empprincess
New Member
BOTTOM LINE: LOVING IT!!!!!! 
(forgive my bootleg pix)
I have never written about a product experience before, but I found other's research so helpful when deciding whether to try the Organix Brazilian Keratin 30-day Smoothing Treatment ($14.99 at CVS) on my natural hair, I wanted to give back. This review is long, b/c I wanted to be thorough.
Also, I am not a hair stylist, scientist, hair product expert, paid by the company etc. I am just a regular person who is willing to try new things with my hair.
MY HAIR BEFORE:
I have been natural for about 8 years. My hair has multiple curl patterns. 3C in the back, 4a on the sides, 4b at the crown-very wiry & z-shaped. It is medium to coarse in texture, and easily becomes too porous. However, when my hair when it is balanced with moisture and protein, is soft and cottony. My hair is thin & I have A LOT of shrinkage. It is shoulder length when straightened and will shrink to above my ears if left to its own devices. No amount of curly pudding, eco gel etc. will stop the shrinkage.
My hope was that the Organix treatment would loosen my natural curl pattern and smooth out my hair- maybe help the curls clump together better and prevent some of the shrinkage so that I could wear my hair curly and out without looking like an old q-tip. I was so tired of the afro puff, and lately my hair wasn't looking all that great with a twist-out.
HOW IT WORKS
Hair is made up of a protein called keratin. These protein bonds form a specific pattern depending on your hair type. When you wet your hair, you loosen the protein bonds which is why hair stretches out and is more flexible and easy to shape into a new style. Left to dry on its own, the bonds will tighten into their natural shape. When hair is placed into an "unnatural" position (stretched, blow-dried, curlers, twists, pony-tail etc.) and dried, it will maintain that position.
This is where the BKT comes in. It has keratin that bonds to your hair strands. If you put the keratin onto your hair, straighten your hair into the form that you want the bonds to hold, seal it and let it "cure" for a few days, then your hair will maintain that shape until you wash all the extra keratin out- according to the Organix box, this will take about 30 days.
A note about formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a common chemical that is used in hundreds of products- household, cosmetic etc. and it has been found to be a carcinogen. It is dangerous in high concentrations, and some BKTs use it to bond the keratin to your hair.
The Organix product does not use formaldehyde as the bonding agent. I have seen conflicting information as to what exactly is being used in its place, however, I did find a page where someone apparently researched all the ingredients. Bottom line- the Organix treatment is formaldehyde free, but it ain't "organic" in spite of how the product name sounds. The ingredient explanation I found was here: http://alwayzzacritic.wordpress.com...n-keratin-therapy-30-day-smoothing-treatment/
APPLICATION
I applied the treatment on Friday night so that it could "cure" over the weekend. The box instructs you to wait 48-hours before washing it out. It took me almost 4 hours to apply, but I really took my time to make sure I did it correctly (and I stopped in the middle and baked cookies with my kid
).
1. The first step is to wash your hair with the pre-treatment clarifying shampoo. This is to strip all the product, oils, and conditioners you might already have put into your hair, so that the treatment can really penetrate the hair shaft.
*Tip- I let the water run over my hair and used a big shower comb to gently comb my hair out before i put the shampoo in, because I knew the clarifying shampoo would make my hair REALLY hard to comb after. I made sure the water was nice and warm so that my hair cuticles would be really open, again, to let the product get in. I also gently smoothed the shampoo down may hair… I didn't pile my hair up or twist it since I knew there would be no slip. I washed my hair twice, so that it would be squeaky clean. I only used half the shampoo. Do not use conditioner.
2. After rinsing with warm water, I patted my hair dry with a cotton t-shirt. My hair looked sooo dull and wiry thanks to the lack of conditioner and the clarifying shampoo. I was really careful to not twist or do anything to tangle my hair and I used the shower comb to section it into 8 sections and make sure each section was about 80% dry.
3. I used my own latex gloves (I hate the crappy gloves hair products give you) to apply the product in 2-3 inch sections. I used about a nickel to a quarter amount of product on each section and carefully combed it through the section with a rat tail comb (the product gave me slip enough to use the smaller comb). Altogether I used about half of the bottle and it took about 30 mins. I then waited an additional 30-40 minutes before I started drying it (read: cookie time)
4. When it was time to dry, I used a paddle drying brush and worked through my hair in small sections. It is important to get your hair 100% dry so that you do not damage it in the next step. It was harder than usual to get my hair dry because of the product, which left a waxy coating on my hair. Also, it smoked something awful, so I opened windows and set up a fan…ventilation was key. Next time I think I will use a face mask- just to be on the safe side. The smell was strong, but not bad- like a chemically coconut, hot hair smell. It took me another 45 mins to blow dry.
5. The final step is to use a HOT flat iron to seal in the treatment. I had to borrow one from a friend because my Chi does not get hot enough. Yes, ladies, you have to use a flat iron at 450 degrees for this to work. I know, that may sounds crazy and scary, but if you applied the product correctly (not too much, and completely coated your hair section by section so every strand was coated) and you dried your hair 100% in the previous step, the hot flat iron should not damage your hair, and it is the only way to see professional results. Do not use a flat iron at some unknown temperature and expect results. It really needs to be 450 degrees.
Once again I sectioned my hair and I went over it two small inches at a time. I made about 7 passes on each section. When I was finished, I ran over it again (much bigger chunks this time) for good measure.
THE RESULTS
Oh. My. Goodness. My hair felt FANTASTIC. It was smoother, silkier and softer than it has ever been in my life, even when I used to get it relaxed. I could definitely still feel the product on it (a waxy coated feeling), but I didn't care because my hair felt GREAT! It moved, it swaaang. I couldn't stop touching it. Even though I didn't buy the product to wear my hair straight, I suddenly had visions of the glamorous pin curl style I favored before I moved to humidity-laden Houston. The product did as promised on day one, but what would the future bring?
Post-application
You are not supposed to pin your hair up, use clips, ponytail etc. for the 48-hours your hair is "curing" to prevent it forming any creases. However, I sleep crazy, so when I woke up it had slight creases. I smoothed them out with the flat iron (still at 450, but it only took a minute to do so). My hair was still waxy the first day post-application, but by Sunday (day two), the product had really penetrated into my hair shaft, and my hair started to get a little body back. No frizz whatsoever, just silky, smooth hair deliciousness. I did notice that my hair still had that chemically smell. Not overwhelming, but It annoyed me.
It is important to wait at least 48 hours before you wash the product out of your hair. You have to give it time to fully "cure." Just because it is dry on the surface, doesn't mean it has fully penetrated the shaft, sealing your hair into that straightened position, and ensuring that it will not wash out before the 30 days are up.
Equally important is not using additional products on your hair during this time. Just leave it alone, and let it do its thing.
*SN: In talking to others that have done a BKT at home, I have found that women whose hair gets oily when they don't wash it for a couple of days find this waiting period to be awful. The product combined with their natural hair oils is too much. For those of us with drier hair, the waiting period is no problem. It actually gets better as the product is absorbed into the hair shaft.
FINAL RESULTS
I planned on washing my hair after work on Monday, but when I woke up in the morning, the back of my neck was itchy and irritated. I assumed the product was the cause and immediately washed it out with Organix BKT shampoo- which is sulfate and sodium free, a must for maintaining the results. I used Organix Coconut Milk conditioner, also sulfate and sodium free. The irritation on my neck disappeared as soon as I washed out the product.
My hair was very straight. The back was bone straight, no curl at all. The sides and middle had a loose curl, more like a wave, and the crown was less frizzy, but more or less the same pattern as before the treatment. After applying product and letting it dry a little, I was able to twist my hair around my fingers to create little ringlet curls. It was not going to curl up on its own. I wore it like that on Monday and did flat twists for a twist out Monday night.
Tuesday morning, after taking the twists out, my hair was PERFECT. Soft, silky, loose curls, movement, body, the works. It held all day. No frizz even after I sat outside in Houston, in 78 degree weather AFTER a rainstorm AND after I cooked dinner over a pot of boiling water. Unheard of . My hair stayed light, silky and loosely curled through the evening. I am totally hooked on this process!
Stay tuned for updates as I try various styles and see how long it lasts.
(forgive my bootleg pix)
I have never written about a product experience before, but I found other's research so helpful when deciding whether to try the Organix Brazilian Keratin 30-day Smoothing Treatment ($14.99 at CVS) on my natural hair, I wanted to give back. This review is long, b/c I wanted to be thorough.
Also, I am not a hair stylist, scientist, hair product expert, paid by the company etc. I am just a regular person who is willing to try new things with my hair.
MY HAIR BEFORE:
I have been natural for about 8 years. My hair has multiple curl patterns. 3C in the back, 4a on the sides, 4b at the crown-very wiry & z-shaped. It is medium to coarse in texture, and easily becomes too porous. However, when my hair when it is balanced with moisture and protein, is soft and cottony. My hair is thin & I have A LOT of shrinkage. It is shoulder length when straightened and will shrink to above my ears if left to its own devices. No amount of curly pudding, eco gel etc. will stop the shrinkage.
My hope was that the Organix treatment would loosen my natural curl pattern and smooth out my hair- maybe help the curls clump together better and prevent some of the shrinkage so that I could wear my hair curly and out without looking like an old q-tip. I was so tired of the afro puff, and lately my hair wasn't looking all that great with a twist-out.
HOW IT WORKS
Hair is made up of a protein called keratin. These protein bonds form a specific pattern depending on your hair type. When you wet your hair, you loosen the protein bonds which is why hair stretches out and is more flexible and easy to shape into a new style. Left to dry on its own, the bonds will tighten into their natural shape. When hair is placed into an "unnatural" position (stretched, blow-dried, curlers, twists, pony-tail etc.) and dried, it will maintain that position.
This is where the BKT comes in. It has keratin that bonds to your hair strands. If you put the keratin onto your hair, straighten your hair into the form that you want the bonds to hold, seal it and let it "cure" for a few days, then your hair will maintain that shape until you wash all the extra keratin out- according to the Organix box, this will take about 30 days.
A note about formaldehyde. Formaldehyde is a common chemical that is used in hundreds of products- household, cosmetic etc. and it has been found to be a carcinogen. It is dangerous in high concentrations, and some BKTs use it to bond the keratin to your hair.
The Organix product does not use formaldehyde as the bonding agent. I have seen conflicting information as to what exactly is being used in its place, however, I did find a page where someone apparently researched all the ingredients. Bottom line- the Organix treatment is formaldehyde free, but it ain't "organic" in spite of how the product name sounds. The ingredient explanation I found was here: http://alwayzzacritic.wordpress.com...n-keratin-therapy-30-day-smoothing-treatment/
APPLICATION
I applied the treatment on Friday night so that it could "cure" over the weekend. The box instructs you to wait 48-hours before washing it out. It took me almost 4 hours to apply, but I really took my time to make sure I did it correctly (and I stopped in the middle and baked cookies with my kid
).1. The first step is to wash your hair with the pre-treatment clarifying shampoo. This is to strip all the product, oils, and conditioners you might already have put into your hair, so that the treatment can really penetrate the hair shaft.
*Tip- I let the water run over my hair and used a big shower comb to gently comb my hair out before i put the shampoo in, because I knew the clarifying shampoo would make my hair REALLY hard to comb after. I made sure the water was nice and warm so that my hair cuticles would be really open, again, to let the product get in. I also gently smoothed the shampoo down may hair… I didn't pile my hair up or twist it since I knew there would be no slip. I washed my hair twice, so that it would be squeaky clean. I only used half the shampoo. Do not use conditioner.
2. After rinsing with warm water, I patted my hair dry with a cotton t-shirt. My hair looked sooo dull and wiry thanks to the lack of conditioner and the clarifying shampoo. I was really careful to not twist or do anything to tangle my hair and I used the shower comb to section it into 8 sections and make sure each section was about 80% dry.
3. I used my own latex gloves (I hate the crappy gloves hair products give you) to apply the product in 2-3 inch sections. I used about a nickel to a quarter amount of product on each section and carefully combed it through the section with a rat tail comb (the product gave me slip enough to use the smaller comb). Altogether I used about half of the bottle and it took about 30 mins. I then waited an additional 30-40 minutes before I started drying it (read: cookie time)
4. When it was time to dry, I used a paddle drying brush and worked through my hair in small sections. It is important to get your hair 100% dry so that you do not damage it in the next step. It was harder than usual to get my hair dry because of the product, which left a waxy coating on my hair. Also, it smoked something awful, so I opened windows and set up a fan…ventilation was key. Next time I think I will use a face mask- just to be on the safe side. The smell was strong, but not bad- like a chemically coconut, hot hair smell. It took me another 45 mins to blow dry.
5. The final step is to use a HOT flat iron to seal in the treatment. I had to borrow one from a friend because my Chi does not get hot enough. Yes, ladies, you have to use a flat iron at 450 degrees for this to work. I know, that may sounds crazy and scary, but if you applied the product correctly (not too much, and completely coated your hair section by section so every strand was coated) and you dried your hair 100% in the previous step, the hot flat iron should not damage your hair, and it is the only way to see professional results. Do not use a flat iron at some unknown temperature and expect results. It really needs to be 450 degrees.
Once again I sectioned my hair and I went over it two small inches at a time. I made about 7 passes on each section. When I was finished, I ran over it again (much bigger chunks this time) for good measure.
THE RESULTS
Oh. My. Goodness. My hair felt FANTASTIC. It was smoother, silkier and softer than it has ever been in my life, even when I used to get it relaxed. I could definitely still feel the product on it (a waxy coated feeling), but I didn't care because my hair felt GREAT! It moved, it swaaang. I couldn't stop touching it. Even though I didn't buy the product to wear my hair straight, I suddenly had visions of the glamorous pin curl style I favored before I moved to humidity-laden Houston. The product did as promised on day one, but what would the future bring?
Post-application
You are not supposed to pin your hair up, use clips, ponytail etc. for the 48-hours your hair is "curing" to prevent it forming any creases. However, I sleep crazy, so when I woke up it had slight creases. I smoothed them out with the flat iron (still at 450, but it only took a minute to do so). My hair was still waxy the first day post-application, but by Sunday (day two), the product had really penetrated into my hair shaft, and my hair started to get a little body back. No frizz whatsoever, just silky, smooth hair deliciousness. I did notice that my hair still had that chemically smell. Not overwhelming, but It annoyed me.
It is important to wait at least 48 hours before you wash the product out of your hair. You have to give it time to fully "cure." Just because it is dry on the surface, doesn't mean it has fully penetrated the shaft, sealing your hair into that straightened position, and ensuring that it will not wash out before the 30 days are up.
Equally important is not using additional products on your hair during this time. Just leave it alone, and let it do its thing.
*SN: In talking to others that have done a BKT at home, I have found that women whose hair gets oily when they don't wash it for a couple of days find this waiting period to be awful. The product combined with their natural hair oils is too much. For those of us with drier hair, the waiting period is no problem. It actually gets better as the product is absorbed into the hair shaft.
FINAL RESULTS
I planned on washing my hair after work on Monday, but when I woke up in the morning, the back of my neck was itchy and irritated. I assumed the product was the cause and immediately washed it out with Organix BKT shampoo- which is sulfate and sodium free, a must for maintaining the results. I used Organix Coconut Milk conditioner, also sulfate and sodium free. The irritation on my neck disappeared as soon as I washed out the product.
My hair was very straight. The back was bone straight, no curl at all. The sides and middle had a loose curl, more like a wave, and the crown was less frizzy, but more or less the same pattern as before the treatment. After applying product and letting it dry a little, I was able to twist my hair around my fingers to create little ringlet curls. It was not going to curl up on its own. I wore it like that on Monday and did flat twists for a twist out Monday night.
Tuesday morning, after taking the twists out, my hair was PERFECT. Soft, silky, loose curls, movement, body, the works. It held all day. No frizz even after I sat outside in Houston, in 78 degree weather AFTER a rainstorm AND after I cooked dinner over a pot of boiling water. Unheard of . My hair stayed light, silky and loosely curled through the evening. I am totally hooked on this process!
Stay tuned for updates as I try various styles and see how long it lasts.
Attachments
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after-side.jpg -
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aftertwists2.jpg
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