When we call this masque ultra-deep conditioning, we’re not kidding. We’ve taken the highly moisturizing, hair-growth promoting, and shine-enhancing qualities that have made coconut oil the darling of haircare junkies everywhere and ramped them up to 11 with keratin for added smoothing and strengthening and our blend of 4 growth-promoting herbs.
Ultimate Protein Coconut Keratin Masque
What's a Hair Masque?
Hair masques are ultra-deep conditioning treatments designed for weekly or monthly rather than daily use. If regular conditioner is a daily body lotion, hair masques are the richest of after-shower body butters.
Hair is incredibly absorbent of basically everything, meaning that it quickly saturates with water when wet, hindering its ability to absorb anything else, like, say, a conditioner. Hair masques circumvent this by being used on dry hair pre-wash, and left on for a minimum of 15 min with light heat exposure, maximizing product absorption.
Because they are left on longer, and intended to penetrate deeper, masques (should be) made with a far higher oil/fat content, and none of the sensitizing ingredients that can be found in conditioners.
Why Protein?
Hair is made from the protein keratin. Individual hairs have an inner marrow, surrounded by a core of keratin and protected by an outermost cuticle of dead cells. Although the keratin core of a hair shaft is responsible for the color and texture of each hair, the cuticle is responsible for the strength, hydration, elasticity, and shininess of your hair. A healthy hair cuticle is undisturbed and flat, fully protecting the keratin core from damage and drying out.
If the cuticle is raised, worn, or otherwise damaged such as through dying or use of heat tools, hair will become porous, rough and easily breakable. Topically applying protein to your hair can help temporarily(!!) smooth and fill in small holes or cracks in the cuticle, protecting the delicate core from dehydration and damage. The result, if used consistently, will be smoother, shinier, less frizzy hair that is less prone to split ends and breakage.
To Use
Rub a small amount of between palms to melt oils and then massage into scalp and hair. Repeat as many times as necessary to fully saturate hair and scalp from root to tip. Cover with plastic cap and allow to sit for at least 30 minutes before washing and conditioning as normal. For best results, allow to sit overnight. We recommend using once weekly for maintenance, and as many as three times a week to improve condition of extremely dry or damaged hair.
Limits of Externally Applied Protein
While topical protein can do a world of good for your hair, we want to take a quick minute to be crystal clear that it cannot replace or overcome a protein-deficient diet. Hair is made from protein, so if you do not eat enough protein, your body will not have the building blocks it needs to make more hair. Think of it like leaving the eggs out of a cake batter, and then expecting to be able to fix the cake after it comes out of the oven by slathering egg on the outside. Technically the cake has eggs now, but it can’t just absorb the egg and rise properly.
Protein Buildup
Not all people or all hair needs a high protein hair treatment. If the hair cuticle is healthy and balanced, and you’re genetically predisposed to non-porous hair, coating the hair in yet more protein can actually result in protein buildup.
Protein buildup can look a lot like protein deficiency to a novice. Hair will look frizzy and dull, tangle easily, and can easily appear to be dried out because of the frizz. The key difference is that, since the cuticle is fully covering and protecting the core of the hair, it will not be weak, brittle and porous.
If you can’t tell if your hair is weaker or more brittle than it should be, the easiest way to check if your hair has protein buildup is to experiment with a clarifying shampoo vs a high protein treatment and see which one results in less frizzy hair.
***Just make sure to choose a quality clarifying shampoo that removes buildup without stripping hair, because low quality ones tend to be overly harsh and can damage hair.
What's in the Jar
Full Ingredient List
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Rosemary Officinales (Rosemary), Urtica Dioica (Nettle), Althaea Officinalis (Marshmallow), Panax Ginseng Root (Ginseng), Aqua (Water), Argania Spinosa (Argan) Kernel Oil, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Ricinus