Protein and curly hair
“Does my hair need protein” and “how can I tell if my hair needs protein” are questions asked alot in the curly community. It can sometimes feel really confusing when reading lots of different topics on protein and protein/moisture balance for curly hair. Therefore, I thought I would share this blog to help decipher what sometimes seem to be one of the most confusing curly topics. In a nutshell, protein is great for all hair types, it is just the amount of protein and where in our routine that protein is added which can differ so much between people.
Introduction to curly hair and protein
The majority of hair is made up of the protein keratin which adds strength to our hair. We all need protein in our routine, it is just the amount that differs from one person to the next. This is usually where the confusion comes in, it may be that you tried a product that was protein heavy, or maybe it had the right amount of protein but the formula as a whole didn’t work for you. Often people will then say, my hair doesn’t like protein. However, it probably isn’t that your hair doesn’t like protein, it was just that the wrong amount or the formula/product wasn’t quite right for your hair.
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How does protein work?
To better understand protein and how it works, I like think of protein as a filler. Our hair is subject to stressors on a daily basis. These stressors can vary from one person to the next. Stressors can be anything from brushing, diffusing, environmental pollution, UV damage, bleaching or using hair dye. These stressors create “holes” in the hair which can make the hair weak. This is where protein comes in, protein is able to fill in these holes helping the hair to stay strong and healthy. To get the best benefits from protein, ideally you want to look for hydrolysed proteins. These are proteins that have been broken down so that they can seek out holes in the hair and bind at the cortex of the hair and really help to improve the hair health. Non-hydrolysed proteins are generally too big to penetrate the hair so will often sit on top of the hair, creating a coating and not necessarily working to really help repair and strengthen the hair.
Understanding how much protein to use
As mentioned above, protein is used to fill in “holes” or “gaps” in the hair strands. The amount of protein you will need will therefore depend on the how much stress your hair has been through. Additionally, if your hair tends to have a raised cuticle, then you may also need more protein. However, generally speaking, if you have hair that isn’t bleached or dyed regularly, you don’t use heat and only detangle your hair then it is likely that you will only need a light amount of protein. Conversely, as detailed previously, if you don’t bleach, dye or use heat but generally have a raised cuticle then you may need more protein in your routine. The beauty of the Restorative Protein Drops is that you have the flexibility to experiment with the amount of protein and where in your routine protein is added. For more information on how to use the BY SELINA Protein Drops visit the following link Restorative Protein Drops – By Selina
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The benefits of protein for curly hair
There are countless benefits of using protein for curly hair, not only will it help strengthen the hair but it can also help to seal split ends and even calm an itchy or flaky scalp. The BY SELINA Restorative Protein Drops contains an exclusive blend of 4 different hydrolysed proteins, each with their unique benefits to really help care for a nurture our curls. So whether you are looking for increased strength for your curls, increased volume, help with a flaky scalp or protection from environmental damage, the BY SELINA Restorative Protein Drops can help Restorative Protein Drops – By Selina
Hydrolysed Baobab Protein
Hydrolysed Baobab protein is one of the most powerful curly hair protein repair complexes, it contains hair loving amino acids that help with the following.
- Provides damage recovery
- Nourishment
- Strength
- Conditioning
- Protection from damage caused by heat tools, mechanical manipulation and environmental stressors
Tradition says that products infused with Baobab give strength, good health and good fortune to the user. Did you know, the Baobab tree is generally referred to as “the tree of life” because it has so many useful benefits and because they generally live for more than 2000 years!!
Hydrolysed Quinoa Protein
Hydrolysed quinoa protein is one of the only vegetable derived proteins that contain all 9 essential amino acids. This potent protein can penetrate down to the hair cortex providing repair, control damage and amazing shine to the hair. Other benefits of this wonder ingredient include.
- Protection against daily stressors such as heat and UV (perfect if you like to diffuse your curls or spending a lot of time outside)
- Provide repair from within the hair strand and out
- Adds amazing shine to the hair
- Provides repair control
- Helps reduce dandruff
- Conditions the hair
- Seals split ends
- Protects hair from pollution
- Strengthens the hair follicle
- Helps with hair colour protection
Hydrolysed Wheat Protein
Hydration is key for our curls, waves and coils as the can often be drier than most hair types, hydrolysed wheat protein helps to retain hydration. Hydrolysed wheat is small enough to penetrate hair strands so that it works to not only keep the hair hydrated, but also helps with curl definition.
- Prevents breakage and split ends
- Repairs damage from the inside out
- Retains moisture and hydration
- Increases the hair volume
- Great for anyone with chemically damaged hair
Hydrolysed Rice Protein
I am sure you have heard in the curly community the benefits of using rice water. However, often protein molecules found in rice water are quite large so they usually sit on the outside of the hair and aren’t able to penetrate the hair strands. Hydrolysed rice protein gives you all the benefits of a rice water rinse but with added extras, the molecules are small enough to penetrate the hair strands and really work to strengthen and repair the hair from the inside out. Hydrolysed rice protein has many key benefits similar to that of hydrolysed wheat protein, benefits of hydrolysed rice protein include
- Helps to increase hair volume
- Repair damage from environmental and mechanical stressors such as heat styling, brushing, UV and environmental pollution
- Softens the hair so great for anyone with course hair
- Improves shine
- Helps with curl definition
