Curly hair wants extra care than only a fast utility of shampoo and conditioner within the bathe. So that you most likely have already got a curly hair routine that makes use of moisturizing, nourishing, and curl-defining merchandise to assist your hair look its finest.
Many curly hair merchandise comprise protein to assist moisturize and strengthen your locks. However do you know that these merchandise may also trigger a protein buildup on the strands that leaves your hair dry, brittle, and unmanageable?
Utilizing protein-free merchandise is a good way to keep away from protein buildup. Should you’d like to make use of protein-free hair merchandise however don’t know the place to start, don’t fear – we might help.
We’ve rounded up eight of the very best protein-free hair merchandise designed to pamper your locks with out weighing them down with protein.
We’ll additionally enable you perceive easy methods to check for protein buildup or protein delicate hair and share some suggestions for eradicating extra protein out of your hair.
8 Finest Protein-Free Hair Merchandise
Able to buy groceries however don’t know the place to start out? Try our record of the very best protein-free hair merchandise to pamper your tresses.
Protein-Free Shampoo
Aunt Jackie’s Curls and Coils Oh So Clear Deep Moisturizing and Softening Hair Shampoo is a mix of hair-healthy and pure substances that may gently cleanse and moisturize wavy, curly, or coily hair.
The luxurious lather is enriched with shea butter, coconut oil, and additional virgin olive oil to assist combat frizz and tame unruly locks, leaving dry hair feeling mushy, hydrated, and manageable.
Protein-Free Clarifying Shampoo
MopTop Detox Shampoo is a pure detox shampoo that helps remove product buildup attributable to waxes, silicones, and different product residues. Utilizing this shampoo each 4-6 weeks will restore the shine and softness to your curly hair and maintain your scalp clear.
This clarifying shampoo is appropriate for pure hair and free from silicone, sulfates, phthalates, and parabens.
Protein-Free Conditioner
Briogeo Superfoods Banana + Coconut Nourishing Conditioner is a wealthy, moisturizing conditioner that pampers and restores lifeless locks. Its smoothie-inspired formulation is made with 97% naturally derived substances, and it’s packed stuffed with nutritional vitamins, minerals, and important fatty acids for good hair well being.
The proper on a regular basis resolution to uninteresting, dry hair, Briogeo Superfoods Banana + Coconut Nourishing Conditioner is appropriate to be used on color-treated and chemical-treated hair, together with relaxed hair.
Protein Free Go away-in Conditioner
Kinky-Curly Knot Right this moment Pure Go away-In Detangler is nice at conserving your curls tangle-free. It has a creamy formulation that smooths the hair cuticle and delivers moisture for manageable bounce and softness.
This citrus-scented detangler doubles up as a rinse-out conditioner and leave-in remedy. It’s made with natural fruit and natural extracts and can also be parabens- and sulfate-free, so you possibly can safely apply it to curly hair sorts.
Prime Decide
Protein-Free Curl Cream
TWIST Boss Bounce Mild as Air Buildable Styling Cream retains flyaways and frizz beneath management whereas creating buildable type and definition with not one of the crunch.
It has a light-weight, whipped cream formulation that’s protected for pure hair in addition to chemical- and color-treated hair. Its nourishing mixture of shea butter, pataua fruit oil, and jojoba oil delivers intense hydration for wholesome, supple, and outlined curls.
Protein-Free Hair Gel
Jessicurl Spiralicious Styling Gel is a robust maintain gel that works wonders on medium and thick pure hair, offering lasting maintain and definition for wavy, coily, and curly hair.
The glycerin-free formulation delivers fabulous outcomes that you simply’ll love, even on coarse hair. It retains frizz at bay, and creates touchably mushy outlined curls that final for days between washes. This gel is one among my prime favorites!
Jessicurl Spiralicious Gel
In all probability the very best gel for humidity and most of the people appear to actually love their outcomes utilizing it. It really works on all curl sorts too so it will not crush superb curls should you do not use an excessive amount of.
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12/26/2024 03:17 am GMT
Protein-Free Hair Masks
Briogeo Superfoods Avocado + Kiwi Mega Moisture Masks is a weekly deal with for all hair sorts. It boosts hydration with a 96% naturally derived, vegan, and cruelty-free formulation that’s additionally phthalate- and paraben-free.
This wealthy deep conditioner is filled with phytonutrients from shine-enhancing avocado oil, vitamin-rich spinach, and antioxidant vitamin C. It’s going to deeply nourish and hydrate your parched strands, leaving them mushy, shiny, and moisturized.
Protein-Free Mousse
Not Your Mom’s Curl Speak Curl Activation Mousse is the best curl-enhancing mousse for superbly outlined curls with mild, touchable maintain. It protects towards humidity to combat frizz and maintain your hair wanting attractive for longer.
Not Your Mom’s Curl Activation Mousse accommodates no dyes and is sulfate-, silicone-, and paraben-free. It’s additionally cruelty-free, appropriate for color-treated hair, and has a stunning citrus perfume.
Is Protein Good or Dangerous for Hair?
Hair is principally made up of a sort of protein known as keratin. Exposing your hair to warmth or chemical compounds damages the keratin in your hair strands, leaving your tresses wanting uninteresting and feeling dry and brittle.
Protein therapies comprise substances like keratin or wheat protein which are just like the pure protein in your hair. They’ll restore shine and elasticity, strengthening the hair and serving to it look more healthy.
However whereas protein is important to good hair well being, an excessive amount of protein could cause issues. Should you expertise protein overload, the surplus protein results in an absence of moisture.
With out sufficient hydration, your hair turns into dry and brittle, leaving it inclined to separate ends and breakage. You might also discover that you’ve an issue with frizz or that your hair is mostly tough to type and handle.
This will typically occur in case you have overused protein merchandise for a while or have coarse hair that’s naturally susceptible to tangles and frizz.
And extra protein may also dehydrate hair extensions as simply as pure hair, leaving them extra more likely to snap.

What Causes Protein Buildup in Hair?
The principle explanation for protein buildup is overuse of hair care merchandise containing protein. In case your shampoo, conditioning therapies, and styling merchandise all comprise protein, this might be an excessive amount of on your strands, inflicting a product buildup on them.
You is likely to be apprehensive that you simply’ll should skip protein therapies altogether. Nevertheless, utilizing them carefully and sustaining a wholesome steadiness of protein and moisture therapies will assist enhance your hair’s situation and create the mushy, outlined curls you lengthy for.
How Do You Know If Your Hair Is in Protein Overload?
It may be onerous to identify protein overload, because the signs are just like hair that’s been broken by scorching styling instruments or chemical therapies.
In case your hair seems to be uninteresting, dry, or brittle, you will have protein overload. When you have frizz that’s onerous to manage or your hair is mostly unmanageable, this may increasingly even be right down to protein overload.
One other signal of protein overload might be white or yellow flakes in your scalp. This can be attributable to circumstances like dandruff but it surely will also be protein residue blended with useless pores and skin cells from the scalp.
You possibly can check through the use of a protein remedy in your hair. In case your hair improves and feels mushy, the harm might be as a result of warmth styling or chemical publicity. However, should you discover your hair nonetheless feels dry afterward, which will imply that your hair is scuffling with protein buildup.
You possibly can study extra about this drawback in our Information to Protein Overload.
How Do I Know If I Have Protein-Delicate Hair?
Protein-sensitive hair is totally different from protein overload. It’s an issue that happens when functions of protein-rich merchandise harm your hair strands. It tends to have an effect on low-porosity and coarse hair that leaves the protein on the floor of the strand as a substitute of absorbing it.
Undecided in case you have low porosity hair? Our Information to Hair Porosity will assist!
Should you suppose you have got protein-sensitive hair, strive utilizing your common shampoo and conditioner containing protein, then enable your hair to air dry with none styling product.
As soon as your hair is dry, examine what its texture seems like. In case your hair feels tough, onerous, or dehydrated, the protein has probably broken your protein-sensitive hair strands.

Advantages of Protein-Free Hair Merchandise
Protein-free hair merchandise will assist ship hydration into your hair strands and maintain it sealed in. This circumstances your hair, preventing frizz and making your hair mushy, shiny and simpler to handle.
There are numerous different advantages to switching to protein-free hair merchandise.
An excessive amount of protein could make your hair extra brittle, which suggests it’s inclined to separate ends and breakage. Protein-free hair merchandise can enhance your hair’s elasticity, making it much less more likely to break.
Protein-free hair merchandise additionally are typically a superb possibility for individuals with a delicate scalp or allergic reactions. Sure forms of protein could cause irritation, redness, and allergic reactions in your scalp, so avoiding them provides you nice hair with out the discomfort.
Utilizing light-weight protein-free hair merchandise reduces the chance of product buildup in your strands, so you possibly can depart it longer earlier than utilizing a clarifying shampoo.
Protein-free hair merchandise are additionally much less more likely to comprise animal-derived substances, making them extra environmentally pleasant and a extra sustainable selection.
Key Substances in Protein-Free Hair Merchandise
When selecting protein-free hair merchandise, search for nourishing hydration substances that don’t crush your locks.
- Aloe vera: This soothing plant extract circumstances your hair and provides shine.
- Coconut oil: A penetrating oil that delivers moisture deep contained in the hair shaft.
- Glycerin: A humectant that pulls water to maintain your hair moisturized.
- Shea butter: A sealing oil that seals moisture into the hair shaft.
It’s additionally important to keep away from any product containing harsh chemical compounds like sulfates and parabens, which might strip the pure oils out of your hair, making it even drier.

How Do I Get Rid of Protein Buildup in My Hair?
If you have already got indicators of protein buildup, listed below are a number of suggestions for treating protein overload and recovering your curl’s magnificence:
Use a Clarifying Shampoo
Washing your locks with a protein-free clarifying shampoo will take away any product buildup and depart your hair and scalp superbly clear. When you’ve handled the product buildup, use the shampoo a few times a month to stop it from returning.
You may also strive utilizing apple cider vinegar rinses to make clear your hair and restore its pH steadiness.
Steadiness Protein with Moisture
Your hair naturally accommodates protein, so guarantee it has sufficient moisture to maintain it in steadiness. Dehydrated locks will quickly expertise break up ends, tangles, and breakage, so maintain your hair moisturized with conditioners and penetrating oils.
Change to Protein Free Hair Merchandise
In case your hair is affected by protein overload or you have got protein-sensitive hair, change to protein-free hair merchandise to see if it improves. While you’re able to strive protein-rich merchandise once more, introduce them slowly and maintain a cautious look ahead to any change.
Go for a trim
Protein overloading could make your hair heavy and unmanageable. Trimming an inch or two will remove break up ends earlier than they’ll unfold additional up your strands.
Give your hair a break from styling
Scorching styling, hair merchandise, and hair colours can all hurt your hair. So, in case your mane seems to be broken, strive sporting your hair free or gently pulled again and take a break from chemical therapies like hair dyes.

FAQs
Should you’re contemplating a change to protein-free hair merchandise, listed below are among the most continuously requested questions on the subject:
How Can I Determine Protein in Hair Merchandise?
It’s important to learn the ingredient record in your product labels fastidiously and look out for substances together with:
- Keratin
- Hydrolyzed collagen
- Hydrolyzed keratin
- Hydrolyzed oat flour
- Hydrolyzed silk protein
- Hydrolyzed soy protein
- Hydrolyzed wheat protein
- Oat flour
- Rice complicated
- Silk amino acids
How Typically Ought to I Use Protein-Free Hair Merchandise?
This depends upon your hair sort and its situation. When you have very dry or coarse hair, you may want to make use of protein-free merchandise on each wash day. However, a few times per week must be sufficient for shiny or superb hair.
It could take a number of weeks on your hair and scalp to adapt to your new protein-free hair merchandise. Pay shut consideration to how your hair responds to the brand new merchandise and modify your routine if mandatory.
Ought to I Seek the advice of a Hairstylist Earlier than Switching to Protein-Free Merchandise?
Visiting a stylist repeatedly lets you get skilled recommendation on protein-sensitive hair. In case your hair begins to interrupt and tangle simply or begins to shed rather a lot, it’s a good suggestion to seek the advice of knowledgeable stylist to debate switching to protein-free hair merchandise.
Nevertheless, sudden adjustments will also be a symptom of well being points. In case your hair adjustments drastically or begins to come back out in clumps, search recommendation from a medical skilled.
The Backside Line
Though there isn’t a whole lot of analysis into protein buildup, many curly women inform us that it’s an issue they’ve skilled.
Should you’ve found that overuse of protein hair therapies has left your hair uninteresting, dry, and broken, step one is to take away the protein overload with a clarifying shampoo and trim away any broken ends.
When you’ve handled the overload, switching to protein-free hair merchandise might help stop the issue from returning. You won’t want to make use of them each wash day, however our decide of the very best protein-free hair merchandise will restore the attractive hair you’re keen on.
