Understanding Immune Reactivity, and How We Formulate

Pollen is more than dust. Each grain carries proteins, and in many people the immune system identifies some of those proteins as something to respond to. That response, called immune reactivity, varies widely from person to person. It is also the reason ALTA ORLA pays close attention to what goes into a formula and what stays out.

This article is educational. ALTA ORLA makes haircare, not medicine, and nothing here describes a medical effect of our products.

What a pollen grain is

A pollen grain is a small, durable capsule. A tough outer wall protects the proteins inside so the grain can survive travel on the wind. Mountain cedar grains measure roughly 20 to 30 micrometers and can travel hundreds of miles (ATX Cedar Watch).

The major allergen in mountain cedar pollen is a protein called Jun a 1. Its structure has been mapped in detail. It is built around a tightly coiled core held together by three disulfide bonds and ten salt bridges, which makes it a notably stable protein, and the sites where antibodies bind sit on its surface (Czerwinski et al., 2005).

How the immune system recognizes it

In people who are sensitized to a pollen, the immune system produces a type of antibody called IgE that recognizes specific parts of that pollen's proteins. IgE sits on mast cells in the nose, eyes and airways. When the matching protein arrives, mast cells release histamine and other signals. The response comes from the body's recognition of the protein, not from the pollen grain itself.

Water also matters. When pollen grains become wet, many rupture and release their inner contents. A 2019 study in Aerobiologia found that for several grass and weed species, most protein release happened within about 15 minutes of hydration (Siriwattanakul et al.). This is part of why weather shapes pollen season so strongly.

Why hair belongs in the conversation

Most advice about pollen focuses on clothing, air filters and pets. Hair gets far less attention, yet it spends the entire day outside, sits close to the face and goes to bed with you. Static and texture help pollen cling to it, and it can remain there until the next wash.

That gap is the space ALTA ORLA is working in: caring for the hair that carries the season home.

Formulation choices

Enzymes were set aside. Early versions of the formula used plant enzymes to break down residue. Enzymes that break down proteins cannot distinguish pollen proteins from hair, which is made of the protein keratin. The risk to the hair fiber outweighed the benefit, so they were removed.

The formula is low pH. Liminal is being formulated at pH 4.5 to 4.8 using lactic acid. Research shows hair products above about pH 5.5 increase the negative charge on the hair fiber and the friction between strands (Dias et al., International Journal of Trichology, 2014). A lower pH is intended to help calm static, which is one of the factors that helps pollen cling.

It uses a postbiotic, not a live culture. Lactobacillus ferment lysate filtrate is a conditioning ingredient derived from beneficial bacteria after fermentation. It contains no live cultures.

The aim is to lift, not scrub. The mist is designed to help loosen what has settled on the hair so a brush can carry it away, with no powder and no heavy film.

Testing comes before launch. Liminal will be tested before it reaches customers, and results will be shared here, including any that fall short of expectations.

What we will not claim

ALTA ORLA will not claim that a hair product relieves allergies or changes how the body responds to pollen. Liminal is haircare and is not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent allergies. If pollen season is difficult for you, talk to your doctor.

The Founders Circle

ALTA ORLA launches in 2027 in a limited first release. Members of the Founders Circle receive first access, and the first 1,000 orders receive founding pricing. Join the Founders Circle below.

Sources

• ATX Cedar Watch, About Cedar Pollen in Austin (austincedar.com/about-cedar)
• Czerwinski, Midoro-Horiuti, White, Brooks and Goldblum, "Crystal Structure of Jun a 1, the Major Cedar Pollen Allergen from Juniperus ashei, Reveals a Parallel β-Helical Core," Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2005
• Siriwattanakul, Piboonpocanun and Songnuan, "Rapid pollen rupture and release of pollen cytoplasmic granules upon hydration," Aerobiologia, 2019
• Dias et al., "The Shampoo pH Can Affect the Hair: Myth or Reality?" International Journal of Trichology, 2014