Tara gum: One haircare ingredient, multiple benefits
If you are looking for better and more natural ingredients to treat your hair with, then try out this unique ingredient called tara gum. Don't worry! This gum isn't going to damage your hair but is actually a great ingredient for making your hair soft and shiny. Tara gum is safe for all hair types, including colored hair.
What is tara gum?
The gum is a naturally odorless and tasteless gelling agent. It is derived from Tara spinosa tree from Peru and is highly beneficial for your tresses. Previously, petroleum film was the most common agent used to enhance the texture of any beauty product. However, concerns regarding sustainability made the beauty industry shift to tara gum--an effective alternative.
Uses of tara gum
It is used as a stabilizing ingredient that helps in regulating the final hair product's viscosity, stability, and softness. Tara gum is also used in high-sugar foods like ice cream and gummy candies to maintain the texture. The gum thickens hair formulations, stabilizes products, fights off frizz, prevents itchiness of the scalp, and overall appearance of your hair.
How it works
This gum makes your strands strong and elastic. Rich in complex sugars and vitamins C and B, it ensures that your hair don't lose hydration while protecting the scalp's moisture barrier. It also increases the ability of your hair to fight off sun damage, and damage from chemical treatments. The sugars in the gum form a film over your hair, keeping the moisture intact.
How to include tara gum in your hair care regime?
While you might have heard that you can buy and include tara gum in your hair care regime, it isn't exactly safe. Raw tara gum can potentially cause a reaction in your scalp. However, manufactured products use the gum in proportioned amounts preventing chances of a reaction. If you read closely, some of your products already contain tara gum.
Is tara gum better than other natural gums?
With a shift to biodegradable ingredients in the beauty industry, there has been an increasing interest in natural gums. While all the natural gums which were studied showed potential as effective alternatives to petroleum films, is tara gum better than guar gum? According to research, tara gum provides better elasticity and tensile strength creating a strong, flexible film as compared to guar gum.
