Recommendations for Protein Conditioners?

[kateeg]

Newbie help!

Hi there, I'm a relatively new LHC member but I have been lurking on the forums for quite some time now! After being fully converted to properly looking after my poor abused hair, I've reached the informed conclusion that a good protein conditioner or treatment is the way forward. I have 3A fine thin hair that has been bleached twice and chemical dyed more times than I care to mention (ex-boyfriend, nasty break-up... I have since learnt better, although I am involved in a constant damage control exercise!).

I was wondering if anyone had any recommendations for a good protein conditioner? I've been using Lush's Retread for the past few years but I'm looking for a change because of the sodium lauryl sulfate and parabens in the ingredients. Hask Henna 'n' Placenta also works well for me, but again, I'm a little uncomfortable about the parabens. Are parabens and protein mutually inclusive? :p

On the other hand, is there anything wrong with using parabens and sls if the overall results are good?

Apologies for the rather vague question, and thank you in advance
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[chickpea]

My favorite protein treatment is Hi Pro Pac, but I have not been able to find this in retail stores for quite some time. It can be ordered online.

http://www.folica.com/Hi_Pro_Pac_Cond_d188.html

I also like Lamas Soy Hydrating conditioner.

As for SLS and parabens, I don't know if parabens are harmful but I avoid sulfates for the most part simply because they are drying and make my scalp itch.

[pilateschick7]

I absolutely love Curl Junkie's Curl Fix Intense Hair Treatment. It is pricey at $24 for 8 ounces but it has amazing ingredients lots of protein, no parabens and worth its weight in gold to me.
http://www.curljunkie.com/Curl-Fix-p/cfiht.htm
here is a site that carries it in the UK
http://store.britishcurlies.co.uk/categories.php?category=Curl-Junkie

I also like the Curl Rehab conditioner (no protein) and the Hibiscus Banana Deep Fix conditioner (moderate protein)

They currently have a sale going 20&#37; off purchases of $50 or more.
All of their styling products are also excellent.

If you have a Whole Food's Grocery store near you or iherb.com Aubrey Organics line has several options called Glycogen Balancing Conditioners that are heavy on protein. I personally prefer Curl Junkie.

http://www.iherb.com/Aubrey-Organics-GPB-Glycogen-Protein-Balancing-Conditioner-All-Hair-Types-11-fl-oz-325-ml/7549?at=0

I also really like the Etsy seller SpiralSolutions' repairing protein treatment. The ingredients are on par with Curl Junkie but the scent is rather herbal tea (odd). She is an active member of Naturally Curly dot com, another forum and is running it as a home business and is out of items occasionally. She will ship to the UK.
http://www.etsy.com/shop/SpiralSolutions

Here is her site's description of the protein treatment....
"REPAIRING PROTEIN TREATMENT -- Strengthens and smooths damaged hair and helps fortify the shaft to prevent further damage and breakage. This is great to use before and/or after chemical processing. Use once or twice a month to keep hair strong and healthy. Very damaged hair or hair that is subjected to frequent heat styling may benefit from more frequent treatments. This is a strong protein treatment that delivers real results.

Many here use the Apogee 2 step protein treatment however it contains cones and parabens. This is considered a hard protein treatment.

My hair just seems to like more natural ingredients. I think do whatever works best for you. I actually bought Lush Godiva and love the scent. I wish they would get rid of SLS because it does seem like it could become drying for me.

HTH:)

[lexiflowers]

My hair actually really loves Boots Botanics 3 Minute Deep Conditioning Hair Mask with rice bran protein (http://www.boots.com/en/Botanics-3-Minute-Deep-Conditioning-Hair-Mask-450ml_35511/). I slap it on in the shower whenever my hair wants protein and it works brilliantly. Plus it's really not expensive, so even better. :) Of course your hair might respond best to something different, but this one certainly works for me. :flower:

ETA: I just realised there isn't an ingredients list on the website, though of course if you pop into Boots you can have a look at the label. It's totally sulphate-free. The very last ingredient on the list is propylparaben, which is all there is paraben-wise. I know propylparaben does occur naturally though it's likely that it was created synthetically for this purpose. I've not found it to be a problem for me, personally, but you will know what your hair likes and what it doesn't. :flower:

[gmdiaz]

I love Peter Lamas Soy Conditioner. . .it rocks my world.

[masa_inn]

I love this one: http://www.sallybeauty.com/Hair-Reconstructor/SBS-264022,default,pd.html

[Kristin]

I'm not a curly, but I like Joico K-Pak. I use the generic version from Sally's. I don't know if it has parabens, but I'm sure you can find the ingredients online.