Keratin Shampoo, Conditioner and Treatment: Reasons to Love Hydrolyzed Protein

Have you heard of keratin? Have you wondered “what is it?” or “why use keratin shampoo, conditioner or treatments?”. Maybe you’ve seen hydrolyzed protein or keratin listed in the ingredients of your hair products and wondered what it could be. Keratin protein is a star ingredient in many hair products, so let’s take a look at what it’s all about!

So, what actually is keratin? 

Keratin is a fibrous protein that makes up the key structural material in hair and nails. On average, hair contains 8% moisture, 3% minerals and 89% keratin. It exists in the cortex (the middle of the hair shaft, where colour pigment is stored) and in the cuticle (the shingle-like structure that protects the cortex.) 

Why is keratin in hair products? 

High heat, friction, UV and hair colouring can all deplete keratin, resulting in damaged hair. Much of this damage is in the cuticle layer, lifting and creating gaps in the tiny shingles that cover your cortex. This results in hair that is frizzy, dull and unmanageable, not to mention fragile and prone to breakage. And, if you chemically colour your hair, cuticle damage exposes the cortex, which can mean faster colour fade. There are so many reasons why a healthy cuticle is important to overall hair health! This leads us to why there is keratin in hair products; the keratin protein in hair products can help reconstruct strands to restore health and strength.

When should you use keratin?

Although using keratin has major benefits, you don’t want to overuse it. In the case of protein overload, hair can lose its elasticity and become stiff and brittle. To maintain a balance between fortified and moisturized strands you will want to make sure you are using hydrating hair care as well.

You can do a simple strand test to check in on your hair health. Take a strand of hair that is attached to your scalp and wet it. Stretch the strand gently - if it bounces back to original length without breaking your strands are in good shape. If it doesn’t bounce back and looks limp or breaks you may need a boost. Checking in with your hair stylist is a great way to get a hair diagnosis as well; they know the best recommendations based on your current hair health.

What ingredients should you look for?

This brings us to hydrolyzed protein! Quality products use smaller protein molecules to better penetrate and infuse the hair shaft with keratin. Hydrolyzing is the process used to extract the nutrients from the protein, lowering the molecular weight to better penetrate the hair shaft to fill in gaps in the structure.

What kind of keratin products should you use?

Once again, checking in with your stylist or a beauty consultant is the best way to pin point your hair’s specific needs, but here are some suggestions to get you started:

Keratin Complex

A full range of hair care all centered around keratin! Everything you need to get your keratin fix at home, plus in-salon treatments as well. Shop Keratin Complex products for home, or book a salon service now!

AG Hair

Adding to their Keratin Repair collection, AG Hair has extended their strength boosting products to include the Vita C collection. Vita C features a hydrolyzed vegetable protein as a natural vegan keratin as well as collagen-boosting and hydrating ingredients. Shop all of AG Hair’s keratin and Vita C products for multi-benefit care.

Goldwell Kerasilk

With keratin-infused hair care targeted to specific hair type needs, Kerasilk ranks high on this list of picks! Whether you have fine and limp, colour-treated, coarse or heavily damaged hair, Kerasilk has the formula to help you reach your hair goals.

Joico K-Pak

Joico K-Pak has a large following and is a popular choice for keratin-rich hair care. Infused with hydrating aloe and vitamin E, not only does hair get a boost of strength, but it gets a kick of moisture too. Shop K-Pak and K-Pak Color Therapy for a full product listing.

BlondMe

Chemically processed blonde hair can be particularly fragile and prone to breakage and damage. BlondMe addresses these concerns by giving blondes special care options. Shop all the BlondMe options, or try the Keratin Restore Bonding Shampoo, Bonding Conditioner and Bonding Mask for a keratin boost.

BC Bonacure

The Keratin Smooth Perfect Shampoo and Conditioner from BC Bonacure helps make hair manageable and full of life.

This just a sampling of the keratin products available at Chatters - shop all keratin products for the full list!