What is really in your hair relaxer

All of these hair relaxers regardless of if their "lye" or "no-lye" are harmful to your hair. They are chemicals that cause our hair to permanently straighten, to go against it's natural texture, and become something it isn't.

All alkalis have a pH larger than 7, thus can be detected with litmus paper. Litmus will turn blue when it touches an alkali).

Most alkalis have a pH of 10 or greater.

They are caustic (causes chemical burns).

Alkaline solutions are slippery or soapy to the touch because the causticity dissolves the surface of your skin and your fingerprints.

Common active ingredients in hair texturizer, hair softener, 'natural relaxer', 'natural perm', 'curly perm', 'wash and wear relaxer', thermal relaxer, Japanese relaxer, kiddie perms, blowout kit are:

• Sodium hydroxide: Is often called caustic soda, or lye. Lye is often used to decompose complex molecular bonds such as the protein of your hair. Lye is also the active ingredient in Drano drain declogger. Use gloves and eye protection when using sodium hydroxide (lye), since there is a high probability of getting chemical burns, scars, and even blindness.

Sodium hydroxide, also known as lye and caustic soda, is a caustic metallic base. Sodium hydroxide forms a strong alkaline solution when dissolved in a solvent such as water, however, only the hydroxide ion is basic. It is used in many industries, mostly as a strong chemical base in the manufacture of pulp and paper, textiles, drinking water, soaps, and detergents and as a drain cleaner.

I should also note that is it also used in the production of illegal drugs such as methamphetamine and dimethltryptamine. It is also used as paint stripper and the tissue digestion of dead animal carcasses, it is commonly used in decomposing road kill dumped in landfills. Yet another shocking use for sodium hydroxide is the use of it by serial killers and other criminals to dispose of their victims bodies.

• Potassium hydroxide: Is often called potash, caustic potash, potassa, potash lye, or potassium hydrate. Potassium hydroxide is often used to disbud the horns of cattle, dissolve scales and hair, washing detergent, and drain cleaners.
• Calcium hydroxide: Is an alkaline used as a lye substitute in no-lye hair relaxers.

It's many uses include: flocculand in water and sewage treatment; a chemical depilatory found in Nair (the hair remover!)

• Guanidine hydroxide: Is also used as a lye alternative. They are often a combination of calcium hydroxide cream with guanidine carbonate (activator) solution. Ammonium thioglycolate: Is also called perm salt or thio.
• Ammonium thioglycolate contains a large amount of free ammonia.