by theglamscientist | | egg, guanidine carbonate, hair care, hair relaxer, non-chemical relaxer, phytorelaxer, soya |
Ok… my idea for today has gone horribly wrong! Well, I take that back. Just the result of my research is not what I expected. I heard [read] about a method of relaxing [or texturizing] hair that is chemical free. Of course that peaked my interest. So my first thought was “How does that work?!”
What I found is that it is chemical free [not according to my standards]… but I think it is more appropriately classified as no-lye. The company [Phyto] claims the active ingredients in their Phytorelaxer are derived from egg and soya. How so? Those ingredients are waaaaay at the bottom of the list! I guess that doesn’t really matter… I did however find guanidine carbonate in the ingredients list. Guanidine carbonate is derived from mushroom salts. It is listed in other no-lye relaxer treatments, but I have never seen it stand alone. It is usually accompanied by some sort of hydroxide (calcium hydroxide for example). Knowing this, I am skeptical about how this relaxer can be effective without the aid of some other base…
In defense of the product [this was not meant to be a product review… see horribly wrong!] it has received rave reviews by those who use it. It has a reputation of being much gentler and more nourishing than the more widely known relaxers. This may be due to all the extra steps included in the kit, but who really cares… it works right?!
by theglamscientist | | chemicals, chemistry, cosmetics, hair care, skin care |
This is the very first Um, What?! Wednesday! Every Wednesday I’m going to break down one ingredient commonly found in personal care products; giving you the good, the bad and the ugly. Today its all about EDTA, my absolute favorite chemical (don’t ask me why, I’m a nerd!). Here are the facts:
EDTA and its salts– anything listed that has EDTA somewhere in the name– is found in just about all skin care treatments including lotions, creams, body wash, soap, shampoos and conditioners. Its official chemical name is (insert deep breath here) ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid. Its defining quality is the ability to bind metal ions. Popular applications in your personal care products are preservative and foaming/lather agent. As a preservative it prevents deterioration of the product, protects the fragrance, and prevents rancidity (common in products whose ingredients include water). It combines with metals such as calcium, magnesium and iron to achieve foam or lather. EDTA also keeps metals from being deposited on your hair, skin and scalp (cleanliness is of utmost importance right?).
Not only is this chemical known for getting the job done, its also been deemed safe by the FDA for food and cosmetic applications. That’s right, its safe enough to eat!!!! In reference to cosmetic and personal care applications, it is not a skin irritant or sensitizer, nor is it a carcinogen (won’t cause cancer). It results in very little skin penetration, so if found in your blood stream, its only in trace amounts.
I absolutely love this chemical!!!! See you next Wednesday!
