Quinoa Seed Extract

You may be familiar with quinoa, a delicious and nutritious grain often found in overpriced salad bowls. But did you know that its extract is an amazing ingredient when used in haircare products like shampoo and conditioner? Quinoa is considered a complete protein, meaning that it contains all the essential amino acids. Since our hair is made out of keratin (a protein), reinforcing it with quinoa extract adds strength and protection.

Benefits of Quinoa Seed Extract for Hair
• Repels free radicals: Thanks to its high levels of vitamin E and other antioxidants, quinoa seed extract can repel free radicals, the harmful molecules that damage your hair and skin. This helps keep your hair follicles healthy and strong, so they’re equipped for steady hair growth.
• Hydrates hair and scalp: The humectants in quinoa seed oil attract moisture from the air, making it an excellent source of hydration for your scalp and strands. Because it smooths the cuticle, it can also support curls and eliminate frizz.
• Helps retain moisture: Additionally, it’s a storehouse for essential fatty acids like linoleic acid. These acids are known to reduce water loss, so your hair can retain moisture and have a softer, silkier quality overall. Because the hydrolyzed quinoa protein molecule is very small, it can penetrate low-porosity hair and provide needed moisture beneath the cuticle better than thick, hydrating oils and butters, which can often build up on low porosity hair. It also works beautifully for those with high-porosity hair who lose moisture quickly from strands and can benefit from the flexible film coating hair that traps moisture in and releases it slowly.
• Strengthens your hair: The proteins in quinoa seed oil form a protective barrier around your hair, making it strong and protecting against potential damage. Quinoa is chock-full of the amino acids our hair needs for strength, elasticity, and resilience. Without them, our hair health is lacking and we will be more prone to dry brittle hair that breaks and splits.
• Supports healthy blood flow in the scalp: Quinoa extract contains vitamin B3, a compound that’s commonly known as niacin. Niacin is known to help dilate blood vessels and support healthy blood flow in your scalp. This allows for more vital oxygen and nutrients to travel to your hair follicles. This strengthens and nourishes your follicles, supporting their ability to grow hair.
• Protects your hair: Holden explains that quinoa extract helps to block out environmental stressors and provides protection from heat, while it locks in moisture and seals the cuticle for smooth, pliable, more elastic strands. The amino acids in quinoa extract deliver on diverse benefits; some penetrate into the hair to fortify our strands and repair, while others within the same ingredient act as a barrier to protect the hair from environmental stress.
• Reduce scalp acne: Quinoa extract is also known to aid in the balance of sebum control, therefore helping to reduce the appearance of acne from face to scalp.
• Helps preserve color: Quinoa seed extract’s high protein content makes it ideal for preserving color treated hair. It can also help protect your strands from the damaging effects of heat styling.