Glossary

Collagen

Collagen is primarily made of 3 non-essential amino acids, and is the most abundant protein in your body. The 3 amino acids are proline, glycine, and hydroxyproline and help to form Keratin. Keratin is the protein that primarily makes up your hair. The body produces collagen, but you can also get it through supplementation of plant and/or animal foods.

Collagen has antioxidant properties, and contributes to the elasticity and strength of your dermis (the middle layer of your skin that contains the root of each individual hair). Your body becomes less efficient at producing collagen as you age. Note that zinc, vitamins C & E, coenzyme Q10 have antioxidant properties that help protect the collagen in your body.

Chelation

The process of removing metals and minerals from the hair such as exist in hard water and chlorine water. Clarifying on the other hand, is simply removing dirt and oil from the surface of the hair and from the scalp.

Emollient

Substances that create a protective seal in order to lock in moisture

Emulsifier

Emulsifiers are added in order to combine products that would otherwise not do so naturally, like oil and water. They help droplets remain dispersed instead of clumping together with their own and separating from those that are not. Some often used, and chemical sounding but safe examples are Glycol stearate, sodium lauroyl lactylate, Cetearyl Glucoside, and cetearyl alcohol.

Essential oils

Highly concentrated oil, distilled from the plants themselves, and they carry the signature scent of the plant from which they are derived. Very often they require dilution as direct contact could irritate the scalp.

Essential & Non Essential Amino Acids

Essential amino acids are those that your body naturally produces.

Non-essential amino acids are those that the body cannot produce on its own and must gather through supplementation (mainly foods) - plant and/or animal

Hydrolyzed Proteins

Hydrolyzed proteins are those whose molecules have been at least partially broken down into their components amino acids. This smaller packaging makes it easier for the protein to absorb into the hair strands and impart its benefits.

Omega 3

Omega 3 combats breakage by increasing the hair’s elasticity, it can increase the strength and thickness of the hair strands, it nourishes the hair follicles, and can help relieve dry and flaky scalps.

Omega 6

Omega 6’s can help to improve scalp conditions, it stimulates hair growth by increasing blood flow to the scalp, and it can help keep the hair hydrated by locking in moisture.

Omega 9

Omega 9’s keep the hair hydrated by locking in moisture, and also softens hair.

Oxidative Stress

The process of free radicals disrupting the normal functioning of your body’s cells. This can result from aging, environmental damage (UV rays ro pollutants, for example), pesticides, unhealthy fats, and various other factors. Free radicals are in short, unstable atoms that can damage the body’s cells. This can cause thinning of the hair fibers, slower hair growth, and dull, fragile hair.

Surfactants

In shampoos, they generally strip dirt, product buildup, and pollutants from the hair and scalp to allow removal through rinsing. Without getting too technical, it works by lowering the surface tension between two substances, essentially loosening that bond. As part of this process though, it does, or rather it can, leave the cuticles slightly lifted, potentially causing frizz and moisture loss. Different surfactants in your conditioner will then help to close and smooth these cuticles, creating softness. Surfactants are slightly drying as a standalone ingredient, but they are most often paired with enough conditioning agents to counteract that affect.