Balance in hair care: Proteins, Emollients and Humectants

Many of us do not fully understand the complex and chemical compositions written on product packaging. Our choices base on the manufacturer’s advertising and the recommendation of a friend or opinion on the web. However, it may turn out that what is beneficial for your friend can have an opposite effect on you and make your hair look terrible. This is because the substances contained in cosmetics have different effects depending on the type of hair and its individual needs. Therefore, it is worth knowing what is their role so that you will buy a product that is perfectly suited to your hair type. Balance in hair care: Proteins, Emollients and Humectants.

What are Proteins, Emollients and Humectants?

These are the key ingredients that are present in hair beauty products. They are mainly found in conditioners, masks, mists, elixirs, oils and shampoos. It depends on them what function the cosmetic will perform, whether it is intended for brittle, coloured, dull, thin, curly or straight hair.

Proteins in hair care cosmetics – reconstruction and strengthening

Proteins are the basic building blocks of hair. We can distinguish keratin, which makes up 90% of the hair structure. Moreover, it is responsible for its flexibility and the shape of the hairstyle. The rest is water – which keeps the moisture as well as minerals and trace elements.

Protein cosmetics work like the so-called healing cement that penetrates the resulting defects in the hair structure, contributing to a visible improvement in its condition. Proteins restore natural shine and strengthen the hair fibres, giving them energy.

When to reach for proteins? Most often, as a result of heat styling or colouring, the hair shaft is damaged, but there are also micro-scratches formed during brushing. As a consequence, the hair becomes dry, brittle, prone to split ends, dull and loses its natural bounce.

Attention! If used in excessive amounts and too often, they can have the opposite effect – they make your hair frizzy or weigh it down. High porosity hair – i.e. with a natural curly structure or weakened by dyeing, does not like large amounts of proteins. As a result of their excess, it becomes frizzy, stiff, dull and very difficult to arrange.

Protein cosmetics contain:

• keratin,
• silk,
• collagen,
• elastin,
• milk proteins,
• wheat, rice, soybean or oat proteins,
• eggs,
• hydrolysed proteins,
• amino acids.

Emollients in hair care cosmetics – protection

Emollients task is to protect the outer layer of the hair – the cuticles. After strengthening and moisturizing the hair structure, the emollient will take care of the final effect. It is wrapping the outer sheath with a protective film that protects and seals open hair cuticles. This action helps to keep valuable nutrients and moisture inside the hair, giving the effect of soft, bouncy and shiny curls.

All hair types need a bit of emollient – because this is due to its structure, the overlapping cuticles that open naturally when exposed to heat. During washing, hair absorbs water and active nutrients, therefore cosmetic preparations should contain them. You can also apply a drop of oil to dry hair by yourself. Remember, however, that healthy hair does not need as many emollients as damaged high porosity strands. On the other hand, if your problem is light, static hair, the use of an emollient will help you tame it by adding weight and smoothing its surface.

Due to the excess of emollients, your hair will be greasy, bad-looking and weighed down – so use it carefully.

Cosmetics enriched with emollients should contain, for example:

• Argan oil, macadamia oil, plum seed oil, cranberry seed oil, black cumin seed oil and many other natural plant oils,
• olive oil,
• natural butters, e.g. shea or jojoba,
• silicones,
• waxes – beeswax, lanolin,
• fatty alcohols,
• mineral oils – paraffin.

Humectants in hair care cosmetics – hydration

Humectants in care preparations are designed to moisturize, revitalize and energize the hair. They are dedicated to people with damaged, dry hair prone to damage, brittleness and split ends. The action of humectants is based on the absorption of water, thanks to which the hair retains the necessary moisture for longer. Humectants give the hairstyle smoothness and are responsible for its healthy appearance.

Excess humectants combined with wet weather outside can give the effect of frizzy and tangled hair – so one should be careful about this.

Cosmetics with humectants include:

• aloe,
• panthenol,
• glycerin,
• honey,
• urea,
• niacinamide,
• allantoin,
• fructose,
• betaine.

The balance between Proteins, Emollients, and Humectants is called the PEH balance

As in various aspects of life, you need to find the right balance in hair care. A selection of products with a perfectly balanced PEH which is suitable for you is a real challenge. Therefore, knowing the needs of your hair and choosing the right ingredients is the key to conscious hair care.

See also: Everything you need to know about hair

How to get a PEH balance in hair care?

The best advice is – having a few cosmetic products in your bathroom, alternating them and watching how your hair reacts to them. Because the use of only one conditioner, e.g. protein conditioner, can at the beginning give amazing results. However, after a few weeks of continuous use, the balance will be disturbed and the hair will fail to obey. This is because, apart from strengthening, the hair also needs constant moisturizing, nourishing and supporting its protective barrier against external factors. That is why it is very important to include a few precious ingredients from the above mentioned three groups into your skincare routine. Another method is to enrich your favourite conditioner with a few drops of a concentrated elixir made of natural oil. So do not pay attention to the intrusive advertising of cosmetic manufacturers and think about the requirements of your hair, and it will be the beginning of your conscious care.