Make your own protein hair treatment: that’s what it takes for dry curls!

Wondering if your hair needs a protein regimen or how to do it? If you have wavy or curly hair, you’ve probably already run out of protein & Moisture balance and protein hair conditioner is one of them. But what does this hair conditioner do for curls, how do you tell if you need one, and how do you tell if a hair product contains protein? And, more importantly, how can you achieve protein-moisture balance? Read on for all the details.

We’ll also show you the best hair treatment for dry curls, that you can make in less than 5 minutes to bring your hair back to life especially after dyeing, bleaching, relaxing, straightening, swimming, overstyling, etc..

What is a protein hair conditioner?

Our hair consists mainly of the protein keratin. Keratin ensures that it stays healthy, strong and elastic. When our hair is damaged by environmental influences, coloring and styling, the keratin is broken down.

A protein conditioner is a treatment that gives hair a protein boost. This will strengthen and repair the keratin.

Benefits of a protein regimen for hair

Protein diets offer several benefits, especially for damaged hair. If your hair has been chemically treated or has heat damage, they will most likely help improve the health of your hair.

A protein hair treatment:

• strengthens the hair
• reduces frizz
• improves the definition of curls
• gives volume
• smooths the hair cuticle
• increases the shine
• makes hair grow longer
• increases elasticity

How do you know if you need a protein regimen?

If your locks are limp, have a lot of frizz, don’t last long, or feel too soft to the touch, they likely need a protein boost.

Try the stretch test to check the elasticity of your hair. Take a single hair between your thumb and forefinger and stretch it. Healthy hair can be stretched about 1/3 of its length and then returns to its original size. Damaged hair may not fully return to its original size, while dry or brittle hair can break under tension.

When your hair breaks quickly, it needs moisture. If it stretches a lot, it needs more protein.

The elongation test

Usually like Low porosity hair not too much protein while High porosity hair need more protein. This is not an absolute norm as everyone is different and the ingredients in your products will have an impact on how often you have to go on a protein regimen.

Still not sure if your hair needs protein or not? Try a rice water conditioner first. Rice proteins offer similar benefits for revitalizing dry, damaged, or voluminous hair. If your hair feels nice and light after conditioner, it probably needs protein.

How to recognize proteins in hair care products

Many products advertise with terms like “strengthening” or “repairing” that they contain protein. Check the ingredients list to make sure the product actually contains proteins.

If you’re not sure what to look for, some of the most common proteins in products are listed as follows:

• keratin
• oat flour
• wheat protein
• soy protein
• Collagen
• silk amino acids
• hydrolyzed silk protein

A little hint: Anything that is “hydrolyzed” is a protein.

They know that a hair care product is really a protein hair treatment if there is at least one protein in the first 5 ingredients.

DIY protein hair treatment for curly hair

If you’re looking for DIY curl recipes, the only way we know of that that really works is the gelatin regimen. However, this is not vegan, which is sure to be a problem for some of you.

While there are recipes for DIY protein hair masks made with foods like eggs and yogurt, all hair experts agree: the molecules in these foods are too large to penetrate the hair shaft so they won’t actually work. This is also the case with rice water.

Many people recommend a rice conditioner as a protein conditioner. Rice water is amazing and offers similar benefits, but it’s not really a protein regimen. Even so, it can be used for the same reasons and brings almost the same results.

If you want to try the gelatin, check out this recipe.

Make your own protein hair treatment with gelatine

The gelatine mask is a simple, natural and effective DIY hair treatment for colored and straightened hair as well as for frizzy, dry, limp and limp hair.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of hot water
• 2 1/2 teaspoons of gelatine – the cheap gelatine from the supermarket is sufficient
• Optional – 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (gently cleanses hair and removes product buildup)
• Optional – 5-10 drops of your favorite essential oils for a beautiful fragrance, soothing the scalp and therapeutic effects on the hair. Lavender (soothing), cedarwood (aids hair growth), and rosemary (cleansing) would make a good combination.
• Spray bottle – a new or old lotion, shampoo, or conditioner bottle
• Optional – silicone-free conditioner or deep conditioner (the normal amount you would use for your hair conditioner)

Make protein hair treatment yourself – Instructions:

• Heat the water in the microwave or on the stove for 2 minutes until it is almost boiling.
• Remove from the microwave or stove and add the gelatin. Stir well to mix them completely.
• Pour into the empty spray bottle and place in the refrigerator to cool. Or put in the freezer for 10-15 minutes until the mass cools and thickens.

While the gelatin mask is cooling, wash your hair with a shampoo. Sulphate-free shampoos are recommended for curls because sulphates are cleaning agents that remove natural oils and moisture from the hair. However, if there is product buildup on your hair, you may need to use a sulfate shampoo to effectively remove the buildup.

Apply the gelatin hair treatment:

• Divide your hair into 4 sections, apply the protein regimen to each section, then brush the hair to distribute the product evenly.
• Put on a shower cap and leave the treatment on for 20 minutes (the shower cap helps retain heat so the conditioner is more effective). For a mild protein regimen, you can leave the mask on for just 5 minutes.
• In order for the protein to really penetrate the hair shaft, blow-dry the hair for 20 minutes (with the shower cap). It is important to dry the hair with the shower cap, otherwise breakage and damage can occur as the protein hardens on the hair. The shower cap prevents it from breaking.
• Rinse the hair with warm water, then continue with your normal washing routine.
• If your hair is sensitive to proteins, you should use a deep conditioner afterwards to avoid overloading with proteins.

How Often Should You Take a Protein Diet??

You need to be careful not to overdo it with the proteins. Too much protein can cause your hair to become brittle, dry, and easier to split.

Protein treatments should only be done when your hair needs them and according to the product’s directions. Some products can be used weekly, others monthly.

It is generally recommended to use the protein hair conditioner every 4-6 weeks to make for badly damaged hair. Less common with other hair types. Also, products that are more moisturizing than just pure protein can be used more often because they are not as potent.

For deep treatments / hair masks with protein is one weekly to monthly use in order. The more damaged your hair is, the more often you need to apply them.

If you’re using something stronger, the hair conditioner should be your best bet no more than once a month do.

Pay close attention to how your hair looks and feels after the treatments to make sure you don’t overdo it. And if your hair feels dry and stiff after rinsing the treatment, use a deep moisturizer.

Protein products recommended by Curly Girl

You can also include protein in your daily routine by using products that are high in protein. Then you may not need to do any protein treatments at all. However, you have to experiment a bit. Some hair love proteins in cleaning and care products but not in styling products, and others prefer the opposite. You have to find out what your hair likes.

So check out your current products and see if they contain any proteins. Think about how your hair will behave when you switch to products with more or less protein.

It’s a good idea to write everything down when trying out new products, changing your hair care routine, or trying to find out how certain ingredients affect your hair.