Has anyone ever done a Gelatin hair mask??

[Idreamlong]

If so, how/ what did you mix it with? How long did you leave it on?

And, more importantly, did it improve your hair at all?

TIA :)

[likelikepenny]

I tried a gelatin mask a few years ago. I've been meaning to do another one for awhile because it made my hair very shiny and strong.

I can't necessarily remember the recipe I did, but I know I left it on for an hour and mixed it with some olive oil. I recommend you try it, especially if you have fine hair.

[Obsidian]

I have. I mix one packet with 1/2 cup boiling water. Let cool and apply, leave in for 5-10 minutes.
It helped my bleached and damaged hair. I wouldn't use it on healthy hair.

[reilly0167]

Right now, I'm sitting here with a gelatin mask I whipped up. But instead of using just straight gelatin; I mixed the gelatin as usual, let cool, to it I added garnier whole blends coconut water and vanilla hydrating conditioner. Will leave it on for about 15min.:)

[Anje]

Meteor here recommends mixing a bit of gelatin into moisture treatments like SMTs, which seems like an awesome way to go if you don't need as strong a dose.

Personally, I haven't, but my hair generally isn't fond of protein-containing products.

[Robot Ninja]

Oh yes indeed I have! I use a heaping teaspoon of gelatin to about a half-cup of water, a bit of coconut oil, and a squirt of conditioner. Then I hit it with a hairdryer until I'm tired of hairdrying and being all sticky and gross from getting gelatin all over me (the recipe I followed suggest covering your clothes with a towel, but since I'm going to be hopping straight in the shower I find it's easier just not to wear any). Then I rinse it out and deep-condition. It makes my hair all fluffy and nice. My hair is dyed and bleached, and I CO-wash so sometimes it gets overmoisturized and goes all limp and tangly and eww; using a strong gelatin mask fixes it up.

I also mix half a teaspoon of gelatin (dissolved in water) into my conditioner to CO-wash with. My conditioner is a bit too thick for CO-washing so I have to dilute it anyway, so might as well get some protein into it, right? I haven't had to do a strong treatment in months, because of this.

[Idreamlong]

Thanks everyone.

I did my first gelatine mask earlier, mixed a sachet of gelatine with hot water and a tablespoon on apple cider vinegar. Put it on, left it on for an hour, put some heat onto it with the hairdryer then washed it all out and followed up with a moisturising conditioner.

I've braided my hair so hard to tell ATM but I did let it air dry for a bit before braiding and I think it felt much better.

I just really need something to help try and strengthen my ridiculously weak and fragile hair that is breaking off at the slightest touch at the moment :( fingers crossed!!

[meteor]

I really like doing gelatin treatments from time to time. They are supposed to be followed up with moisturizing treatments, but personally I gravitate towards one-step treatments because I don't like sitting with wet dripping hair for ages.
For a lighter treatment I use around 1 sachet (~ 2 and 1/2 teaspoons) of Knox gelatin per 1/4 hot water, stir well, add between 1/4 and 1/2 cup conditioner (just enough to give it good enough consistency for easy application), add 1-2 tablespoons of honey, 1 - 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil(s) of choice and just a tiny amount of vinegar or lemon juice. If I want to make it stronger on the protein side, I can use 2 sachets of gelatin. And if I want to make it more moisturizing, I add a bit more honey and oil instead. I leave it on freshly shampooed hair for 30-60 min and rinse really well. It kind of helps my hair feel stronger, more resistant to stretching and even helps with hold for updos, as well.

I do this rarely and on ad hoc basis, probably more often in summer, because in wintertime my hair seems to need more moisture and not so much protein and it's also not so annoying to sit with dripping hair in summer compared to winter.

[Katia_k]

I love gelatin masks. I use the standard recipe on the Science Hair blog, mixed with xanthem gum to thicken it up. I might try mixing it into a deep conditioner though, because the smell of the gum is totally repulsive to me. It doesn't linger in my hair, but while I have it on it's super disgusting. I've also mixed in some lavender oil as well, and that helps.

It really smooths down my hair and helps revitalize my curls. I don't do it as often as I should because I'm lazy...I kinda wanna try freezing it in batches in the future. Anyone ever tried this?

[lapushka]

That is one of the things I haven't tried; don't think I'm going to. If I'm going to go with protein, I think I'll get store bought products. I think it is far easier, and less messy, but YMMV.

[YvetteVarie]

I have done it once. It was just boiling water and flavoured gelatine (lemon) since I couldn't find unflavoured gelatine. I followed it up after with a moisturizing conditioner.

But seeing earlier posts, I feel inspired to mix the moisturizing conditioner and do it all in one step. It will save me time. Plan for Friday night made.

[Robot Ninja]

It really smooths down my hair and helps revitalize my curls. I don't do it as often as I should because I'm lazy...I kinda wanna try freezing it in batches in the future. Anyone ever tried this?

I wouldn't recommend it. I tried putting mine in the fridge once to make it cool faster and it set the gelatin. So you'd have to warm it up again, which probably takes longer than just mixing up a new batch, and might not even work.

[Katia_k]

^I have warmed it up from the fridge when I've had leftovers, and since it wasn't a huge amount it didn't take very long. But it only lasts about a week in there. But I'm not sure if freezing would make it do something weird.

[sumidha]

My hair loves gelatin, the bottom 3rd is pretty damaged, so that makes sense but the top seems to like it too... I do it like meteor, and mix it in with my SMT so I get protein + moisture in one step.

I also don't even bother getting plain gelatin and just use jello...

I mix up an SMT (Suave, coconut oil and honey, for me) and dissolve maybe two or three tablespoons of jello in like a quarter cup of boiling water, then add that to the SMT. I end up with a mask that's warm but not hot, runny but not completely liquid. Apply it in the shower after washing, leave it on for thirty minutes to an hour, and then rinse out thoroughly. :)

[Anje]

I also don't even bother getting plain gelatin and just use jello...

:rollin:

As long as it doesn't stain your hair an unwanted color, right? I imagine it smells nice. :D

[Silverbleed]

My hair loves this. I do it after windy days, or right now after damage from being outside due to vacation. I leave it in for about 15 min then I rinse carefully and always follow up with a moisture treatment. It works really good for my hair to keep it managable after some unavoidable damage.

[sumidha]

:rollin:

As long as it doesn't stain your hair an unwanted color, right? I imagine it smells nice. :D

I switched from orange to wild berry jut to be on the safe side. ;)

[YvetteVarie]

So, I did a gelatin hair mask last night. I used one pack of lemon flavoured gelatin, 1/2 cup of boiling water and the rest of my Cantu deep conditioner. I think it worked quite well as I had less shedding and breakage after this. I think I'll do it once every 3 months

[Priska]

Is gelatine prone to give protein overload and make hair dry, if the hair is dry already? I'm very interested in trying this gelatine treatment, but I'm still traumatized by my disastrous egg treatment...

[shelomit]

Is gelatine prone to give protein overload and make hair dry, if the hair is dry already? I'm very interested in trying this gelatine treatment, but I'm still traumatized by my disastrous egg treatment...

Gelatin is basically isolated collagen, which is a protein. So yes, if your hair is sensitive to protein, stay away from gelatin! I wouldn't expect it to be particularly drying, though. . . when I'm processing homemade gelatin, the skin of my hands always feels nice and plump/smooth afterwards.

[Priska]

I dont think this is "normal" protein treatment, because I with my thin, tangle-prone, frizzy hair can use this no matter how much, and it makes my hair shiny and beautiful (and I think this shine lasts long). Totally different as compared to egg white protein treatment for example, that is disastrous to my hairtype (woops sorry, I've just told about a couple of messages ago ..)

[Greengable]

I usually make Gelatin somewhat more liquid and I let it act for about 20 minutes with a towel and rinse. It leaves my curls stronger and my hair very loose and super soft. It reminds me of flax gel.

[paulownia]

I dont think this is "normal" protein treatment, because I with my thin, tangle-prone, frizzy hair can use this no matter how much, and it makes my hair shiny and beautiful (and I think this shine lasts long). Totally different as compared to egg white protein treatment for example, that is disastrous to my hairtype (woops sorry, I've just told about a couple of messages ago ..)
Well, how does your hair respond to other proteins?;)
Gelatim is a hydrolyzed collagen so basically it will work well on hair- the molecule is broken down to smaller bits and it can attach itself to hair's core. Same with hydrolyzed proteins in hair products: silk, oat, wheat, rice proteins, they are hydrolyzed.
Egg and yoghurt treatment will not work this way - molecule is big, cannot penetrate hair shafts and it will lay on hair and act more like conditionning agent.

[DeRodeRuiter]

Ooh, this sounds interesting — I remember being extremely scared of using it in my hair because a synchronized swimmer friend always found it difficult to get out of her hair, but the benefits do seem very nice.

[Priska]

Well, how does your hair respond to other proteins?;)
Gelatim is a hydrolyzed collagen so basically it will work well on hair- the molecule is broken down to smaller bits and it can attach itself to hair's core. Same with hydrolyzed proteins in hair products: silk, oat, wheat, rice proteins, they are hydrolyzed.
Egg and yoghurt treatment will not work this way - molecule is big, cannot penetrate hair shafts and it will lay on hair and act more like conditionning agent.
The egg treatment made my hair frizzy on records, I don't know why, but I assume it was the eggwhites. Maybe i should have mixed them with coconut oil. Later i have used eggs as a part of hair mask where is also oil in it, and that has been good :thumbsup: