Hello!
I’d like to tell you about one of the finest raw materials used in the production of personal care products – keratin. The shortage of this protein in a human body causes considerable damage to the epidermis, makes hair brittle and weakens fingernails. What is the role of keratin in body and hair care?
Keratin is the main constituent of hair, dermis and nails. It’s produced during keratinization when skin cells slowly die, and are pushed out to the upper stratum of the skin to finally create a calloused skin layer. This layer flakes off within a month. Once this process is disturbed, skin is affected by various ailments such as psoriasis.
Keratin is the building block of the hair shaft. When its levels are high, the hair is resilient, shiny and strong. On the flip side, when there is too little keratin in the hair, the cuticles open which makes the hair prone to mechanical damage and split ends.
This protein can be also found in fingernails. Without it, a nail plate wouldn’t be hard and damage-resistant.
THE MOST COMMON COSMETIC USES OF KERATIN
Hydrolyzed keratin in personal care products
The majority of hair, nail and skin products contain keratin in its hydrolyzed form. If I were to explain to you what it means, I’d say that the basic form of keratin is dissolved in water. Containing plenty of amino acids, this type of keratin easily binds with natural proteins present in hair. Hydrolyzed keratin is able to penetrate hair and repair the damage that was caused to various hair structures.
Keratin treatment: Semi-permanent hair straightening
I’m sure that you know at least one person that has exposed (or does it regularly) the hair to keratin treatment. Undoubtedly, this is a common hair treatment aiming at leaving the strands soft, smooth and lustrous. The procedure itself isn’t complicated at all. In general, it depends on “building” the keratin into the hair structure which requires using a high temperature, which in most cases reaches even 230 degrees Celsius. Keratin improves the appearance of hair in a remarkable way and promotes hair repair. On the other hand, weak and extremely damaged hair may not endure this treatment due to the high temperature that is a part of this procedure. Therefore, if your hair is in a miserable condition, if it’s awfully brittle and dry, better grab some keratin-enriched shampoos and hair masks. Trust me, in the long run this is a far better solution for you. It’s also worth realizing that keratin hair treatment gives you temporary effects which last up to three months, more or less. It’s possible though to make the results last longer but you have to be really religious when it comes to your daily hair maintenance treatments.
Keratin-infused hair care products
Various hair care products such as conditioners, shampoos, styling products and lotions are also formulated with hydrolyzed keratin. It’s supposed to replenish the shortages of keratin in hair. The best results are created on that hair that is dry, dull, brittle and damaged. Keratin-infused products facilitate hair repair.
What are the benefits of keratin for hair?
Basically keratin makes the strands stronger, increases their shine and adds more body to the hair which results in measurable volume boost. When used regularly, keratin leaves the hair moisturized and soft. Furthermore, keratin closes the cuticles, repairs split ends and defines the curls (extends the lifespan of perm treatment). In addition to that, this protein provides hair with protection against mechanical damage. Sulfur that keratin is made up of is antibacterial, kills fungi and brings relief, which is why it’s able to combat dandruff. In general, it soothes various skin lesions.
What are the benefits of keratin for fingernails?
Nail polishes and hand creams are other types of cosmetics often enriched with hydrolyzed keratin. As it’s easy to guess, this protein is responsible for repairing nail plates by making them thicker and harder. Fingernails treated with keratin on a day-to-day basis are less brittle and stop splitting. Also, hydrolyzed keratin is known for having soothing and moisturizing effects on the skin around the nails.
As you can see, hydrolyzed keratin is one of the top ingredients used in numerous body and hair care products. Let me know if you’ve ever noticed some improvements in your hair/nail/skin appearance due to keratin.
