We’ll tell you what your hair needs to be healthy and thick. This way you can look for specific ingredients in hair care products and choose them more consciously.
There is a huge supply of different hair care products, so we know how hard it can be to find what you’re really looking for. In our previous article, we wrote about what vitamins and minerals your body needs if you want to nourish your beauty from the inside. After our beauty ABC, we would now like to introduce you to our hair care dictionary so you can be more confident the next time you choose!
Haircare ABC
Arginine
an amino acid naturally present in keratin that helps nourish strands, improves scalp microcirculation and stimulates the activity of cells responsible for hair growth. It has a high moisture-binding capacity, so it adheres primarily to damaged hairs to strengthen them.
B vitamins
help hair and nails to grow and cell regeneration, such as hair regeneration. For example, vitamin B5, also known as panthenol, stimulates the skin’s moisture content, so it plays a role in hydrating the hairs, while vitamin B3 strengthens the protective layer of the scalp.
Carnitine
strengthens thinning hairs and protects against hair loss.
Ceramides
lipids that fill in gaps in the outer layer of hair, protecting it from external damage and preventing fragmentation. This will make the hair stronger, smoother, and shinier.
Collagen
this is a type of protein that is an important component of the structure of the body and skin. Not only does it play an important role in facial care to keep your skin youthful and firm for a long time, but it also makes the hair more elastic. It works by forming a thin protective layer on the hair.
Glycerine
a super moisture-regulating component that helps keep the strands hydrated and even has an antistatic effect.
Keratin
a protein that is the main building block of hair, as it makes up about 90% of it. Keratin-containing hair care products strengthen the hair strands and make them more elastic, filling the lesions on the outer layer of the hair. Usually, our locks become fragmented when they are externally damaged (e.g. due to a lot of shaping, strong heat, environmental influences) this can lead to keratin loss.
Natural Oils
The richer a hair conditioner is in natural oils, the more effective it is. Our two absolute favorites are coconut and argan oil. Coconut oil contains large amounts of antioxidants, thus protecting the strands from heat and environmental influences. Argan oil is also rich in antioxidants as well as essential fatty acids, so it fills the structure of broken hair with new life. It is especially recommended for those who wear down their hair due to dyeing, drying, and styling. However, almond, olive, grape seed, flaxseed, and castor oils are also superb.
Silk protein
it has a water binding effect, it can retain ten thousand times its own weight, which makes it great for hydrating your hair. It makes the hair easy to style and gives a beautiful shine.
Wheat protein
like other proteins, help to rebuild the hair structure, making it perfect for damaged strands. It is also rich in unsaturated fatty acids, which helps make the hair shiny and easy to handle.
What about silicone?
There has already been a lot of uncertainty around silicone, theories have alternated between helpful and harmful. The truth is, it will make your locks soft and shiny, but if we continuously use it, in the long run, it will harm your hair because it also forms a layer on the hairs and scalp. That is why it is better to use hair care and shaping products, which are silicone-free.
It’s best if you avoid these products too:
– Vaseline
– Parabens
– Paraffin
– Dyes
– Sulphate
– Formaldehyde
– Fragrance fixatives
Extra tips:
These super ingredients not only make your own hair healthy and shiny, but they are also perfect for grooming your halo hair. The ASHLYNN BRAID® Hair extension is made of 100% remy hair, and to make it stay as soft and shiny as possible, you need care similar to your own hair, which you can read more about here.