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How do I know if my curls need protein?
How to add protein to your curly hair (and 1 mistake to avoid)
My recommended high-protein products for curly hair
How can I tell if my curls have protein overload?
Have you started researching how to look after your curly hair, the best curly routines and products…only to come across people talking about protein? Perhaps you’re not sure if this is something your curls need?
If you’re an absolute beginner to curly hair, I would say don’t worry about it for now (and check out my beginner curly routine instead). But if your curls are barely lasting a day and you‘re wondering if protein is the answer, read on!
How do I know if my curls need protein?
If you have curly hair that’s really soft, limp, prone to halo frizz, and struggles to hold its curl, then you might benefit from adding more protein to your routine. Protein is marketed as a “repairing” ingredient in hair products, as it attaches to the hair and gives it more strength – making curls hold their definition in the process. It’s especially good for fine or damaged hair.
Don’t forget that if your hair is very soft and limp as described above, it might also be overconditioned, so before you add protein to your routine, be sure to clarify your hair of any buildup and see if you can remove any products from your washday lineup that are too heavy, such as creams, deep/thick conditioners, moisturising shampoos, and oils. For more information about this, check out my post on how to fix overconditioned hair.
How to add protein to your curly hair (and 1 mistake to avoid)
The best way to add protein to your curls is to use products that contain protein, add protein drops to your existing products, or do a protein treatment, which works kind of like a hair mask. I’ve included some proteiny product recommendations in the next section.
However, finding good high-protein curly hair products is easier said than done. Most products that claim to have “protein repair” qualities are essentially glorified deep conditioners, that don’t actually contain much protein.
For example: Shea Moisture Manuka Honey & Yogurt Hydrate + Repair Power Protein Treatment (what a mouthful) has the word “protein” in the title, so of course you’d assume that this is a protein treatment that will add strength to your hair. However, if we take a look at the ingredients…
Aqua, Cetearyl Alcohol, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Behentrimonium Chloride, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter* **, Glycerin, Stearyl Alcohol, Glyceryl Stearate Citrate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil, Parfum, Mel (Honey), Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Oil, Yogurt Powder, Yogurt Extract, Adansonia Digitata (Baobab) Seed Oil, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Oil, Trichilia Emetica(Mafura) Seed Butter, Allantoin, Panthenol, Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Cera Alba (Beeswax), Copernica Cerifera (Carnauba) Wax, Coco-Glucoside, Algin, Chitosan, Gellan Gum, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein PG-Propyl Silanetriol, Tocopherol, Hydrolyzed Keratin, Triethyl Citrate, Caprylyl Glycol, Inulin (Chicory Root), Benzoic Acid, Benzyl Benzoate, Isopropyl Alcohol, Tetrasodium EDTA, Glyceryl Caprylate, Citronellol, Linalool.
I have underlined the protein ingredients and as you can see, they are pretty much near the bottom of the list, meaning that they appear in a lower concentration than the other ingredients above it. Now look at the ones I’ve put in bold: these are all conditioning ingredients. You can see that there are quite a few heavy ones, such as butters, oils and even waxes. These are great for softening your hair if it feels rough and dry. But if your hair is already limp and struggling to hold its curl, this is the last thing your curls need.
If your curls really need structure, not more softening, you need to find products that have protein near the top, and do not contain too many of these thick, heavy conditioning ingredients. If you’re ever unsure, paste the ingredients list into isitcg.com or curlsbot.com, which will help you identify what each ingredient does.
My recommended high-protein products for curly hair
Below are some proteiny products for curly hair that are actually high in protein. For a product to be considered “proteiny”, I would be looking for protein in the top 5-10 ingredients.
Protein treatments for curly hair
Aphogee Two-Step Protein Treatment
With hydrolysed collagen as the second ingredient and hydrolysed vegetable protein as the eighth, this is a very strong protein treatment that should only be done around once a month. It involves drying the hair while the treatment is on, and then rinsing it out. It comes with a moisturising conditioner to rebalance the hair, but I actually found this too heavy for my fine hair, so you can also follow it up with a lighter conditioner. You can also get small sachet samples to test out before you buy the big bottle, or buy the treatment without the conditioner.
Find it on Amazon UK | Amazon US | Sally Beauty in the US | Kiyo Beauty in the UK.
Ecoslay Matcha Boost
This contains hydrolysed quinoa and hydrolysed keratin as the 4th and 5th ingredients.
Shop directly from Ecoslay’s US website, or find Ecoslay’s global retailers here.
Protein drops for curly hair
Protein drops are drops that you add to an existing product, such as your conditioner or styler, to add a little extra protein to your routine. These are handy for when you’re not sure if your hair will handle a full-on protein treatment, because you can adjust the number of drops you add each time.
Boucleme Protein Booster
This contains hydrolysed vegetable protein as the 6th ingredient, as well as humectants to improve moisture retention.
Shop on the Boucleme website (and get 15% off with code COAST15) | Amazon UK | Amazon US.
Scrunch It Protein
This is a spray that you add to your products, and contains silk amino acids, wheat amino acids, hydrolyzed milk protein, hydrolyzed quinoa, and soy amino acids. That’s a lot of protein!
Buy direct from their US website | Kiyo Beauty in the UK.
Chey Protein Drops
These protein drops contain hydrolyzed wheat protein and hydrolyzed rice protein as the third and fourth ingredients.
Buy from their Dutch website | Kiyo Beauty in the UK | or from Lockenbox, which ships all over Europe and to the US.
Rice water rinse
Rice water is not strictly a protein treatment, as technically the proteins in rice should be too big to penetrate our hair, given that they haven’t been hydrolysed like they are in product formulations. However, lots of curlies have great success with using rice water to add shine and structure to their curls. There are theories that it is the starch or the inositol in rice that helps this, rather than the proteins. In any case, this is a milder form of a protein treatment, so it’s another good way to test whether your hair reacts well to this kind of treatment. If you find these are drying on your hair, you can add a blob of conditioner or deep conditioner as you apply.
DIY Fermented rice water treatment
I first came across this method from Delilah at The Holistic Enchilada. Instead of boiling the rice, you let one cup of rice sit in a jar with 3 cups of water for 24-48 hours. Strain the water into a bowl, then after shampooing your hair, dip your hair into the bowl or pour it over your head a few times (it’s good to have another bowl to catch the water in as your pour). Leave this on your hair for up to 30 minutes, then rinse and condition as usual.
Curl Maven’s modified DIY rice water rinse
Gabriella (aka Curl Maven) created a modified version of the rice water rinse to make it thicker and quicker to make. Boil one part rice to 4 parts water, until the rice has gone almost stodgy. When you strain it, you should have quite thick and gloopy water left. Apply a little conditioner if you want (I don’t personally but Gabriella does), apply to clarified hair and leave on for 15-30 mins. Rinse well. If you find your water is still quite watery, don’t worry – dip or pour it like the other treatment above. Check out her post for more detailed instructions.
Yao Secret Fermented Rice Water Treatment
If you really don’t want to faff around in the kitchen, Yao Secret sells a fermented rice water treatment, using rice water created by the Red Yao women in Southern China, famed for their super-long, shiny hair.
Buy on their website and use code CURLSBYTHECOAST for 10% off.
High-protein conditioners and stylers for curly hair
If you’re not sure whether a full-on protein treatment is right for you, you can always incorporate a couple of high-protein products into your routine first to see if that makes a difference.
Aldi Lacura Shampoo and Conditioner
Believe it or not, the Lacura range from Aldi (which is kind of a L’Oreal knockoff) has some of the highest protein I’ve seen in a shampoo and conditioner – and best of all, they’re only £1.19 each. Get the Volume (blue one) or Luscious Lengths (orange one) for the most protein. Find them in your local Aldi.
Curlsmith Bouncy Strength Volume Foam
Lots of foams contain hydrolysed proteins as they are a lightweight ingredient, but the Curlsmith foam contains them as their 4th and 5th ingredient, making it a good styler to layer with a stronger-hold gel for both volume and definition.
Buy direct from the Curlsmith website | LookFantastic (and use code LFTFCOAST for 20% off) | Boots UK | Amazon UK | Amazon US.
Bounce Curl Light Creme Gel
This is a lightweight gel with a slight texturizing effect, making it perfect for fine hair, with hydrolysed quinoa and oat protein as the 6th and 7th ingredients. It has a medium hold so you may want to pair it with another gel (or even Bounce Curl’s hairspray). Shop on the Bounce Curl Website (use code CURLSBYTHECOAST10 for 10% off) or check out their International stockists.
TréLuxe Hi! Definition Styling Gel
One of my favourite gels, this is lightweight and in addition to the rice extract and amino acids as the 8th and 9th ingredients, it is also glycerin-free, which is great for fighting humidity. The TréLuxe Untie the Knot Leave-In is also a great product – lightweight enough to be used as a rinse-out or leave-in. Buy direct from the TréLuxe website, or find their international stockists here. TréLuxe is also sold in Walgreens.
How can I tell if my curls have protein overload?
There is a lot of scary-sounding information out there about protein overload, and how it makes your hair brittle and almost prone to snapping. And yet, most cosmetic chemists, trichologists and dermatologists say that protein overload shouldn’t even be a thing – after all, our hair is made of protein. It’s likely that the culprit is either under-conditioning, or it’s a type of buildup. Don’t forget that proteins are still conditioning agents – they’re just not very good ones, and maybe your hair needs a little something extra.
If you use a product that’s high in protein and your hair starts to feel rough, brittle, or you get lots of angry frizz: clarify your hair, switch to a protein-free lineup, and you should be back to normal. In the future, you can perhaps use a thicker conditioner after your protein treatment, or a protein-free cream before your protein styler, to give your hair that little extra conditioning.
A note: People often claim that bond builders like Olaplex have given them protein overload, but Olaplex No. 3 does not contain protein, and bond builders do not work in the same way as protein treatments. However, the film-formers that bond builders deposit on your hair may well build up and give the impression of “protein overload” if you overuse them. Again, this is just buildup, so clarify and use the product less often if this happens to you.
This was a lot of information, but I hope it has given you some helpful tips and some protein-rich curly hair products to try! For more information on this topic, check out my post about understanding the protein-moisture balance.
Curls by the Coast 
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