Pick up any hair product these days, and you’ll see buzzwords galore: trends like co-washing, ingredients like micellar, and even lifestyles like no-poo. So what does your hair really need to stay healthy?

As trends come and go, one thing stays the same, and that’s the structure of your hair. And that’s why keratin is so much more than a buzzword. In fact, you can think of it like the building blocks behind your hair’s strength, length, and shine.

Here’s the gist: keratin is a protein that’s naturally found in hair, skin, and nails. Our hair is actually made up of 90% protein, so you could say it’s a pretty big deal! But these proteins also diminish over time, and are easily damaged by everyday styling and environmental factors. Keratin and other protein loss expose the hair’s cortex, making it even more susceptible to damage and causing your hair to become more porous.

The result? Dry, brittle, and broken strands that absorb and release moisture faster than healthy hair. Not a great look!

Luckily, over time, adding keratin back to your hair through the use of products can help get your tresses back on track. And you don’t need to commit to a pricey keratin treatment at a salon to see results! Many keratin-infused products can give you the same results over time, as long as you stay consistent.

What are some of the other tell-tale signs that your hair needs more keratin? Read on...

Need a Keratin Product in Your Life? 5 Signs to Look Out For

1) Your hair is severely damaged.

As we mentioned before, brittle strands are a call for immediate hair help. Damaged hair can be caused by a variety of things, including the depletion of keratin due to over-processing, sun damage, and product overload. It’s hard to miss when your hair looks and feels damaged — you’ll know it when you see it! You can also try this simple test for protein deficiency: wet a strand of your hair and gently stretch it between your fingers. As you let go, if it returns to its original length without breaking, your hair is healthy. But if it breaks, your hair’s crying out for more protein.

No matter the cause of the damage, keratin-infused products may be your answer to getting your hair back on track. Bonus: the results are cumulative, so each time you use a keratin conditioning product, the healthier your hair becomes!

Tip: For extremely dry or damaged hair, use our Miracle Leave-In Conditioner Potion Plus Keratin before styling to moisturize and condition hair, resist humidity, and add shine.

2) You’ve been overdoing it on heat styling.

So maybe your hair isn’t feeling brittle or damaged yet… but you spend every morning blow drying and heat styling it. Now’s actually the perfect time to proactively tackle the issue, before the impact is visible. Blow dryers, curling irons, straighteners, wavers… all of these, over time, will damage your hair. Short of cutting it, using keratin hair products (especially heat protectants!) is super important for maintaining your hair and keeping it strong.

Tip: Use our Miracle Leave-In Conditioner Plus Keratin prior to any heat styling to minimize damage.

3) You live in a sunny climate.

Did you know that keratin also protects your hair from the sun? Just like UV rays can harm your skin over time, your hair is at risk of becoming brittle and dry with constant exposure. And while you probably know the importance of wearing SPF on your skin, sun exposure is often overlooked when it comes to your hair. An easy way to combat the effects is to double-down on strengthening and moisturizing ingredients with your daily routine — and that includes a keratin-infused shampoo, conditioner, and styling products.

Tip: Swap your normal shampoo for our Miracle Daily Shampoo Plus Keratin to protect color, shield against environmental damage, and enhance your overall hair health.

4) You swim a lot.

Spending a lot of time at the pool this summer? Chlorine can wreak havoc on any type of hair — not just color-treated — weakening the structure of the hair shaft and making hair more susceptible to breakage. If you’ve ever noticed your hair gets more and more tangled as the summer goes on, you know what that’s like.

Tip: If you must swim in chlorine, combat the damage by applying a keratin conditioning product, like our Miracle Leave-In Conditioner Plus Keratin, immediately before and immediately afterward. And don’t forget to the gently detangle!

5) You have naturally curly or coarse hair.

If you have curly hair or coarse hair, you’re naturally more vulnerable to frizz (sorry!). But if you love your curls and want to keep them intact, opt for keratin products instead of the salon treatment, which softens the curl and leaves you with more of a wave (or a completely straight look).

Tip: Coarse and thick hair will soak up our Miracle Styling Oil Plus Keratin, leaving you with instant shine and a sleek finish.

With these keratin products in your hair care routine, you’re well on your way to beautiful, strong hair! Shop our entire Keratin Collection now to find the best keratin products for your hair type.