Seven Benefits Of Keratin-based Hair Colours

Barbara Stevens
6 min readAug 27, 2020

--

Why do we colour our hair? I’m guessing that the general answer would be to look marvellous and show off our tresses, all shiny and full of life, right? Yet, using the generic chemical-filled dyes will only result in hair colour that washes off fast or makes our hair dry, dull and brittle. It is a complete downer to witness all our colouring effort go waste or worse, see our hair get ruined in the process.

An appropriate way to redeem this and get the perfect, vivid, sleek result will be to choose a hair colouring kit infused with keratin.

In this article, we will learn more about the hair protein that keratin is and its benefits.

Photo by Icons8 Team on Unsplash

Keratin — A protein that your hair needs

Keratin is a protective and structural protein that is in the human body. It exists in our internal organs and glands other than our skin, hair and nails.

It is considered one of the toughest biological materials. Keratin also possesses high modulus and durability. It is less prone to scratches or tears when compared to other categories of cells that our body produces. This reason makes its presence vitally essential for us.

Just like how it is in the human body, keratin is also present in animals. The horns, wool and feathers of various animals contain keratin. Similarly, keratin can be derived from plants as well.

Why keratin is a hair care essential

Did you know that keratin comprises more than 90% of our hair? That’s such a generous presence of keratin. It is this factor that helps in strengthening our hair. When our hair has a considerable amount of keratin, it will help us in maintaining healthy hair. It will also prevent hair problems of breakage, frizz and heat damage.

But in due course of time, the amount of keratin that is naturally present in our hair reduces considerably. It happens because of factors such as age, using chemical-based products, environmental factors like pollution and the many hair treatments and styling that we do to our hair.

This loss of keratin causes porous spots to develop in the hair’s structure and ultimately paves the way to hair damage. Our hair tends to lose its gloss and shine and eventually becomes dry and starts falling out.

The best way to resolve this condition is to choose keratin-based products for your hair. These products add a layer of keratin, which is full of protein, to the hair, making it sturdy and manageable.

In recent times, keratin has been added to numerous hair styling products to ensure that users have healthy hair. A research conducted in 2013 confirmed that keratin and its active components were promising ingredients that could be used in hair care products if one wanted stronger hair.

Keratin also makes curly hair appear straight and less frizzy, which in turn becomes easy to style.

The market is full of keratin products, treatments and supplements available from multiple brands. These can easily facilitate a person’s effort to acquire hair that is healthy and strong.

The keratin supplements come in the form of capsules and powders, and available for purchase at health stores. There is a whole variety of keratin-based hair products available for people to choose from, such as shampoos, conditioners, serums, colouring sprays, dyes, toners, masques, creams, etc.

A general tip when looking out for such keratin-based products is to ensure that you spot ‘keratin hydrolysates’ mentioned in the ingredients.

Photo by averie woodard on Unsplash

Advantages of keratin-based hair colours

Usually, when we dye our hair, the hair cuticles open up and absorb the colour. Keratin, when included to the hair dye formula, is fully absorbed by the hair cuticles as well. The protein hydrolysates in keratin guarantee uniform absorption of the hair dyes. It also ensures that we get glossy and voluminous hair.

I use a hair dye infused with keratin, and the following are the generic benefits that I observed. These results might vary depending on the fitness and health of your hair, its natural thickness, etc. It is because each of us is different and what works for one person might not always work for another.

  1. Protects the hair colour — I have noticed that keratin in my hair dye acts as a protector and ensures that the hair colour doesn’t fade off that easily. It shields the hair colour from stripping agents such as bleach, chlorine, etc. It results in the hair colour looking vibrant for a longer time.
  2. Intensifies the hair colour — By nature, keratin gives a glossy and vibrant look to the hair and brightens up dull hair. When included in hair colours, keratin amplifies the effect of the hair. It gives the much-desired outcome of a lively, lustrous and well-highlighted hair that all of us long for after applying hair dyes.
  3. Long-lasting hair colour — Since keratin is a form of protein, it is usually absorbed well by the hair follicles. When coupled with the hair dye, it locks in the colour and gives the hair the required amount of vibrancy and shine. It leads to the hair colour staying for a prolonged period without damaging the hair in any way.
  4. Smooth, shiny and manageable hair — The hair cuticles absorb the keratin in the hair colour. After I started using hair dye with keratin, I have been experiencing smooth hair that is frizz-free and easy to manage. The protective keratin layer brightens my hair significantly, and nowadays, I don’t suffer a bad hair day anymore.
  5. Resistant and damage-free hair — I ended up with dried, unhealthy and washed-out hair thanks to the styling I did to beat the frizz. So, I consciously use a hair colour with keratin. It is my way to repair the hair damage caused by the continuous use of chemical-based hair dyes. Now, my locks are restored with their natural goodness and show damage-resistance.
  6. Balances the hair’s pH — Keratin is naturally present in our bodies. Any additional keratin via hair colours is a bonus that can help us. Using a keratin-based hair dye will give hair its required keratin without disturbing the balance and compensates for the lost sheen.
  7. Hydrates hair with locks-in moisture — Keratin is absorbed by the hair cuticles and follicles while colouring the hair. It ensures that the hair strands are well moisturised. It locks-in the moisture, along with the colour, leading to healthy tresses to show-off your brilliant colour.

Do you dye your hair to cover the greys and update your look? If that is the case, then I would advise you to do some homework and choose the best available hair colouring kit for the job. A general tip from me would be to pick a hair colour that is dermatologist-approved. By that, I mean a hair colour that is ammonia-free, PPD-free and paraben-free. It should be a safe hair colour that is healthy and non-toxic. It is best to use keratin-based and chemical-free hair dyes.

Get healthy hair with keratin!

Keratin-based hair colours are an innovative experiment in the colouring process. Using them will ensure that the extraordinary regenerative powers of keratin steeps into the hair. They work gently on the hair shafts and give uniform coverage of the hair dye. They also make the hair luminous and fabulous. If you are looking for healthy and beautiful hair along with a stylish look, then keratin-based hair colours are your go-to.

--

--

Barbara Stevens
Barbara Stevens

Written by Barbara Stevens

Content Writer with interest in genetics, health, fitness, and fashion.

No responses yet