the core of your hair yet do not completely block out water from entering to moisturize the cortex.

Research

Research indicates chemically treated hair, e.g. bleaching or straightening, benefits most from using ceramides. This type of hair is damaged and weakened due to chemical treatment. Chemicals strip hair of its natural protective oil and weaken protein structure both internally and externally. Ceramides penetrate into the cortex to support and strengthen hair internally whereas protein patches up broken cuticles of the hair externally. To a certain extent, hydrolyzed protein can penetrate your hair strands as well. The advantage of ceramides is the oil can be left on the hair whereas protein is left on the hair for a short time and then it is washed off. The result of using these hair strengtheners is your hair become more resistant to breakage.

For maximum benefit, your hair need a combination of lipids (fats) namely ceramides, 18 methyl eicosanoic acid or 18 MEA and Cholesterol. Research on skin suggests that there must be a balance of all three fats in order for a ceramides-containing product to be effective in healing the skin. Therefore, do not rely on only one type of lipid to lubricate and strengthen your hair or skin.

HORSETAIL (Equisetum arvense)

Horsetail is high in silica and minerals that are necessary for the growth and repair of skin, hair, bones, cartilage, teeth and connective tissue. It has many forms of silica, such as silicin, which IS soluble in water.

Use this herb if you have weak hair, prone to split ends or hair fall. It increases hair strength and luster as well as   control hair loss.

This herb is suitable for oily hair as it is drying and astringent. 

Make a tea with dried horsetail as an after-wash rinse.

HORSETAIL TEA RINSE

• Simmer 2 tablespoon dried horsetail in 1 liter of water or steep it in water overnight. You can add in slippery elm if you like to add more slip for your hair. Horsetail works synergistically with stinging nettle for hair lost, dandruff and irritated scalp. Nettle also provides conditioning for your hair.

• Strain out residues and use tea as an after-wash rinse.  

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.