Cruelty-free cosmetics retailer Lush has launched vegan protein shampoos made with chickpea juice, also called aquafaba.
Aquafaba is the dense liquid that chickpeas have been cooked in. It’s naturally full of protein and saponin and shares many properties with egg white, particularly its ability to thicken blends, meaning it can be used as an alternative in cooking and cosmetics. According to Lush, aquafaba can also protect and strengthen fine hair.
Using aquafaba and various plant-powered ingredients, Lush created four vegan protein shampoos that each offer different benefits.
One shampoo, called “The Black Stuff,” contains jasmine, orange flower, and molasses, also known as black treacle, which is used in stout beer. The ingredient helps keep hair shiny and soft, Lush says.
Another new product, “Fix,” features chamomile and marigold and is said to keep bottle-blonde hair bright and not brassy. Aquafaba and extra virgin olive oil makes hair less prone to breakage, organic jojoba oil offers intense moisture, and fresh organic lemon juice delivers a “glorious shine.”
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“Café” is made with fresh mint and menthol crystals which help to reduce hair loss. Absorbent lycopodium powder removes excess oil from the scalp whilst caffeine powder promotes healthy hair growth by increasing blood flow to the hair follicles. “If you like your hair thick and strong, like your coffee, this protein-rich aquafaba shampoo, is for you,” the beauty brand writes.
“Silica,” made with spearmint oil, thyme, and silken tofu, helps those with dyed hair keep their colour looking as good as new. It also features horsetail herb, linseed oil, and cold pressed raspberry seed oil.
Aquafaba in Vegan Food
More people are clocking on to the potential of chickpeas and aquafaba. One startup food brand called Fora uses aquafaba and coconut cream to make dairy-free butter. Another company makes gelatin- and soy-free marshmallows with the chickpea brine.
Rubies in the Rubble uses produce that would otherwise be discarded to make “delicious, first-class” condiments like vegan relish, spreads, and sauces. Making use of the gallons of aquafaba liquid that is emptied every year by hummus manufacturers, the brand makes sustainable, healthy vegan mayonnaise.
Lush’s new vegan protein shampoos cost £15.00 for a 100 gram bottle.
