your favorite protein treatment??

[jsdolly122]

Hi All,

after finally decoding the moisture protein debacle I have discovered that I am in need of protein!

I would like something that is either leave in, or conditioner, but i guess if it's amaaaazing I could add another step...

My hair is medium/fine, 2b/c

so, your favs?? what do you use? how does it work? whats your hairtype?

THANKS! :)

[Madora]

My favorite protein treatment is a nice market steak! I believe protein should be eaten, not applied. Your mileage may vary, of course!

[jacqueline101]

I like the lustrasilk mango and Shea butter cholesterol treatment. I do mine monthly followed by Aussie deep conditioning treatment you need the best of both. I do believe in eating protein too. I like my slim fast and peanut butter for this.

[meteor]

I completely agree with the idea that eating protein as one the best ways of supporting healthy hair growth.

Hydrolyzed protein helps topically, too, especially if your hair is porous/damaged.

My favorite protein conditioner is Mega-Tek Rebuilder. It's really intense, and has quite a big following. Ingredients: deionized water, hydrolyzed keratin protein, stearalkonium chloride, glyceryl stearate, peg 100 stearate, marine protein, peg 40, panthenal, dimethicone copolyol, magnesium citrate, allantoin, amino acids, methylparaben, mucopoly-saccharides, propylparaben, imidazolidinyl urea, fragrance.

[Long_hair_bear]

I use Babyface Pure Protein. My hair LOVES it!

[jeanniet]

Colorful Neutral Protein Filler. Fast and easy.

[ositarosita]

I am a fan of the V05 antibreakage conditioner .. it's purple .. I don't know what it's called in English as my bottle is in Spanish... I find that if I condition with it every other wash or mix it with a moisturising conditioner I can use it pretty often and not worry too much about my protein.

[emilia1992]

I like Mane n' Tail, but not the price, so I've stopped using it..... but it is good quality.

My cheapo protein treatment is dissolving gelatin in hot water, using it as a rinse after shampoo, leaving it there for 10mins, then rinsing out. This, needless to say, is a little more 'DIY/Improvisation' than actual hair products, but hey. £1.20 for a packet that lasts me months.......

[veryhairyfairy]

My favorite protein treatment is a nice market steak! I believe protein should be eaten, not applied. Your mileage may vary, of course!
:rollin:
I agree with this!

Colorful Neutral Protein Filler. Fast and easy.
This is what I have right now and what I would use if I ever did a protein treatment. My hair reacted so badly to a little bit of protein in my rinse out conditioner that I'm scared to try anything that would constitute a real protein treatment.
You can get it at Sally Beauty. I haven't used it in years, but I really liked the Sally's generic Joico K-Pak strengthening conditioner. It's the only real protein conditioner that didn't leave my hair dry and breaking (maybe because of the mineral oil in it?).

[ErinLeigh]

For a spray treatment ..its a tie between The clear protein fillers from Sallys used as a treatment before color. $2 a bottle..cant beat that. Used in a mister it lasts a long time. and Salerm Hair treatment vials. Both can be mixed with conditioner or used as is.

For a leave in conditioner..Giovani Direct Vitapro Fusion (cone free)

For a deep conditioner my new love is Redken Extreme Builder Plus. Protein, ceramides, 18-MEA (these are supposed to be amazing ingredients for hair -whatever they are I am loving the conditioner) No cones, well there is a water soluble protein cone.

For a regular cone free conditioner: EO Keratin Coconut and Hibiscus Conditioner. It has such nice ingredients

For a cone free cowash: EDEN All Natural Cleansing Conditioner.

For coney conditioner: Probably K-pals from Joico

Apoghee has a protein treatment but I have never tried so cant comment on it.

IF it helps, I find regular protein(IE Soybean protein, keratin amino acids etc basically anything that does not say hydrolyzed in front of it) makes my hair crunchy and dry, but hydrolyzed proteins seem to not have that effect. I also tend to add a moisture product after using a protein one. Helps me keep balance personally, as my hair gets out of whack so easily.

[jrmviola]

1 teaspoon melted coconut with 1 whole egg mixed. I also add 1 teaspoon Castor Oil, but its not necessary as far as a Protein Treatment goes. Add to damp hair, let sit for an hour or so, rinse with a light conditioner then do your standard hair stuff.

[ExpectoPatronum]

I'd rather eat my protein :)

My hair is protein sensitive. I've tried various different protein treatments and my hair rebelled with all of them. Henna seems to be working just fine for me if I need some strengthening. I just mix in some avocado oil to combat dryness and my hair comes out strong, soft, shiny, and smooth. (The Four Hair S's?)

[jeanniet]

:rollin:
I agree with this!

This is what I have right now and what I would use if I ever did a protein treatment. My hair reacted so badly to a little bit of protein in my rinse out conditioner that I'm scared to try anything that would constitute a real protein treatment.
You can get it at Sally Beauty. I haven't used it in years, but I really liked the Sally's generic Joico K-Pak strengthening conditioner. It's the only real protein conditioner that didn't leave my hair dry and breaking (maybe because of the mineral oil in it?).

The NPF is a real protein treatment. My hair loves protein, and I use the NPF precisely because it packs enough punch for my hair. So I wouldn't recommend it to someone who only needed a light dose of protein, unless you only mix a drop or two in conditioner. I just spray it on straight, and then leave it in.

[swearnsue]

I also like using Mane N Tail conditioner. I use it about once every two months and I leave it on my hair for about 30 seconds. I have a huge bottle of it that has lasted about 2.5 years! I forgot what I paid, about $16 at an equestrian/feed store.

It works well for me, but I use it so sparingly it may not even be doing anything. Some dollar stores will have small bottles of it for a few dollars.

It has silicones and waxes in it, if you care. The theory being that these will keep the horses tail from getting tangled in fences, tall grasses and such. It does make my hair slippy.

[veryhairyfairy]

The NPF is a real protein treatment. My hair loves protein, and I use the NPF precisely because it packs enough punch for my hair. So I wouldn't recommend it to someone who only needed a light dose of protein, unless you only mix a drop or two in conditioner. I just spray it on straight, and then leave it in.

Thanks for the heads up, that's good information to have. I keep thinking about giving it a try again because the last time I used it was years ago, and I can't remember the results... but given my history with protein causing breakage, well, it's probably not worth the risk.
Maybe I'll use my bottle to mix up a protein and moisture DT for my sister with damaged hair. :)

[~honeyflower~]

I have a hair book here, but picked out the conditioners I havent seen mentioned yet.

Low protein conditioners:
Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship Conditioner.
Garnier Fruet's Length & strength Fortifying Cream Conditioner.

Medium protein conditioners:
Giovanni smooth as silk extreme protein treatment.
Nexxus Keraphix restorive strengthening Conditioner

Heavy protein conditioner:
Nexxus Keraphix Restorative strengthening Conditioner
Nexxus Emergency strength Polymeric Reconstructor.

Leavin
Chi Keratin mist
Infusion 23
Mane N tail conditioner

If anyone has a thing about plagerism, its from "The Science of Black Hair". Not trying to advertise it, just saying where I got it from. I love LHC and its a great resource, I just like the book too.

[Valkyriejae]

I make my own using gelatin, vinegar, oil, water and conditionner (whatever I have on hand.) It's nice and cheap and it works :)

[jsdolly122]

thank so much for all the great info!

just to add a couple of questions...

1. what do you guys think of oil treatments that have protein like keratin included? I recently used marc anthony "oil of morocco argan oil treatment" which is noooot pure argan loaded with other junk
(Cyclopentasiloxane, Dimethicone, Cyclohexasiloxane, Argania Spinosa Kernel Oil, Linum Usitatissimum (Linseed) Seed Oil, Isodecyl Neopentanoate, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Seed Oil, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil, Keratin, Fragrance, Paraffinum Liquidum, Tocopheryl Acetate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), D&C Red 17 (CI 26100)
buuuut it made my hair feel soooooooooo nice! im wondering if this is the keratin?
also, i have noticed that a lot of other oil type treatments are also packed with keratin, etc

2. re babyface protein, did you purchase from the brand website or amazon?

3. is it possible to by just pure hydrolyzed protein? does this even exist..? I have found you can buy pure silk aminos.. has anyone tried this?

ok thanks so much for all your help everyone!

[Firefox7275]

Protein needs to be hydrolysed (chopped into small bits) to penetrate hair or patch up surface damage. The only food item that is rich in hydrolysed protein is gelatin; eggs are a lipid (fat/ oil) treatment or emulsifier the protein is too large to be useful.

Yes you can purchase concentrated hydrolysed protein from ingredients suppliers but Neutral Protein Filler is an excellent on the ground version, as is gelatin (no water but not all the protein is hydrolysed).

That Oil of Morocco is wall to wall silicones which are king for slip and shine, that's all you will see and feel the effects of. Hydrolysed protein is a long term thing like regular oilings not instant gratification: you might get a subtle effect from one use but rarely a miraculous turnaround. Don't confuse purely aesthetic/ cosmetic effects with improved health/ condition of hair. Protein can increase strength, elasticity, even out porosity, reduce splits and breakage over time. It is a film former so there can be some shine and slip but not to the level of silicones.

[Jumper]

I never knew one way or another about protein but I recognize a lot of the conditioners mentioned as ones I've used with great success in the past so I guess now I know my hair likes protein...

We sell Mane N Tail at my Target and I use it on the horses but never considered using it on myself. Hmmm...

[jsdolly122]

where do you buy neutral protein filler from?

[UP Lisa]

People always talk about protein drying their hair out. The way I understand it, you should always use another conditioner after using a protein treatment.

[meteor]

The way I understand it, you should always use another conditioner after using a protein treatment.
I'd recommend that too.
I wouldn't call proteins "drying" per se. After all, proteins act as weak humectants and help hair bond to / hold on to more moisture. But they can add to "hard, brittle" feel of hair, so it is good practice to use protein with plenty of other conditioning ingredients, e.g. fatty acids: natural oils, 18-MEA, ceramides, ...

[ErinLeigh]

where do you buy neutral protein filler from?

Beauty supple store like Sally's. It is usually found in the hair dye isle.

[jeanniet]

where do you buy neutral protein filler from?

I got mine from Amazon, but it was a bigger bottle. If you're not sure how much you'd use it, get the small bottle from Sally's first. I use it 1-2 times a week, so will use a bigger bottle up in about a year.

[ErinLeigh]

I am an amazon addict. It's shocking I bought something in a store. Hehe
How do you apply yours? I put mine in a mister and spray.
It funny, I find the protein filler is every bit as good if not better than my redken extreme anti snap spray which was $25.

[styric]

I use K-Pak Reconstructor or Brocato Cloud 9 Miracle Repair Treatment. Both are heavy protein treatments that my hair loves

[jeanniet]

I am an amazon addict. It's shocking I bought something in a store. Hehe
How do you apply yours? I put mine in a mister and spray.
It funny, I find the protein filler is every bit as good if not better than my redken extreme anti snap spray which was $25.

I put it in a spray bottle and then use it before leave in (no rinsing out). I think it's great stuff.

[sumidha]

I add a little dissolved gelatin powder to my normal conditioner.

[Misschilly]

I am an amazon addict. It's shocking I bought something in a store. Hehe
How do you apply yours? I put mine in a mister and spray.
It funny, I find the protein filler is every bit as good if not better than my redken extreme anti snap spray which was $25.

This product sounds nice! Do you dilute it before misting?

[ErinLeigh]

This product sounds nice! Do you dilute it before misting?

I personally did not. I wanted full effect. I think of course you could though or even mix with a leave in conditioner if it made hair feel better.
I would just spray it in and leave in overnight and wash it out next morning. I can make a tiny bottle last several uses undiluted when misting.

[jeanniet]

I personally did not. I wanted full effect. I think of course you could though or even mix with a leave in conditioner if it made hair feel better.
I would just spray it in and leave in overnight and wash it out next morning. I can make a tiny bottle last several uses undiluted when misting.

I don't dilute either, but you can use it in all sorts of ways--dilute with water, mix with conditioner, put in a DT, etc. Just keep in mind that when you mix stuff together, you affect the preservative balance, so it's best to not mix more than you'd use in a week or two.

[Misschilly]

I don't dilute either, but you can use it in all sorts of ways--dilute with water, mix with conditioner, put in a DT, etc. Just keep in mind that when you mix stuff together, you affect the preservative balance, so it's best to not mix more than you'd use in a week or two.

How long can you leave it in the hair?

[jsdolly122]

to those of you who have use the neutral protein filler, have you ever tried the babyface keratin? if so, how do they compare..?

also, has anyone ever bought pure proteins from supply stores (like soap making supplies) and made up their own protein treatment? I found you can buy silk aminos, keratin and all that good stuff from these kinds of stores online i'm thinking maybe I could make my own..?
but the neutral protein filler looks pretty good.. decisions.

[duchess67]

Never knew about this NPF. I am going to get neutral protein filler from sally's. Hope it's available here in Canada. If not have to get from ebay.

[jeanniet]

How long can you leave it in the hair?

Uhhh...forever? Lol, I don't know. I don't rinse it out, so it stays in until I wash again. But again, I like a lot of protein. You could certainly rinse it out.

jsdolly122, I haven't tried any other commercial treatments. I use the gelatin treatment on the rare occasion that I bother to do a DT, but for the most part it's too much trouble. Having to put things on my hair and let them sit, then dealing with washing out, is not my cup of tea. Hence the NPF. Spraying it on takes all of a couple seconds, which is very much my style. :p

[LindainCO]

Is there a good protein product that is plant protein and not tested on animals?

[meteor]

Is there a good protein product that is plant protein and not tested on animals?

There are lots of plant-based hydrolyzed proteins (wheat, oat, soy, quinoa,...). Just read the ingredients of the products that are made by companies that don't test on animals and avoid gelatin, hydrolyzed collagen, silk, milk, keratin.
Ion Effective Care line (found at Sally's) is 100% vegan and has great reviews: http://www.sallybeauty.com/hair-repair-therapy/ION22,default,pd.html
I think the only 100% certain way to know is to email the company about your specific product though, as many "green" brands are now under the corporate umbrellas of companies that do test on animals.

If you want to try something homemade like a vegetarian alternative to the gelatin treatment, you can try a beer rinse / soak : Vegetarian Protein Treatment for Hair - http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2012/04/what-cookin-vegetarian-protein.html

[Beborani]

After a lot of experimenting this method works best on me: I put a few drops of neutral protein filler on my palm, add drops of oil (sesame usually as I have a steady supply), make an emulsion and apply to the bottom half of my hair on second and third day--it allows me to stretch my washes by keeping my ends fresh. I imagine my hair gets both lipid and protein boost this way.

[evalina]

I use a Leave In spray based on a recipe from german long hair community that a member invented. It uses Aloe Vera gel, rose water and silk or wheat protein. Using it as liquid phase in LOC.

[melomane]

Does Anybody know if pure Aloe Vera Gel improves growth?

[marymonster]

I like to use gelatin as a protein treatment.
I take a couple of tablespoons, mix it with cold water, then add hot water to dissolve filling a 12oz cup 2/3 of the way. I usually add a teaspoon of glycerin to it after that. I put it on after i wash my hair for about 15 minutes and rinse.

[UltraBella]

I use Joico K-Pak and my hair LOVES it. My hair likes protein anyway, but this has worked the best for me.

[Crumpet]

I make my own using gelatin, vinegar, oil, water and conditionner (whatever I have on hand.) It's nice and cheap and it works :)

I do something similar with gelatin, oil, conditioner, and yoghurt. It works and yes, its cheap!