FSS Vegan Keratin OS

INCI: Prunus Armeniaca (Apricot) Kernel Oil & Lens Esculenta (Lentil) Seed Extract & Hydrolyzed Cicer Seed Extract & Chenopodium Quinoa Seed Extract

Use Levels: 1.0% - 10.0%

Solubility: Oil Soluble 

Appearance: Clear to Slightly Hazy, Pale Yellow to Yellow Liquid

Protein (N x 6.25): 2.0 – 5.0%

BACKGROUND

Keratin is a basic building block of the complex morphological structure of hair and essential for hair fortification and reparation. Consumers traditionally seek animal derived keratin proteins in hair care products to improve hydration and overall feel. However, the rising trend of vegan beauty inspires the development of new functional equivalents from a botanical source. FSS Vegan Keratin OS, a vegan and sustainable hydrolyzed keratin alternative in an oil soluble form.

Eco-ethical lifestyles join the clean beauty narrative as conscious consumers consider the environmental and ethical impact of their choices. Once considered a niche concept, veganism is rapidly becoming a mainstream lifestyle choice adopted by millennials and Generation Z as a holistic approach to sustainable living. The rise of ethical consumerism translates into a shift toward products with no animal derivatives, favoring growth of vegan beauty products through 2028. In the hair care sector, shampoos dominate the vegan hair care market with 43% of launches in the last five years, and conditioners and treatments closely following with 26% and 22% of launches, according to Mintel’s Global New Product Database. The outlook for vegan hair care products is nothing short of optimistic.

A healthy planet and great skincare products mutually exist in the contemporary consumers’ mind, and indeed in their world of consumption. Ethical products made from natural ingredients must also be effective and not compromise on delivering sought after benefits. Hydrolyzed keratin, while naturally derived, has conventionally been prepared from keratin-containing animal parts, including feathers, hair and wool. The enzymatic hydrolysis of plant proteins presents a vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free replacement to animal derived hydrolyzed keratin for hair care. FSS Vegan Keratin OS consists of hydrolyzed chickpea, lentil, and quinoa proteins that mimic the composition of hydrolyzed keratin to provide a sustainable, accountable, and effective solution for hair smoothing and hydration.

Chickpea, lentil, and quinoa are superfoods plentiful in nature and provide an easily accessible path to mimic the amino acid composition of hydrolyzed animal keratin. Chickpeas and lentils are old world pulses in the legume family and have traditionally been incorporated into many culinary creations. Lentils and chickpeas are sources of high quality protein, rich in amino acids such as arginine, aspartic and glutamic acids, and leucine. Quinoa, also known as ‘the mother grain’, is best known as a food ingredient and offers a complete amino acid profile – the highest level of protein of all grains. Quinoa contains an amino acid profile rich in lysine, methionine, and cysteine. The use of plant based protein as source for cosmetic innovation satisfies the growing consumer demand for vegan beauty and ingredient transparency.

SCIENCE

Keratin is a fibrous and insoluble protein with excellent mechanical properties. Keratin makes up more than 90% of the hair follicle and is rich in cysteine, a sulfur-containing amino acid that gives the protein its unique strength and protective quality.6 The major function of the keratin cuticle is to protect the inner cortex of the hair from damage caused by factors including thermal styling, chemical processing, and daily maintenance. The large molecular weight of intact keratin (40-60 kDa) makes the direct application of this protein ineffective at penetrating the hair shaft to support the integrity of the hair. Keratin proteins need to undergo hydrolysis to effectively deliver hair care benefits.

Through hydrolysis of chickpea, lentil, and quinoa proteins, initiated by the probiotic bacteria Lactobacillus bulgaricus, we are able to derive a controlled keratin peptide analogue with a lower molecular weight (approximately 1kDa oligopeptides as opposed to the 2-4 kDa traditional protein hydrolysates). When compared to traditional hydrolyzed proteins, this controlled, lower molecular weight fraction can efficiently penetrate the hair shaft, and deposit at the cuticle junctions. This helps to maintain the hairs’ structural integrity while promoting conditioning, smoothness, and shine. As this process uses a plant fermentation it is considered more sustainable and environmentally friendly than other hydrolysis methods.

The hydro-lipid layer is a film that assembles across the hair shaft helping to keep each strand moisturized and promoting general hair health. This protective barrier is formed of ceramides, cholesterol, essential fatty acids, triglycerides and water. All styling processes, such as washing, chemical or heat treatments, can strip these essential lipids and moisture form the hair. Additionally, disrupting this hydro-lipid layer, whether by washing or by dry shampooing, may be damaging to the hair. Dispersing the vegan, hydrolyzed keratin peptide analogues in an oil base can help to replenish some of the essential lipids to the hair and scalp without adding to an oily look or feel. In order to render these hydrolyzed plant peptides in an oil soluble form, the peptides are subjected to high shear processing in apricot kernel oil.

BENEFITS

FSS Vegan Keratin OS offers a biomimetic and vegan alternative to hydrolyzed keratin protein. The selective combination of quinoa, lentil, and chickpea peptides in an apricot oil base provides a plant-based, non-GMO, gluten-free functional equivalent to oil soluble hydrolyzed keratin. FSS Vegan Keratin OS effectively increases hair hydration and smooths hair to reduce frizz. Perfect for emulsions, hair oils, and dry shampoos, FSS Vegan Keratin OS allows brands to capture eco-conscious beauty without compromise.

Storage: Store in a dry place at temperatures not exceeding 32°C. Based on stability studies, the optimum storage temperature for maximization of shelf life is 23 - 25°C. 

However, it may be stored at temperatures between 16 and 32°C if such specific temperature control is not available. Do not freeze.

Shelf life: 12 months, properly stored, in sealed container.

**This product should be added to a formulation at the recommended usage rate**