ITA with gymfreak 100%.
Just about all of the products we use today contain chemicals of some kind of another. In the hair world, some of the best moisturizers contain
propylene glycol and anyone who has worked in a chemistry lab, or has even taken introductory level chemistry course will tell you that this chemical can only be handled with gloves, goggles, and in a well ventilated area. It is very dangerous to handle, yet its in a great many of our moisturizing products for its humectant properties. I don't see anyone using gloves and goggles to squirt on their S-Curl
Everything is a chemical--- even water. In different concentrations, certain conditions, (or mixed with certain other ingredients) one chemical may have two totally different actions. Water, Sodium and chloride do nothing on their own, but when they come together, they cause a highly explosive reaction. A really quick interesting display of this reaction here if you are bored:
http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/JCESoft/CCA/CCA0/Movies/NACL1.html
The end result is harmless table salt. Adding the table salt itself again to water, though it still contains the same sodium and Chlorine does nothing but make salty water. Sodium hydroxide (NaOH) is the same way. The same NaOH added in Dark N Lovely is not going to be or react the same as the NaOH in NTM.What separates NTM from Dark N lovely or Affirm is the concentration of NaOH , the pH, and the presence of other chemicals that encourage the relaxing effect. Nothing in NTM is going to give you that same effect. You could dump the whole entire bottle on your head, cover it overnight, and nothing would happen except you’d have a gunky mess on your hands. Now, try that with Affirm or Dark N Lovely
Much of the soap used today is actually derived from NaOH, but when it mixes with oils and water (through a process called saponification) it is no longer truly lye. It is a “waxy ,fatty substance†or “soap†and it acts as an excellent, effective non-drying cleanser. In the NTM, its probably acting in a waxy capacity along with the other shaft coating smoothers (silicones) all up and through that product. Any dryness you get from NTM would be best blamed on the "cones" if theres a threat, that would be it.
So no need to get worked up or worry! Products that contain NaOH will not have a relaxing effect on your hair- unless the product is explicitly a relaxer or texturizing product. It will NOT process or over process your strands. If you eat pretzels, those are actually boiled in a NaOH solution before baking.
