Vegetarian Protein Hair Treatments

[vampyyri]

I have seen a few threads with protein treatments here, but I haven't found something that is tried and true/vegetarian-friendly (not worried about vegan, I love cheese too much). :cheese:

I have seen a few suggestions for liquid hydrolyzed proteins in the way of soy sauce or just plain coconut milk, but I am unsure of these. My hair is blonde (wary of soy sauce due to salt and staining, but perhaps I shouldn't be) and it doesn't respond well to coconut oil.

Protein in general is always a challenge for us vegetarians, and I was wondering if anyone had any experience/suggestions or advice! Thanks in advance!

[Complexity]

Have you tried yogurt? Coconut milk is also worlds different than the oil (at least for me. YMMV, of course :))

I also wonder if aquafaba would contain proteins (I don't see why not, but I'm not 100% sure).

[kuroi]

I heard of using the water tofu is stored in but I haven't tried so myself. I might try it soon though so I'll let you know if it's a success. It's clear so it should be blonde friendly if it works.

[vampyyri]

Have you tried yogurt? Coconut milk is also worlds different than the oil (at least for me. YMMV, of course :))

I also wonder if aquafaba would contain proteins (I don't see why not, but I'm not 100% sure).

I haven't tried yogurt, as I've heard the proteins are not small enough to get into the hair shaft. Not sure how true it is, but who knows? I may have to try coconut milk after all if it is different than oil.

That was the first time I have heard of aquafaba, as I do eat eggs. I didn't know the liquid from cooking beans was act as a thickener in so many things... I usually dump mine down the drain.


I heard of using the water tofu is stored in but I haven't tried so myself. I might try it soon though so I'll let you know if it's a success. It's clear so it should be blonde friendly if it works.

I usually just dump mine down the drain... oops :doh:

Lesson #1: I really need to stop dumping things down the drain.

[PixieP]

Yoghurt won't penetrate, the protein isn't small enough. Have you seen the protein video lapushka posted a couple of days ago? The lady there lists things that will not penetrate, and why.

[vampyyri]

Yoghurt won't penetrate, the protein isn't small enough. Have you seen the protein video lapushka posted a couple of days ago? The lady there lists things that will not penetrate, and why.

Yeah, that's why I'm skeptical about egg, yogurt or the like. It needs to be hydrolyzed protein to be able to penetrate the hair shaft.

I'm considering soy sauce, but seeing how it stains clothes and such, I'm scared to put it on my hair!

[lapushka]

Just found this:
http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.be/2012/04/what-cookin-vegetarian-protein.html

[vampyyri]

Just found this:
http://science-yhairblog.blogspot.be/2012/04/what-cookin-vegetarian-protein.html

Before I even get to reading this, the title of the blog just made me stifle a laugh out loud at work! "Science-y Hair Blog", that's exactly what I need haha! :lol:

ETA: Read it... beer you say? Interesting. I've heard of beer rinses, but never thought that it was a protein treatment! I'll treat my husband to a case this weekend and put one aside for SCIENCE! :beercheer:

[Anje]

Here's a thread that might help: http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/showthread.php?t=47142

[MsPharaohMoan]

I'm thinking of things like silk proteins? Plant based proteins

[kuroi]

Have you tried yogurt? Coconut milk is also worlds different than the oil (at least for me. YMMV, of course :))

I also wonder if aquafaba would contain proteins (I don't see why not, but I'm not 100% sure).

yes aquafaba (i didnt know that was the name lol) contains proteins. im not sure if the proteins are small enough to penetratre hair, its worth a try though. i suggesf using something light like chickpea if you want to try it.

[vampyyri]

I think I'm going to start with adding soy sauce to my next SMT (as weird as that may smell...), or go the beer rinse route. If that doesn't work, either my hair doesn't need protein, or they're just not that effective.

[chen bao jun]

Isn't Joico K Pak vegetarian?
I do find that using actual food (that you eat) is not useful like a protein treatment such as Joico. AS said before, the particles are too big in food.

[MINAKO]

There are alot of products available containing rice or soy pretein nowadays, wheat protein has been around forever (my hair doesn't seem to like alot of it). I live in europe so mostly have access to different brands.
Have you tried cassia? It's kinda having similar effects to henna but without the red color, whit lighter hair it turn your color morr golden. Maybe it's worth a try

[school of fish]

I'm thinking of things like silk proteins? Plant based proteins

Just want to kindly point out that silk fibre (and therefore any product derived thereof) is an animal by-product - courtesy of the silkworm :) Silk is indeed a natural fibre, but it's animal, not vegetable or mineral :)

This may only be of concern if you're looking for vegan options... In the same way that butter isn't made *from* cows, it's made *by* cows (with a little human intervention ;) ), so silk isn't made *from* silkworms, but it is made *by* them (and then processed by humans).

I'm passing no judgement here in any direction - just wanted to clarify :D

[vampyyri]

There are alot of products available containing rice or soy pretein nowadays, wheat protein has been around forever (my hair doesn't seem to like alot of it). I live in europe so mostly have access to different brands.
Have you tried cassia? It's kinda having similar effects to henna but without the red color, whit lighter hair it turn your color morr golden. Maybe it's worth a try

I have been considering it for some time. I'm just nervous about the dryness that it can cause. The ends of my hair are pretty dry as-is without any help from products, and I'm not sure if cassia would make it worse.

I do want to try it to further enhance my golden hue though.


Just want to kindly point out that silk fibre (and therefore any product derived thereof) is an animal by-product - courtesy of the silkworm :) Silk is indeed a natural fibre, but it's animal, not vegetable or mineral :)

This may only be of concern if you're looking for vegan options... In the same way that butter isn't made *from* cows, it's made *by* cows (with a little human intervention ;) ), so silk isn't made *from* silkworms, but it is made *by* them (and then processed by humans).

I'm passing no judgement here in any direction - just wanted to clarify :D

I'm okay with non-vegan, I just don't want to use something that's been taken from an animal that was killed (mainly gelatin). I'm okay with human intervention as long as animals aren't treated inhumanely.

[kuroi]

Most silk is actually not vegetarian either. Caterpillars while in their cocoons are boiled. There's also 'peace' silk in which the butterfly's chew themselves free and then the leftover cocoons are used, this results in shorter strands and is more expensive.

[Stepo_NiNha]

Hydrolized wheat protein is one of the strongest proteins,it is stronger than silk, soy or rice protein (these 3 work more as moisturizers than protein treatments).

[school of fish]

I'm okay with non-vegan, I just don't want to use something that's been taken from an animal that was killed (mainly gelatin). I'm okay with human intervention as long as animals aren't treated inhumanely.

Ah okay, in that case you might want to avoid the silk proteins on spec anyway - the silkworms are generally sacrificed to the production process. It's not my intention to go deeply off-topic on silk production or incite a debate on what constitutes humane treatment since everyone draws different lines in the sand on this issue, but I just wanted to make mention of it so people can look into it for themselves and make their own decisions accordingly :)

Again, no judgement in any direction! :) :) :)

[Chromis]

Most silk is actually not vegetarian either. Caterpillars while in their cocoons are boiled. There's also 'peace' silk in which the butterfly's chew themselves free and then the leftover cocoons are used, this results in shorter strands and is more expensive.

Peace silk is also not very peaceful: http://www.wormspit.com/peacesilk.htm

(I clicked this thread by mistake, sorry! But, I did want to clear a super common misconception. Almost all of the so-called peace silk is a marketing ploy. As a spinner/knitter, this comes up a lot in fibre discussions too.)

Carry on! I have heard a lot of beer really like beer rinses!

[vampyyri]

Peace silk is also not very peaceful: http://www.wormspit.com/peacesilk.htm

(I clicked this thread by mistake, sorry! But, I did want to clear a super common misconception. Almost all of the so-called peace silk is a marketing ploy. As a spinner/knitter, this comes up a lot in fibre discussions too.)

Carry on! I have heard a lot of beer really like beer rinses!

Oh... yeah I'll definitely be avoiding silk then. Jeez, us humans can be so cruel...

I tried to have my husband pick up beer on the way home from work, but he didn't want me to literally only get it for my hair (I don't drink it, reminds me of how cat pee smells). He only drinks Blue Moon and god forbid if I used that :lol: one of these days...

[truepeacenik]

See this link
http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/idascorner/shampoo-hair/beer-hair-rinse

Also, the thought that vegetarians don't get enough protein from a well rounded diet is a fallacy based on food combining, and moved forward by Frances Moore Lappe', a theory she repudiated in the 20th anniversary edition of Diet for a Small Planet.

Extrapolating that to hair care, whey, silk and wheat, with the occasional gelatin, are the main proteins used in shampoos and conditioners, and commercial treatments.

[vampyyri]

See this link
http://www.chagrinvalleysoapandsalve.com/idascorner/shampoo-hair/beer-hair-rinse

Also, the thought that vegetarians don't get enough protein from a well rounded diet is a fallacy based on food combining, and moved forward by Frances Moore Lappe', a theory she repudiated in the 20th anniversary edition of Diet for a Small Planet.

Extrapolating that to hair care, whey, silk and wheat, with the occasional gelatin, are the main proteins used in shampoos and conditioners, and commercial treatments.

I will most definitely be looking into beer rinses, I'm looking forward to trying it in the future!

As for not getting enough protein, for me personally it is true. When I've tracked my protein intake on myfitnesspal, I was getting only 25% of what I needed from my macronutrients from my veggie-rich diet. I had to supplement by adding a protein shake, otherwise I wasn't anywhere near enough.

If gelatin is in any of the products that I love... I'm going to scream!! & promptly throw them out. Why does animal byproduct sneak into absolutely everything?? :headache:

[lapushka]

What about algae powder? Doesn't that contain protein?

[kuroi]

Yes algae contains protein. Because of this suggestion I remembered I have kelp powder and looked that up. Found good stories about seaweed as hair treatment (and apparently the smell doesn't stay either) so I guess I will try that. But I still want to try the tofu water first.

[vampyyri]

Fun fact: I've had a protein in my arsenal for a long time, Redken All Soft Heavy Cream. I used as directed and applied it to "towel dried hair" for 15 minutes and rinsed it out.


Ingredients:
Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Behentrimonium Chloride, Amodimethicone, Glycerin, Octyldodecanol, Isopropyl alcohol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl glycol, Parfum, Sodium PCA, Benzoic acid, Trideceth-6, Cetrimonium chloride, Citric acid, Argania spinosa oil/Argania spinosa kernel oil, Arginine, Hydrolyzed soy protein, Hydrolyzed vegetable protein, pg-propyl silanetriol.

I mean, they're pretty low on the list, but we shall see if protein is actually what my hair needed (it's so hard to tell). Fingers crossed!

[sakuraemily]

Science here for those who are interested:

Hydrolysed proteins will penetrate the hair shaft because hydrolysis breaks them down to bits. Large proteins aka polymers will not penetrate hair shaft. proteins will a different charge from the keratin of hair won't penetrate hair shaft.

Since we saw yoghurt protein does not penetrate the hair, i think its because casein which is the protein in milk and yoghurt is too large and tends to get micellar. Silk proteins too are not going to penetrate unless hydrolysed because again as polymers they will be too large. Egg's primary protein albumin is not very big so for those for whom its worked, that's why.
Beer is already a fermentation product so if it does work, the processes would have already made the proteins small enough. By the same logic, soy may work.

Coconut milk works well not just because of the protein(very little of which is there) but also the fatty acids in it and yes, its different from the oil.