Hair Relaxers

Hair Relaxers

A relaxer is a sort of cream, lotion or serum. It has to be externally applied on the hair. It helps in relaxing the curls and making the hair less curly. This helps at making it more capable to straighten the hair. These creams or serums are mostly alkaline based. It is a chemical change that occurs because of the alkaline, that relaxes the stubborn curls. There are some relaxers that use a chemical formulation around ammonium thioglycolate. Considering the fact that hair relaxers are mostly (always) chemical-based, their usage should be pondered over, rather than rushed into.

How to Pick a Hair Relaxer
Being aware of the types of hair relaxers is not going to help you if you don't know which is the best relaxer for your hair type. Hair relaxers are available from mild to super strength and you need to select the strength that suits your hair type. You also need to understand that hair relaxers for black hair are way too different than hair relaxers for white people. For instance, if you have thick black hair with stubborn curls, then you need to select strong/super level hair relaxer in order to get better results. Consider coarseness and curly nature of your hair and see whether the strength of the relaxer that you have chosen is suitable for your hair. Thick and coarse hair are better to be treated with super strength hair relaxers that contain lye. Lye is the best ingredient for such hair, since it breaks the tough curly bonds of the hair and keeps them smoother. Along with the basic hair relaxing treatment ingredient, you also need to check for the rest of the ingredients in the hair relaxer and choose the best that will cause the least side effects or damage on the long term basis.

Some Hair Relaxer Ingredients
Applying a hair relaxer is nothing but weakening the natural strength of hair by breaking down the bonds. And products sold in beauty stores contain strong substances, so as to give mind-boggling results. Even the best hair relaxer brands for hair straightening contain chemicals that may cause negative effects, not only to hair but also to the skin and body parts.

1. Hydroxide Compounds: Several types of hydroxide compounds are used in commercially sold hair relaxer products. To mention a few, ammonium hydroxide, sodium hydroxide and calcium hydroxide are added in specific amounts. Out of these, sodium hydroxide is the main component for lye relaxer type.

2. Hydrogen Peroxide: A common ingredient in many skin and hair care products, hydrogen peroxide is also used in formulation of hair relaxers. Chemically, it is a mild acid having bleaching property. Hydrogen peroxide adds to the effectiveness of hair relaxers in disrupting the protein bonds.

3. Phosphoric Acid: The name itself reveals that it is acidic in nature. Refer to the product label and you will come across phosphoric acid in some of the hair relaxer brands. This acidic ingredient added in hair relaxer is known to cause health hazards, particularly in the skin, respiratory tract and nervous system.

4. Cocoa Butter: In natural hair relaxer, cocoa butter is one of the popularly added hair relaxer ingredients. It does not enter the hair shaft and breaks the bonds like a chemical agent does. Cocoa butter moisturizes the hair strands, thus reducing hair tangling, loosening curls and smoothing hair strands.

5. Activator Gel: While making a natural hair relaxer at home, activator gel blends well with the cocoa butter and gives a smooth concoction. Together these two ingredients help in straightening curly hair and also, in strengthening the hair shaft. They make the best combination for straightening out heavy curls.

6. Olive Oil: Olive oil is a good ingredient for hair relaxing. Applying warm olive oil to the hair frequently give straightening effects, while still maintaining the natural hair structure. And remember to leave olive oil for at least 2 hours. You can use olive oil with other plant-based ingredients to get prompt results.

7. Coconut Milk: Loaded with healthy vitamins and minerals, fresh coconut milk is a common ingredient in skin and hair care treatments. This white milky solution extracted from the meat part of coconut is useful for hair relaxing. In short, you can use coconut milk in preparation of homemade hair relaxer.

Best Way to Apply a Hair Relaxer
You need to have the knowledge of how to relax hair before you settle down on the best relaxer product. Most hair relaxers are available in the form of kits, that consists of the relaxer cream, neutralizing shampoo, hair conditioner, activator solution and application tools like spatula stick and hand gloves. First of all, you need to prevent the relaxer ingredients from contacting your scalp, which is the best possible thing to do, to negate the possible side effects. For that, you can either use the pre-relaxing products that come along with the best relaxer kit, or you can simply apply oil on your scalp before undergoing the hair relaxing treatment. If you are applying a relaxer for coarse hair, then I would suggest you to add a few tablespoons of good quality olive oil in the mixture and then apply it on your hair. You need to follow all the instructions that are mentioned on the label of the relaxer and then deep condition your hair for better hair care and a healthier mane.

Five Best Natural Relaxer
1. Olive Oil: Olive oil is a great ingredient that deeply nourishes hair. To make a hair relaxer recipe, take ¼ cup of olive oil and heat it till it is warm. Remove it from heat and start applying it over your hair. Make sure that you apply it over entire length of hair. Now take a warm towel and wrap it over your hair. Apply heat to the towel using a blow dryer for about 5-10 minutes. Wait for 1-2 hours and then wash off your hair with a mild shampoo. Repeat this procedure every 4-5 days to get the results.

2. Coconut Cream: Coconut cream is a popular natural hair relaxer which softens hair and improves their texture. Take 4 tbsp coconut cream, 2 tbsp of coconut oil and 12 oz of fat-free yogurt (no sugar added) to make this relaxer. Start by melting coconut cream and coconut oil in a double boiler and then add yogurt to it. Now apply the mixture thoroughly, from roots to tips. Wash off after an hour.

3. Milk: Milk is also popularly used as a natural solution to soften and straighten hair. You'll need a small spray bottle for this procedure. Pour a cup of milk into the spray bottle. Now squirt it over your hair, make sure all your locks are covered with milk. Wash off your hair after 1 hour to have soft hair. Remember that tight curls won't show much improvement with this recipe.

4. Cocoa Butter: Cocoa butter acts as an effective moisturizer for hair, by making them soft and loosening the curls. You can buy cocoa butter from a supermarket and apply it directly over your bangs. Make sure you apply a thick layer of the same on your hair. Finish by wrapping a damp, hot towel over your hair for about 1-2 hours. Wash off with a mild shampoo to remove the stickiness.

5. Honey: Honey is another effective natural relaxer for black hair. You will need 1 cup of honey, ½ cup of olive oil, ½ cup of lemon juice and ½ cup caramel. Mix these ingredients thoroughly in a bowl. Apply the mixture properly on your hair and wash off after ½ hour. This is a good hair relaxer for black hair, but needs to be used regularly to get the results.

You can choose one of the aforementioned hair relaxers and add it to your hair care routine to have soft and manageable locks. Once you find a suitable one out of these, do continue using the same each time. Remember, as mentioned earlier, a natural hair relaxer will not give instant results and needs to be used regularly. So choose the best one for your locks and start using it to revamp your unmanageable curly hair.

Myotcstore Related Products:

Proline Soft And Beauty No-Lye Conditioning Relaxer -Kit

Softsheen Carson optimum care super strength hair relaxer kit

Lusters Renutrients Salon Formula Conditioning Hair Relaxer, Kit

Dark And Lovely Hair Color, Plus Creme Relaxer Kit

Dr. Miracles No Lye Relaxer, Regular - 1 Kit