For those whose hair loves protein - what's your routine?

[Johannah]

When I was in my teens I used to straighten and highlight my hair frequently. My hair was a mess and I discovered Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise, a mild protein treatment. My hair loved it and I used it every week and even left it overnight. When I found this community I quit my bad habits. I skipped protein treatments since they didn't work anymore and switched to heavy oilings for about 5 months. My hair LOVED it. I went to university and because of too much schoolwork and stress I forgot about this forum. My hair became a dry mess again. I'm back at this community since September and I started using heavy oilings/conditioning treatments weekly and my hair LOVED it. I also tried CO which made my hair really soft.

But In January my hair started acting really strange, all out of a sudden. It gave signs it needed more moisture, which I gave. On day 1, my hair felt soft and shiny, but the next days my hair became extremely dry, tangly, piecey and frizzy. I've tried different conditioners, WCC, other oils, SMT and clarifying but it all didn't seem to work. I got desperate and I started using sulfate shampoos, which made my hair a bit better. I also bought Organic Root Stimulator Hair Mayonnaise again. It made my hair less dry and tangly. Then a Dutch brand came up with a new line based in hydrolyzed keratin (4th ingredient in both shampoo and conditioner). I've been using this line for about 1.5 months and my hair hasn't been like this since I was a child. The frizziness, tangles and piecey-ness disappeared and my hair is soft and silky. I'm amazed.

The past tells me I overmoisturized my hair without realizing it. I thought CO didn't work for me because it gave me build-up, but it actually gave too much moisture. Guess my hair needs more protein than I expected. My plan is to keep on using this keratin line and see how it goes. Probably I'll stick with shampoo and conditioner with hydrolyzed protein and use oils/deep conditioning treatments monthly. Time will tell me what to do.

So for those whose hair loves protein as well, what is your routine?

[Jennwith4]

Once a week Greek yogurt mask that has egg, honey and ACV I it.

[meteor]

My highlighted ends really like protein. All the conditioners I've seen with protein really high up on the ingredients list (#2 - #4) are pretty good quality IMHO, I just need to make sure I rotate products and don't use protein products more often than every 3-4 weeks.
Also, DIY gelatin treatments are pretty effective hydrolyzed protein treatments. I like that you can make them at home and you can decide on the concentration of protein in your treatment mix yourself. Sometimes I want just a little bit, other times I want a serious protein pack, and gelatin is convenient this way.

Hydrolyzed proteins are excellent for porous/damaged/processed hair. One of the very few ingredients that are proven to help hair patch-repair and keep its structure strong.

What I've noticed on this forum is that some people dislike a product for some reason, but they don't know why, then they find protein somewhere really low down the ingredients list, after fragrance, and think that that's why the product didn't work for them. More often than not, certain polyquats, waxes and lots of other ingredients could build up worse than proteins on hair. But the "protein sensitive" idea has been thrown around so much, that some people seek out protein-free products automatically without even having tested their true protein sensitivity in any way. I think it's a lot more important to find fragrance-free products ("fragrance" can contain almost anything, can trigger allergies and don't do anything good for hair/skin anyway) than go protein-free, when protein is a proven excellent ingredient in hair-care.

[Johannah]

My highlighted ends really like protein. All the conditioners I've seen with protein really high up on the ingredients list (#2 - #4) are pretty good quality IMHO, I just need to make sure I rotate products and don't use protein products more often than every 3-4 weeks.
Also, DIY gelatin treatments are pretty effective hydrolyzed protein treatments. I like that you can make them at home and you can decide on the concentration of protein in your treatment mix yourself. Sometimes I want just a little bit, other times I want a serious protein pack, and gelatin is convenient this way.

Hydrolyzed proteins are excellent for porous/damaged/processed hair. One of the very few ingredients that are proven to help hair patch-repair and keep its structure strong.

What I've noticed on this forum is that some people dislike a product for some reason, but they don't know why, then they find protein somewhere really low down the ingredients list, after fragrance, and think that that's why the product didn't work for them. More often than not, certain polyquats, waxes and lots of other ingredients could build up worse than proteins on hair. But the "protein sensitive" idea has been thrown around so much, that some people seek out protein-free products automatically without even having tested their true protein sensitivity in any way. I think it's a lot more important to find fragrance-free products ("fragrance" can contain almost anything, can trigger allergies and don't do anything good for hair/skin anyway) than go protein-free, when protein is a proven excellent ingredient in hair-care.

I completely agree. Guess this was the reason why it took me so long to go back to protein. I think I might try such a gelatin treatment next week!

[meteor]

Sorry, double post.

[meteor]

Once a week Greek yogurt mask that has egg, honey and ACV I it.

Jennwith4, I don't think the proteins in yogurt penetrate hair, does anybody know for sure? Lactic acid in yogurt is good for hair, especially for shine. Lactic acid technology is used in many high-end hair products these days, but why bother when you can use yogurt?
The proteins in egg whites are definitely way too large to penetrate hair shaft. But eggs (yolks) are good for many other reasons: lecithin/cholesterol are good for hair and are included in many commercial formulations these days.

I think the DIY hydrolyzed protein sources are:
- gelatin (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2012/06/update-to-gelatin-protein-treatment.html),
- beer (http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2012/04/what-cookin-vegetarian-protein.html),
- and soy sauce (fermentation breaks up proteins).

Protein size is important, because everybody has slightly different hair cuticle issues - some have more chips/damage than others. Amino acids are smallest and penetrate and leave hair very easily. Keratin and silk proteins seem to work well for many people, probably due to their small size and possibly affinity to our own hair.
Science-y Hair Blog has an awesome series of articles on hydrolyzed proteins and she covers the size issue a bit: http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.ca/2013/09/more-about-protein.html

[DweamGoiL]

I have been over-moisturizing lately and have been using Aubrey Organics GPB. My hair loves it and its light enough to not weigh down my fine hair. In the winter, my hair seems to crave moisture, but in the summer, it wants protein.

[meteor]

I have been over-moisturizing lately and have been using Aubrey Organics GPB. My hair loves it and its light enough to not weigh down my fine hair. In the winter, my hair seems to crave moisture, but in the summer, it wants protein.

I have the same thing going on! :) I think it's not unusual at all. Where I live, winter is very cold and dry, so it's all about oils, butters, silicones, waxes and other occlusives/anti-humectants to "seal in" moisture, but summertime here is mildly muggy/humid, so I like to use humectants. And hydrolyzed proteins not only give structure, they are mild humectants.

I also find that panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) works slightly like hydrolyzed proteins, gives that structure, volume and it's a humectant, too. You often see proteins & panthenol paired up together in products, especially labeled "for volume" or "for damaged" hair. These two have good research to support their effectiveness, so I trust them, and they are found in many easily available products.

[DweamGoiL]

I have the same thing going on! :) I think it's not unusual at all. Where I live, winter is very cold and dry, so it's all about oils, butters, silicones, waxes and other occlusives/anti-humectants to "seal in" moisture, but summertime here is mildly muggy/humid, so I like to use humectants. And hydrolyzed proteins not only give structure, they are mild humectants.

I also find that panthenol (pro-vitamin B5) works slightly like hydrolyzed proteins, gives that structure, volume and it's a humectant, too. You often see proteins & panthenol paired up together in products, especially labeled "for volume" or "for damaged" hair. These two have good research to support their effectiveness, so I trust them, and they are found in many easily available products.

Thanks for the info on Panthenol. Good to know!

[Othala]

Protein junkie here. Have listed what I use below as well as the ingredients in each product for anyone that's interested. Hydrolyzed protein in its various forms has made an enormous difference to the quality of my hair. I feel like my hair is "newborn".

1. I use Colorful Neutral Protein Filler (ingredients: Aqua, Hydrolyzed Keratin Protein, Hydrolyzed Wheat Protein (and) Wheat Oligosaccharides, Keratin Amino Acids, Aloe Barbadensis, Humullus Lupulus, Urfica Dioica, 1, 3, Bix(Hydroxymethyl)5, 5 Dimethylimidazolidine-2, 4Dione, Methyl ester 4 Hydrozxybenzoic Acid, Tetrasodium Edta, Polysorbate-20, Parfum) which I apply to my damp hair before I apply dye. I also use the CNPF in a very diluted form about once a week as a leave-in after shampoo and rinse-out conditioner.

2. I use Schwarzkopf Gliss Ultimate Volume conditioner (ingredients: Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Hydrolyzed Collagen, Panthenol, Cocodimonium Hydroxypropyl Hydrolyzed Keratin, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Isopropyl Myristate, behonoyl PG-Trimonium Chloride, Citric Acid, VP/VA Coplymer, Phenoxyethanol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Sodium Methylparaben, Hexylene Glycol, Parfum, Polyquaternium-37, Dicaprylyl Carbonate, Hexyl Cinnamal, Amyl Cinnamal, Limonene, Linalool, Benzyl Salicylate) every shampoo which is twice a week.

3. I use Philip Kingsley Elasticizer (ingredients: Aqua, Ricinus Communis Seed Oil, Glycerin, Propylene Glycol, Cetearyl Alcohol, Ethylhexyl Dimethyl PABA, Olea Europaea (Olive) Husk Oil, Cetylpyridinium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Diazolidinyl Urea, Hydrolyzed Elastin, Methylparaben, Cetrimonium Chloride, Trideceth-12, Propylparaben, Sodium Benzoate) as an overnight pre-wash treatment twice a week.

I only wish I had a hood dryer so that I could get more protein absorption into my hair strands.

[Nadine <3]

I've been dabbling with protein ever since I tried my first SMT and WAY over conditioned my hair. Right now my hair is loving Mane N Tail shampoo and conditioner. I use it for two to three washes and then I do a very moisturizing wash (sitting with conditioner and honey on my hair for an hour +) and then I just wash my scalp in the shower. So far my hair likes this routine and it has me wondering if I should go all out and do a protein treatment...My hair isn't color treated or damage so I worry about over doing it.

[Larki]

I co-wash with Wen, which contains hydrolyzed protein. Takes care of moisture and protein all at once.

[Johannah]

Thanks everyone!

Othala, thanks for the ingredients! I was thinking of buying Schwarzkopf Gliss Ultimate Volume conditioner next when I run out of this one! Glad to hear you like it!

Nadine, I'm having the same issue. I want to do an actual 'harsh' protein treatment, but I'm not sure if my hair can handle that and it might be too much. Besides that, I live in Belgium and I can't find an actual protein treatment, except the Organic Root Stimulator Hair mayonnaise, but this is quite a soft treatment.

[Panth]

I use L'Oreal Elvive Full Restore 5 Repairing Conditioner 2-3x a week (every wash). It's chock full of protein. Occasionally (maybe every 2-3 months) I clarify.

It works very nicely for my fine, elderly (knee-length) hair and, as a bonus, it's fairly cheap and usually available on offer.

[meteor]

I'll add that my favourite protein conditioner is Mega-Tek Rebuilder. It's a hair growth treatment, but I use it just like any conditioner because it makes hair feel smooth, full, manageable and I can use it on scalp too. It was created for horses and pets, but it has a huge following among people who want to speed up hair growth. It has the same ingredients as Ovation Cell Therapy but doesn't cost $70+ per bottle. Oh, and it smells like coconut, certainly nothing to remind of pets and horses.
I've highlighted the ingredients that I find particularly hair-friendly:
Ingredients: Deionized water, hydrolyzed keratin protein , stearalkonium chloride, glyceryl stearate, peg 100 stearate, marine protein , peg 40 (no castor oil), panthenol, dimethicone copolyol (the one cone), magnesium citrate , allantoin , amino acids , methylparaben, mucopolysaccharides , polyparaben, imidazolidinyl urea , fragrance

[sarahthegemini]

I co-wash daily and use 2 pea size blobs of Schwarzkopf Ultimate Volume as my leave in. I split my hair into two sections and apply one blob on each, I smooth it down from about ear level to ends.

I have short, fine hair. I don't have any chemical or heat damage whatsoever, maybe a little mechanical damage but otherwise my hair is very healthy.

[jacqueline101]

I wash and condition my hair weekly I use vo5 split ends set I rinse and use lustrasilk olive oil cholesterol treatment leave it for 3 minutes, rinse then I use Aussie 3 mm I do it for three minutes. I rinse each time in cool water when I'm done I turbie towel dry half ways air dry the rest. I use my own oil blend misted on.