Do you notice your hair feeling heavy or weighed down, dry, rough or frizzy, or excessively elastic or rubbery? It’s likely you’re overlooking a key ingredient in your care routine (or you’re overdoing one) and your hair is unbalanced.
Our hair requires a fine balance between three key elements to be truly healthy, strong and beautiful. This is what is known as the PEH balance (proteins, emollients and humectants).
“Knowing your PEH balance helps you choose the right treatment for your hair,” says the hair consultant and hair expert Natalia Zablocka (@tricolistica). Observing what your hair is like and what its needs are will allow you to identify what it lacks and what it has in excess to provide it with the best possible care.
What is the PEH balance?
The PEH balance refers to the optimal proportion of proteins, emollients and humectants in the haircare routine to maintain hair that is healthy and strong. “Each component serves a different function to keep it soft, strong and manageable,” explains Zablocka.
Proteins: the structure of the hair
Proteins, such as keratin or wheat proteins, are the main component of the hair and repair and strengthen the hair’s structure.
They fill weakened areas, like bricks, especially after damage caused by heat from a dryer or straightener or by chemical treatments.
“Their effect is temporary, and it fades with several washes,” notes the expert. That is why it is advisable to supply the hair with proteins regularly.
Emollients: protection from the outside
Emollients, such as oils (argan, coconut, jojoba…), butters (shea, mango…) or conditioners, protect the hair from the outside. They form a protective barrier to retain moisture and impart softness and shine without weighing the hair down. They also help prevent frizz.
“They do not moisturise on their own, but enhance the action of proteins and humectants, helping to maintain nourishment and hydration,” asserts Zablocka.
Humectants: hydration from within
Humectants, such as glycerin or aloe vera, hydrate the hair from the inside. They attract and lock water molecules (including from the environment) to the hair shaft to hydrate it, filling the gaps in the cuticle.
They improve the hair’s elasticity, reduce breakage and promote ongoing hydration rather than a mere surface coat. They’re especially important for curly or dry hairstyles.
“They balance with proteins and it is always advisable to combine them with emollients to prevent water loss,” notes the expert.
Signs that hair is unbalanced
Our hair shows clear signals when it is unbalanced:
- An excess of proteins makes the hair brittle, dry and stiff. It lacks elasticity and feels harder.
- A deficiency of proteins leads to flat, lifeless hair that is prone to breakage. “It has less strength and structure,” sums up Zablocka.
- An excess of humectants can cause frizz in humid conditions and the curl may lose shape or tangle more easily. It can also become too elastic, ‘rubbery’ or gummy.
- A deficiency of humectants causes dryness and dullness in the hair.
- An excess of emollients can weigh the hair down and make it dirtier faster or attract dust. “Too much oil or butter in the hair can leave it heavy, with a greasy appearance and harder to manage”.
- A deficiency of emollients leaves hair dry and rough. It promotes frizz and static.
How to achieve hair balance
The PEH balance is not the same for everyone. Depending on the individual characteristics of our hair, such as porosity, texture, its condition (whether it’s heavily damaged or not) or environmental factors, we may need more or less of each of these ingredients, though all of them are necessary for healthy hair.
For example, hair with low porosity will require lighter emollients and less protein than highly porous hair, which will favour more proteins and denser oils for repair.
That is why you should really know your hair, its needs and how it responds to different treatments in order to supply it, in a balanced way, with the right amount and type of proteins, emollients and humectants that it requires.
