Too much Protein - V05 tricked me!!

Hi all,

I know I keep making posts about shedding, but I was having a REAL problem. Perhaps not so much now :) Someone on here gave me a link and I found out here: http://www.associatedcontent.com/art...g4.html?cat=69

I probably have too much PROTEIN, not moisture. I also found out that V05's Moisture Milks conditioners have a nice amount of protein in them. I did not know! I know it's on the bottle but I didn't think about it honestly. I was cowashing 2x's a week and using it with my wash once a week. I also didn't know I was supposed to seal in the moisturizer I was using. :(

So now my question is - what is a good moisturizing treatment I could use? Preferably something natural. I have started spraying my hair 2x's a day with an aloe vera and water mix. I haven't co-washed in a week now. What conditioner can I use to co-wash? Should I even continue to or just rinse it with water?

How about using VO5 conditioners that are not moisture milks? There are a bunch of them on the market. White Rain and some of the Suave conditioners are popular CO conditioners.

Biolage Conditioning Balm or any of its various knock-offs (Sally's carries one, so does my Aldi) are great for moisture, if a bit heavy. Less moisturizing but still useful are any of the Suave Naturals other than the tropical coconut. I keep coming back to the Suave Waterlily, but some people find the brand waxy-feeling. YMMV. (All these are silicone-free, by the way. Silicones are fine for many folks if you don't mind shampooing regularly.) There are also protein-free VO5s, but you need to read the labels.

When I get too much protein, my hair becomes totally unmanageable and the ends act like velcro against each other. The best solution I've found for this is doing repeated SMTs until it gets better. The usual recipe is 4 parts protein-free conditioner, 1 part honey, 1 part aloe gel. Nuke it til it's warm, smear it on hair, put in a shower cap, and keep a towel handy to wipe up the drips while you let it soak in for at least a half hour. Lately I've found corn syrup or cheap pancake syrup also works, if you want to be cheaper or avoid the lightening effects of honey.

I've heard good things about the "caramel treatment" for moisture, too, but haven't tried it. You'll find lots of recipes for moisture in the recipes section.

I started out with Vo5 Moisture Milks (Strawberry) when I started cowashing because it was one of the recommended conditioners. But I agree . . . it has too much protein. A protein conditioner from Joico really damaged my hair(I switched from Biolage, big mistake) so I sympathize with you. But I like Vo5 conditioners and use them all the time now. Sun Kissed Raspberry is especially good, smells nice, leaves my ends soft, and seems to redden up my hair a bit.
But you don't have to stop using the protein conditioner altogether. The Strawberry Moisture Milks just smells so yummy, so I use it as a shave cream on my underarms and the first wash when I'm washing out a heavy oiling.

Try the Sun Kissed Raspberry or the Kiwi Lime Squeeze, I believe both are protein-free.

Also, you could try adding a bit of honey to whatever you currently have, it ups the moisture balance. :)

wow thanks for the tips! thank you for posting Mamakash.. makes me feel better that I wasn't the only one tricked by that. I was using the Strawberry (yum). Thank you Anje for the tips. It seems since I haven't been looking up info on hair in a while (2 yrs), that I've forgotten all of that. SMT -duh-, and I heard of a camarel trmt, I'll look that up too. I'm so encouraged by ppl on here.

I am so glad you found the link helpful! It helped me to understand soooo much that was confusing me. Thank you for the note to my profile page.

I really like the Biolage Rehydrating Balm. . .at Target for about $23.00. It's expensive but totally worth it. You don't need to use a lot each time.
It's hydrating but not overly so, for me. And no cones. And no proteins!

I really like to do SMT treatments too. . .usually use Suave Aloe & Waterlilly. It does leave my hair feeling a bit waxy feeling but I find it's OKAY since I just rinse it out and shampoo the following morning. My hair does lighten up with unheated honey in the SMT, so I heat mine up in the microwave about a minute (in short bursts) before adding it to the conditioner and aloe gel.

does anyone know it Wild Cherry Blossoms from Suave would be a good choice?

I googled the ingredients of wild cherry blossoms and it has no protein AND it has no humectants. so i'm going to go to walmarts around the city and buy TEN BOTTLES. I love cherry blossom! and my low porosity hair in dry conditions works so much better with no humectants or protein, so this could be my washing conditioner of choice!