Chemist and Protein Experts Please! Need Help!

[mscocoface]

Okay, I need all the Chemist and protein experts to educate me on this one. Who knows it may help others.

I am finding myself on the verge of calling my hair protein sensitive but before I make that official claim I believe I need to understand protein products and what they really do.

I have seen on some products different types of protein in their ingredient list.

Hydrolyzed wheat protein
Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
Marine protein
Silk protein
Keratin protein
Egg protein (which can be eaten or used directly on the hair)
Aloe Vera Gel (not sure what type of protein is in that, please let a sistah know, thank you! I am taking a wild guess at vegetable protein)

Then you have basic protein groups Animal, Hydrolyzed Human and Wheat. (There could be other groups these are the groups I have found in my search.)

Here are my questions there are many and they may have been answered in the past but I can't find anything about them in the search function.

What are ALL the different proteins used in haircare products?

Is there somewhere I can find a definition for all of them?

What is a light protein versus mild protein versus strong protein? Need examples is this like and egg (light), Infusium 23 (mild) and Aphogee (strong)

What are the scientific names of proteins? Need to know what to look for on the bottles. For example I am told their is protein in Infusium 23 but I have no clue which of the names in the ingredients is the protein.

How can you determine which one you should use when you are not in a hair crisis?

When you are protein sensitive does that mean you cannot use proteins at all? But isn't the hair made up of protein?

Also does what you need make a difference depending on the type of hair you have and for the sake of argument not the abc stuff, but if you have 3ish hair would your protein intake be different than someone with 4ish hair?

I am speaking about natural hair at the moment, but if any of this applies to chemically treated hair then great the more the merrier.

I did find this article about putting protein in relaxers to help with them, which I will be showing to my sister since she does use relaxers but her hair is now breaking something awful. (Yep even the queen of natural hair care in the family still can't convince her sister to step over to the natural side, but that is another thread. If she is happy then I am happy but I want her to keep what she has and get it healthy again.) http://hair.lovetoknow.com/Adding_Protein_to_Hair_Relaxer Let me tell you right now I have no knowledge of who this person is that wrote the article or if her information is solid nore am I promoting any of the products in the article. I am trying to help my sister and I want you all to tell me if what she is saying is bogus or makes sense with regards to putting protein in the relaxer. Thanks.

I have been researching this for over a week and I am more confused now than when I started looking into this issue of proteins.

Thanks for giving me insight. I hope this will help others in their quest to keep it growing healthy.

Again, appreciate the help.

Disclaimer: This thread in no way is condoning or meaning to be offensive to anyone natural or relaxed, protein users or non protein users

 

[msa]

Here's a list of proteins and what they do.

Posted by Supergirl previous post in 8-11-2003 7:58pm

All proteins are strengthening proteins to some degree but here are the more specific characteristics of these proteins--

Collagen Protein--known for increasing elasticity in the hair

Silk Protein--known for softening the hair

Wheat Protein--a moisturizing and strengthening protein. known for increasing the hair's ability to maintain & receive moisture also.

Keratin Protein--responsible for keeping the hair strong and pliable. This is the strongest of the(hair product) proteins and is actually the one that hair is made from. This one re-structures hair that has been damaged or broken down by chemicals. It helps to replace the amino acid cysteine which is the main one lost during chemical processing. This is the heavy duty protein. If you see the following as an ingredient

*Keratin protein--this will re-structure and strengthen the hair cuticle (the outer layer only & the most important layer)

*Hydrolyzed Keratin Protein or Keratin Amino Acids--this means that the Keratin molecules have been broken down and are small enough to go beyond the cuticle and penetrate the hair shaft. It will strengthen all 3 layers of the hair. That is why the term "deep conditioning" technically only refers to this kind of treatment using penetrating proteins.

*Hydrolyzed Human Hair Keratin--This is an exact match for the keratin your hair has (or has lot due to chemical processing). This is the highest quality and most potent keratin that can be used in hair products.

Posted by plzgrow 4-28-2006

Here is a handy guide for understanding the different types of protein products.

All proteins are strengthening proteins to some degree but here are the more specific characteristics of these proteins:

Collagen Protein--known for increasing elasticity in the hair

Silk Protein--known for softening the hair

Wheat Protein--a moisturizing and strengthening protein. known for increasing the hair's ability to maintain & receive moisture also.

Keratin Protein--responsible for keeping the hair strong and pliable. This is the strongest of the(hair product) proteins and is actually the one that hair is made from. This one re-structures hair that has been damaged or broken down by chemicals. It helps to replace the amino acid cysteine which is the main one lost during chemical processing. This is the heavy duty protein. If you see the following as an ingredient

*Vegetable protein -- Vegetable protein absorbs more easily into the hair shaft [than animal protein] and does not create build-up, leaves the hair very shiny, radiant, luxuriant, and healthy.

*Animal protein -- Animal protein breaks down into fatty acids, which coat the hair and create residual build-up.

Silk Amino Acids/Protein--Natural silk is the strongest, natural fiber known to mankind. Discovered in Japan and has been used for centuries in all kinds of products that require durability. Silk has a tiny molecule that can penetrate the entire hair shaft deeper than all other proteins without adding any weight leaving the hair feeling clean and non-greasy

Keratin protein More Indept:

*a) Keratin protein--this will re-structure and strengthen the hair cuticle (the outer layer only & the most important layer)

The keratin in some reconstructors should not leave your hair hard like the Aphogee Treatment for damaged hair (which contains hydrolyzed animal protein). This treatment hardens on your hair for a reason and is used with mild heat. A moisturizing conditioner is a must with this in order to soften like Keracare's humecto.

Reconstructors that contain keratin and other proteins are supposed to have enough moisture to soften the hair therefore leaving your hair with a nice protein/moisture balance."


* Hydrolyzed Keratin Protein or Keratin Amino Acids--this means that the Keratin molecules have been broken down and are small enough to go beyond the cuticle and penetrate the hair shaft. It will strengthen all 3 layers of the hair. That is why the term "deep conditioning" technically only refers to this kind of treatment using penetrating proteins.

*c) Hydrolyzed Human Hair Keratin--This is an exact match for the keratin your hair has (or has lot due to chemical processing). This is the highest quality and most potent keratin that can be used in hair products.

**All of this information was provided by previous members above

I'll be back with more stuff...

 

[msa]

Two really great posts on The Natural Haven about protein and what size of protein is best for improving the hair:

Size Mattersrotein Conditioning (part 1)

Basically, hydrolyzed proteins are going to be the only ones that will have a lasting effect on the hair and won't just be washed away in your next wash.

Protein Conditioners for Hair (part 2)

 

[mscocoface]

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This is a good start

Looks like I have an answer for my sister regarding protein and her relaxer treatments.

Off to see if I can get the scientific names in all of this information.

Saving this info in my hair diary.

 

[msa]

Some posts from Curly Nikki...


Proteins in hair products:

Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed casein
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed collagen
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed hair keratin
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed keratin
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed rice protein
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed silk
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed soy protein
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl hydrolyzed wheat protein
Cocodimonium hydroxypropyl silk amino acids
Cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
Cocoyl hydrolyzed keratin
Hydrolyzed keratin
Hydrolyzed oat flour
Hydrolyzed silk
Hydrolyzed silk protein
Hydrolyzed soy protein
Hydrolyzed wheat protein
Hydrolyzed wheat protein
Keratin
Potassium cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
TEA-cocoyl hydrolyzed collagen
TEA-cocoyl hydrolyzed soy protein

Protein Sensitivity Revisited

The Curl Whisperer on Proteins

 

[msa]

All those posts, and I didn't really answer any of your questions.

Personally, I don't worry about protein specifically. Mainly because the only damage being done to my hair is from mechanical styling (washing, combing, braiding, etc.). Since I have normal sized strands and don't use heat or chemicals, I'm more worried about preventing protein and cuticle loss.

To combat that I use coconut oil before every wash (helps slow protein loss and reduces hygral fatigue, check out the posts on the natural haven). I also use AO GPB every wash because it seems like it would help patch up those areas that may need it.

I don't really believe in protein sensitivity. I think that just like with anything else, people can over do it. And if you don't really need it in the first place, because your hair is not really damaged, then it's not something to be hugely worried about IMO.

Anyway, that's just my take on things. You may also want to check out www.dralisyed.com and for those who love Macherieamour, he has an interview coming up with her soon. I love his blog because it's all about the science of haircare. I especially like his post about the right way to condition (which does address protein a bit).

 

[GoldenBreeze]

Here's a tiny bit of info about the chemical naming of proteins, and why they mostly don't exist except for the -in ending:

http://www.cbwinfo.com/Biological/Toxins/BotName.html

 

[Ivey14]

Thanks OP for posting this thread. I was also lacking knowledge in what proteins were all about. These responses have really given me a good start in educating myself about it. After reading about "protein sensitivity" on here, it started to worry me since I've noticed a lot of the products I've bought in the past has had some of these proteins listed in the ingredients. I thought I could risk damaging my hair in some way...made me somewhat paranoid! I'll be looking further into this...

 

[GoldenBreeze]

All those posts, and I didn't really answer any of your questions.

Personally, I don't worry about protein specifically. Mainly because the only damage being done to my hair is from mechanical styling (washing, combing, braiding, etc.). Since I have normal sized strands and don't use heat or chemicals, I'm more worried about preventing protein and cuticle loss.

To combat that I use coconut oil before every wash (helps slow protein loss and reduces hygral fatigue, check out the posts on the natural haven). I also use AO GPB every wash because it seems like it would help patch up those areas that may need it.

I don't really believe in protein sensitivity. I think that just like with anything else, people can over do it. And if you don't really need it in the first place, because your hair is not really damaged, then it's not something to be hugely worried about IMO.

Anyway, that's just my take on things. You may also want to check out www.dralisyed.com and for those who love Macherieamour, he has an interview coming up with her soon. I love his blog because it's all about the science of haircare. I especially like his post about the right way to condition (which does address protein a bit).

I'd have to say that I agree with the bolded. I've used the aphrogee 2-step at about a 6 to 12 week interval (depending on what I was doing to my hair) for 10+ years with with no signs of protein overload. The only time that I use it every 6 weeks is when I heat straighten my hair weekly or every two weeks. When I'm not straightening, I only use it every 12 to 15 weeks. Other than that I moisturize.

LOL, Macherieamour is a she, and used to belong to lhcf before branching off to her own blog. If it's the same Macherieamour.

ETA: Oops, never mine about Macherieamour. I got you. I didn't read the article before sticking my foot in my mouth.

 

[mscocoface]

This is great. MSA I did purchase the Aubrey product and have started using it this week. Used it last night I, then did some twists with coconut oil and Hairveda.

I like how my tresses feel this morning so I am going to use it for the next 30 days to see how my hair turns out. So far so good.

My main concern was making sure I knew what was protein so I did not use too many things in my hair with protein but I think making sure my moisture is in check should balance that. For example when I do flat twists I would use pure aloe gel (protein) and eco styler gel (wheat protein). What I did yesterday was use the eco styler gel, coconut oil and Hairveda together so that my hair would not be hard or crunchy. It worked.

I am still trying to find out what the culprit is with my temple edges. They are growing now, I am using oils on them but I don't know what caused them to break considering I did low manipulations styles and I am natural.

 

[gorgeoushair]

So it's useless to use eggs as your protein?

 

[mscocoface]

Don't know still learning like you. Ladies, your help please?

 

[msa]

So it's useless to use eggs as your protein?

I *think*, based on what I've read, that it has a temporary effect just like many other conditioning ingredients. Since it's the albumin in the egg white that's doing the protein work, and the molecules are too large to penetrate, then they're probably just patching up holes temporarily. If you look at AO GPB the main protein ingredient is lactalbumin, which is just albumin from milk, and I think it's pretty much doing the same thing as the egg whites.

And wikipedia says that albumin is a water soluble protein so that means it is getting washed out for the most part. So if you really need a super protein treatment (because of severe damage) it's probably best to go with one of the lab formulated products that have hydrolyzed protein of some sort.

Anyway, this is what I've kind of pieced together. And it seems to make sense, to me.

 

[Patricia]

subscribing, this is an awesome thread!

 

[msa]

Just found a really great thread about protein with lots of posts from Gymfreak where she talks about protein sensitivity and other protein related things.

Why do a lot of hydrating products have keratin protein in them?

 

[Mleah]

There is some great stuff in here!!

 

[gorgeoushair]

I *think*, based on what I've read, that it has a temporary effect just like many other conditioning ingredients. Since it's the albumin in the egg white that's doing the protein work, and the molecules are too large to penetrate, then they're probably just patching up holes temporarily. If you look at AO GPB the main protein ingredient is lactalbumin, which is just albumin from milk, and I think it's pretty much doing the same thing as the egg whites.

And wikipedia says that albumin is a water soluble protein so that means it is getting washed out for the most part. So if you really need a super protein treatment (because of severe damage) it's probably best to go with one of the lab formulated products that have hydrolyzed protein of some sort.

Anyway, this is what I've kind of pieced together. And it seems to make sense, to me.

Thank You