What Are the Benefits of Carob Extract for Hair?

Listed under the I.N.C. name of "Ceratonia Siliqua Seed Extract", the extract of carob seeds is generally obtained from the maceration of the fruit pulp. This plant ingredient is rich in small hygroscopic molecules. These are hydrolyzed proteins in the form of peptides, i.e. compounds with a limited number of amino acids.

As a reminder, hair is mainly made of keratin, a hydrophobic fibrous protein. The outer layer that surrounds the hair is called the cuticle. It is composed of keratin and a lipidic  film. Carob extract has an excellent affinity for hair fibers because it contains amino acids similar to those of keratin, namely glutamic acid, arginine and aspartic acid.

The extract of carob seeds improves the structural integrity of hair fibers, strengthening the barrier function of the cuticles and protects the hair from various external aggressions (UV rays, pollution, temperature variations ...). By binding to the hair fiber, carob extract forms a protective layer that smoothes the hair cuticle and retains the water molecules inside the hair strands to preserve hair hydration. In addition, this plant extract helps reduce static electricity in the hair that sometimes makes it difficult to tame. Hair is shinier and more manageable, the cuticle is smoother with less frizz.

Because of these properties, carob seed extract is present in conditioners, shampoos, masks as well as hair lotions and serums.

Alopecia is the scientific term for hair loss. As a reminder, this phenomenon is normal and natural: on average, we lose between 50 and 100 hairs per day. However, it can be considered abnormal beyond a loss of more than 100 hairs per day. The causes are internal and external (genetics, hormonal imbalance, tobacco, nutritional deficiencies, illnesses, stress, medical treatments, pollution...). Androgenetic alopecia is due to the action of testosterone, which is transformed into dihydrotestosterone (DHT) under the influence of an enzyme called 5-alpha reductase.

Researchers have demonstrated the capacity of inositol, a compound present in carob seeds, to limit androgenetic alopecia in female subjects. It should be noted, however, that inositol is administered orally and not by external application.

• BENAIGES A. & al. Hair efficacy of botanical extracts. Journal of Applied Polymer Science (2012).

• GULLO & al. The effects of inositol in the female androgenetic alopecia: Preliminary data. Giornale Italiano di Ostetricia e Ginecologia (2014).