Lilliana is wondering about her heat protection spray’s ingredients.
Hi Colin, I suddenly decided to change my heat protection spray. However, this slightly more expensive product (I usually use Tresemme) doesn’t have any of the wheat protein ingredients of which I know they actually do protect my hair from heat. Is this my latest impulse buy a total miss? http://www.loreal-paris.co.uk/styling/elnett-heat-spray/heat-protect-waves.aspx The ingredients: water, glycerin, propylene glycol, sodium polystyrene sulfonate, ppg 5 ceteh 20, ppg 5 ceteth 10 phosphate, hydrolyzed conchiolin protein (is this the heat protectant, aka. alternative wheat protein?), phenoxyethanol, triethanolamine, xylose, limonene, linalool, alpha isomethyl ionone, citronellol, hexyl cinnamal, parfum
Yes Lilliana, you have correctly identified the active ingredient. To be honest, heat protection is a bit a misnomer here. The way they work is much more a question of treating the damage. Extreme heat tends to remove the tiny protective scales that keep your hair in good condition. The proteins in the formulation sort of glue them in place, so you don’t lose them altogether. But they don’t really stop the damage.
I think if you are happy with the results of your regular product, I would be inclined to stick with it. But there is no reason that the new one shouldn’t work as well, or at least no reason you can tell by looking at the name. They are both proteins and should work in roughly the same way.
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Reading this I just realised I have never really considered how heat protectants work (maybe I thought they magically absorbed some of the heat – but then why not just turn down the temperature setting??). Definitely going to have to do some research and maybe re-think what I buy!
You are quite right Sarah. If heat protecting sprays really did protect the hair from the heat of the treatment, they would also protect it from the effect as well.
i protect my hair whith the karmin spray heat protector 🙂