HYDROLYZED KERATIN
Hydrolyzed Keratin is a mixture of smaller keratin fragments, from a protein found in structures such as hair, wool, feathers, nails and horns. Hydrolysis breaks the protein into shorter polypeptides, so it differs from intact keratin and can be dispersed in cosmetic formulations.
HYDROLYZED KERATIN: what it is
Hydrolyzed Keratin is a mixture of smaller keratin fragments, from a protein found in structures such as hair, wool, feathers, nails and horns. Hydrolysis breaks the protein into shorter polypeptides, so it differs from intact keratin and can be dispersed in cosmetic formulations.
The starting material may be keratin-rich; research on this ingredient describes wool as a usual source. The ingredient name on a label, however, does not reveal the raw material used in every product. What distinguishes Hydrolyzed Keratin is that prior processing, which produces a mixture of smaller sizes rather than one whole, single protein.
HYDROLYZED KERATIN: what it does in cosmetics
Hydrolyzed Keratin is used mainly in hair products. Its film-forming, antistatic and hair-conditioning roles explain its place in formulas intended to leave strands feeling more aligned and less affected by static electricity, particularly after washing or mechanical stress.
In a laboratory study using bleached human-hair tresses, a hydrolyzed-keratin solution deposited on the hair surface and part of the material was observed in the cortex. The test involved four hours of immersion followed by ultraviolet radiation; it helps explain interest in a film on the hair shaft, but does not establish the same result for every product or routine.
Products containing this ingredient
See which products include it and the name used in each composition.
