Why You Need Keratin in Your Hair Products

As a hairdresser, you have probably seen hair in your salon that has been completely damaged and dried out by keratin straightening treatments.

When you hear about the ingredient, these straightening treatments might be the first thing you think of.

So, how can keratin be good for hair?

Keratin as an ingredient in hair products is actually very different from straightening treatments (or Brazilian blowouts as they are also called).

It happens to be one of the most essential components in having strong and healthy hair.

Are you ready to learn about why it is so important for your clients’ hair,
and all the wonderful things it can do?

Let’s go!

Okay, first of all… What is keratin actually?

It is a large structural protein molecule made up of a combination of 18 different amino acids. It is an essential protein, because every hair on our head consists of up to 90% keratin!

So, the keratin proteins in hair products penetrates the hair shaft to strengthen the hair by replacing the natural keratin that your hair has lost due to heat (without heat protection), chemicals and other damaging processes. This way it deeply nourishes and repairs all hair types without disrupting the natural curl pattern of curly hair.

The keratin will fill the gaps in the hair stands that are weak, kind of like pouring cement into the cracks…

It works by smoothing down the epithelial cells that overlap to form our hair strands. The layers of cells, called the hair cuticle, absorb the keratin in the product and allows the hairs to turn, bend and fold without breaking. When the hair cuticle is raised it becomes porous and swelled which makes the hair frizzy and damaged.

It can be derived from the feathers, horns and wool of different animals. However, at NATULIQUE we use the just as effective vegan alternative called Hydrolysed Vegetable Protein.

If you would like to read more about our stand on cruelty-free and vegan hair products, you can click here.

Keratin plays an important role in hair growth and overall hair health. It is scientifically proven to make hair less frizzy and more controllable. It also makes the hair more resistant to damage and repairs dried out hair. The ingredient is beneficial for most hair types, but it will of course have more benefits for people with dry or damaged hair that has been weakened by chemical processes, styling without heat protection or environmental factors like sun damage. You can read more about the individual benefits here:

When you use a keratin shampoo on a client (or they use it at home), the protein molecules will absorb into the hair shaft and fill out the gaps. This makes each individual hair strand stronger.

It also helps to rebuild the natural protective layer of hair from the inside by replacing lost protein and increasing each strand’s diameter. This will give the hair a fuller appearance. Remember the cement in the cracks?

Keratin can withstand both extremely high and low temperatures. So, if your clients have enough of it in their hair, the hot summer rays and the cold winters are less harmful. It will also make it easier for the hair to hold up to everyday factors like heat styling and sun exposure and the simple wear of doing daily tasks.

If you have a client with brittle, damaged hair, keratin products can replenish their hair’s natural protein. This will reverse some of the damage and prevent future breakage.

When hair lacks keratin, it has a hard time holding on to the moisture you are trying to put on. This will cause it to lack moisture as well. It will then try to absorb moisture from the air, causing the cuticles to swell and the hair to become frizzy.

Keratin is easily absorbed and acts as a humectant that draws moisture into the hair. This process reduces the swelling and smooths frizzy hair.

This ingredient is very elastic in nature because it is made up of long molecule chains.

So, if your client’s hair has the keratin it needs, this will increase the elasticity of the hair strand and allow them to bend and fold without breaking – unlike dry and bristle hair that lacks keratin.

So, as you can see, keratin is a very beneficial protein. It has nothing to do with keratin straightening treatments though. It does not have straightening properties since it is meant to build up bonds rather than break them.

Straightening treatments that promise semi-permanent results can be incredible damaging, whereas keratin-infused hair products strengthen hair and make it more manageable.

To put it simply, keratin products are salon hair care products that are infused with keratin protein and other hair-nourishing ingredients. They are safe and easy for your clients to use at home, unlike straightening treatments which must be applied at the salon.

Almost entirely different from keratin hair products, a keratin straightening treatment is a chemical process that smooths the hair by applying a liquid form of the ingredient with a chemical preservative and blow drying and flat ironing the hair.

Long story short: yes, keratin hair care products really do work wonders!

If you have clients who have brittle or damaged hair, keratin products might just be the solution you are looking for!

If you are ready to try a keratin shampoo and conditioner to recommend in your salon, you can take a look at the NATULIQUE Nourishing Anti-Frizz Hairwash and the Nourishing Anti-Frizz Conditioner.

Both hair products are infused with (vegan) keratin proteins and other hair-nourishing ingredients like mango extract, organic glycerin and cranberry extract. A nourishing duo that will give your clients all the benefits we just talked about!

Did you find this blogpost useful? We hope you did!

If you are up for more, you can read our blogpost about hair loss. This is a common problem that a lot of your clients are struggling with!
Here, we explain different causes behind hair loss and how you can help your clients treat it!

Learn about hair loss and how to treat it!