Technique Thursday-- At-Home Keratin Treatment

Hello there!

This is going to be a long and AMAZING post-- so just be prepared!! ;)

I recently heard about this fabulous new hair treatment -- Keratin -- which straightens hair and reduces frizz without chemicals. Whoa, right?

According to WebMD, Keratin Hair Straightening is described as follow:

Keratin is a protein found naturally in your hair. It can fill in gaps in the hair cuticle that are cracked, dry, or damaged. It is applied to the hair, and then sealed in with the heat of a flat iron. 

The results of keratin-based treatments last about two to 2 1/2 months. Keratin treatments take about 90 minutes or longer, based on the length of your hair. The price also rises and falls with your hair's length, but averages around $300.

Color -- whether highlights, low lights, or merely covering up the gray -- can be done on hair that has had keratin-based straightening treatments. In fact, some hair care experts recommend getting the treatment right after your color so that it seals the color in as well.

There is some downtime with these treatments -- meaning not washing your hair for three or four days afterward, because the solution takes time to work.

So-- as you can see, the salon process is pretty pricey and takes a good chunk of time to apply, but you really see results:

Whoa.

Well, the other day I was in Ulta and saw a Keratin at-home treatment by Organix. Since I have naturally straight hair, I asked my curly/Barbie-haired friend if I could try it on her. She obliged. =D



The product:
Organix Brazilian Keratin Therapy 30-Day Smoothing Treatment, $14.99 at Ulta (and Walgreens).

Click image to enlarge.

Selling Points, as per their site:

Why We Love It…It’s an amazing keratin therapy originating from the Amazon rainforest.

Why You Want It…This rich formula of Brazilian cocoa nut oil and keratin proteins to smooth and strengthen your curly or wavy tresses.

          What’s In It For You…
         Transform your hair into silky smooth locks with this exclusive blend of organic cocoa nut oils, 
         keratin proteins, avocado oil and cocoa butter.

         What’s it in...
         Organix® bottles are eco-friendly, manufactured from materials containing recycled 
         post-consumer resin. All labels are printed utilizing environmental inks and compostable label
         film made from annually renewable resource corn, not from petrochemicals.


Instructions:

1. Wash hair with clarifying “PRE SHAMPOO” packette (included), then rinse. For extremely curly hair wash twice. (Do not condition). Conditioner will keep the treatment from penetrating the hair cuticle. 
2. Towel dry and comb hair. Hair should be 80% dry.
3. Shake bottle well. Apply treatment to two inch sections of towel dry hair. Do not over saturate. Do not apply directly to skin or scalp. Wear gloves provided.  
4. Comb treatment through hair to evenly distribute from the roots to the ends. 
5. Let treatment sit on hair for 30 minutes. 
6. Pull hair straight using a brush and blow dry until hair is completely dry. 
7. Flat iron hair in small sections on high heat (450° recommended) to seal keratin treatment onto the hair shaft.  Note: There is thermal heat protection in the treatment to protect your hair from overheating. Flat iron each section 7 to 10 times. Treatment should be applied in a well ventilated area. Fans are recommended for air circulation.  
8. Leave treatment in hair for 48 hours. Do not wash or let hair become wet. Do not bend hair, tuck behind ears, or use ponytails, barrettes, etc. If hair becomes bent, wavy, or kinky, blow dry with a brush or touch up with flat iron until hair is straight again. 
9. After 48 hours, wash and condition hair with a sulfate  and sodium free shampoo. For best results use in conjunction with Organix® Brazilian Keratin Therapy products. Style as desired. 
10. To preserve treatment, continue to use ONLY  sulfate and sodium free shampoos and  conditioners. Treatment lasts up to 30 days.

Use any remaining product for touch-ups.

This seemed very promising-- but already there is a hiccup. It says a 450-degree flat iron is preferred... well, most Chi's only go up to 350-degrees, if you're fancy.

Let's see how it worked!

Her hair curly~ 

KERATIN TIME!

Hair wet- before applying treatment. 

Hair after applying treatment + blow dry. 

Hair after applying treatment + blow dry + flat iron. 

It looks AMAZING, right?? OMG her hair is so gorgeous. Jealous, girl! ;)

She had to keep it straight for 48 hours, and then got to shower and see what the real results were. (By the way-- shout out to her for taking some great pictures for me to use!! Thank you!!)

The sulfate-free shampoo + conditioner she used~

Leave-In Conditioner she uses normally, so she did this time, too.

Hair out of shower-- showing curls~

Hair after blow dry-- not what Keratin promises. =\

Hair after straightening-- shiny and healthy!!

Here's what she had to say: 

Frizz gone? No
Cuts down on frizz? Yes

My hair is the easiest to brush and blow dry than it's EVER been. The treatment definitely toned down the frizz, and my hair is super soft. Normally, after blow drying, my hair feels like straw... I feel like I'm starting from square one with styling. With this, I feel like blow drying was at least somewhat productive, and straightening it wasn't as hard as normal. The blow dry time was diminished, and I could actually blow dry AND brush my hair at the same time. I normally have a lot of tangles, so it is groundbreaking for me, a curly haired girl, to be able to blow dry and brush at the same time--- The treatment was worth is just for that!

Overall-- I'd give it 4/5 starts, since it made blow drying so much easier, and it cuts down a ton of frizz-- I'd say about 75%-- and only being $15. My hair looks healthier and is more hydrated, and even after blow drying and straightening, my hair doesn't feel like it's had heat on it. 

So there you go!! Any questions? Ask in the comments! =)

To be fair-- this treatment only promised to "transform your hair into silky smooth locks," and not the air-dried straightness that the professional Keratin delivers. If you have the money/it's worth it to you, the salon Keratin treatment really is remarkable. You can even have you hair stick-straight, curled-under, or flipped-out-- depending on how the stylist sets it with the flat iron! I'm curious about making my hair curly, haha! Twisted, I know. ;)  I've seen the treatment range from $150-$300, so check with your local salon if you're interested. And it you live close to me, I highly suggest Vogue Aesthetics! They really know what they're doing~ and you can have some feathers put in while you're there! Haha! 

Until next time--

~Beauty Maven