There’s lots of talk about whether hair needs moisture and/or protein and how much of them. Protein is what makes hair strong, moisture is what makes hair soft, smooth, shiny and supple.
The biggest issue I see is when hair has too much added protein (not naturally occurring) as this can make hair brittle and lead to breakage, many people that have too much protein will describe it as their hair feeling like straw. After being in the hair industry for over 20 years I’m yet to see any major concerns from too much moisture whereas protein is a big culprit in irreversible hair issues (breakage). Yes, too much moisture MAY lead to increased oiliness but that’s easily fixed – it’s not a huge issue and can easily be managed with the right hair routine.
Hair is 95% protein so you could be forgiven for thinking protein is the answer to every hair problem you’ve ever had when in fact the truth is that if you get enough protein in your diet and are pretty nice to your hair (ie don’t go crazy with doing things that highly damage the core of your hair strand) you don’t need any extra protein at all. The protein bonds that make up the hair are actually very good at re-bonding themselves.
If you’re having hair issues, the first step should always be moisture as this can often reverse some of the side effects of damage to your hair and lead to long term healthier hair and if this doesn’t work then protein should be recommended.
When creating products with protein many chemists are assuming you will only be using 1 or 2 protein-based products and therefore formulate with the maximum amount of protein based on the outcomes they want for that product. If you are using products outside of guidelines or what could naturally be expected then you could be overdosing your hair on protein.
ME&MY products are predominantly moisture based in order to avoid any issues around protein overdose, a few have very small amounts of protein in order to assist the products in doing the job they’re designed to do but not enough that you will have any issues with overdosing.
Sara x
updated: 27 May 2026
