The Most Comprehensive Guide To Formaldehyde-Free Brazilian Blowout and Keratin Treatment Alternatives
In the past 12 months, Brazilian Blowout and the keratin treatment industry have been under fire over ingredients that could be potentially dangerous. Methylene glycol, which releases formaldehyde when heated, is present in varying concentrations in most of these products, causing concern over their safety. The debate continues; although air testing has shown most products to be safely within guidelines, and filtration options have become widely available to salons to help control fumes, many concerned clients, stylists and salons are seeking alternative treatments. There are now several options on the market that do not contain any methylene glycol, however their efficacy can vary greatly. Some are better for certain hair textures, or add great shine but dont help much with controlling curl, and while none of them can replicate the exact same results as the original Brazilian Blowout or keratin treatments, they definitely have their place in the salon. Some are safe for children, which is a common inquiry, and some are even safe while pregnant and nursing!!
Lower heat settingsmost of these treatments are performed using a flat iron on lower heat settings than traditional smoothing treatments, and do not require the 1-4 day waiting period before washing your styling your hair, that most keratin treatments do!
So leave it to me…the keratin treatment geek…to try a slew of them, and report the results to you! My rating system is based on comparing the products results on multiple criteria, against each other and against the results I have seen from Brazilian Blowout and/or keratin treatments on the same hair types, and when possible, the same hair (many of my test models have had multiple treatments over the past few years.)
One important note to make is that , a common misconception about smoothing treatments. Even original strength keratin treatments are not straighteners, though many can reduce curl significantly. This new generation of treatments is generally not as effective in that area (which could be a pro for some, or a con for others,) but some of the treatments can help control or reduce curl, and each products ability to do so will be rated individually. As with any hair treatment, outcome can vary based on hair type, processing and aftercare. A note to stylists: please take the time to learn each products recommendations and procedures before doing them; they are not all the same, and focusing on the little details can make a big difference in the results!
1. Before Cadiveu Acai Therapy 2. During Cadiveu Acai Therapy 3. After Cadiveu Acai Therapy, finger dried 4. After Cadiveu Acai Therapy, styled
Curl Reduction: 
Frizz Reduction:
Soft finish:
Shine: 
1. Before Pure Brazilian Clear [exactly 6 weeks after Liqwd Q-Keratin (below), which was faded out] 2. After Pure Brazilian Clear- note faded color! 3. After Pure Brazilian Clear and fresh color, air-dried naturally 4. After Pure Brazilian Clear and fresh color, styled
Essential hair nutrients, fortifying amino acids, Brazilian keratin along with glyoxylic acid.
Curl Reduction:
Frizz Reduction:
Soft Finish:
Shine:
1. Before Brazilian Blowout Zero 2. After Brazilian Blowout Zero ironed in 3. After Brazilian Blowout Zero on the left, finger dried (Pure Brazilian Clear on the right), also finger-dried 4. After Brazilian Blowout Zero, styled
Curl Reduction: 
Frizz Reduction: 
Soft Finish:
Shine:
:
1. Before Liqwd Q-Keratin 2. After Liqwd Q-Keratin (+ a few sassy adornments!)
The full treatment did as promised; it didnt remove curl, but definitely added lots of shine and helped control frizz for about 6 weeks. The same product can be used for a mini-treatment, which provided my straight but flyaway-haired model with smooth, shiny locks for 3-4 weeks.
I had this treatment done on my own hair, and my curls were defined, but in a flexible way like Ive never seen before; I could sleep on my curls, and they would still look good in the morning! It was also crazy shiny! Thank you to Rima Uranga of Salon by Maxine at 310-205-2370, for providing my Liqwd Q-Keratin teatment. The model I did for the mini-treatment (shown above) said, I cant believe how shiny and soft it is. My haircut looks better, and Ive gotten more compliments than ever!
Curl Reduction (not the goal of this product): 
Frizz Reduction: 
Soft Finish:
Shine:
:
1. Before Pravana Perfection SmoothOut 2. After Pravana Perfection SmoothOut
Curl Reduction:
Frizz Reduction:
Soft Finish:
Shine:
:
[Mild results could not be detected in photos]
Curl Reduction:
Frizz Reduction:
Soft Finish:
Shine:
:
[Mild results could not be detected in photos]
Curl Reduction:
Frizz Reduction:
Soft Finish:
Shine:
:
[Mild results could not be detected in photos]
Curl Reduction:
Frizz Reduction:
Soft Finish:
Shine:
I have also read and heard some buzz about a product called , but my attempts to contact the company for information, training and products were not successful. I was contacted by to include their product in my research, but unfortunately the rep did not come through with information, training or products, either. Some of the products and services reviewed in this post were provided for my review and/or as a professional courtesy; this has had no bearing on my opinions or reviews. Special thanks to of The Paint Shop, for her help as my stylist and her feedback on Paul Brown Hapuna, as well as Yuko Anti-Frizz! You can find Miwa at or at 323-658-1930.
This has been quite an adventure, and these experiments go back nearly a year. Having tried several of these treatments on my friends, models, clients, and many of them on my own hair, the clear leader of the pack is , winning 19 out of 20 possible stars! It gave the best overall performance for the qualities clients look for most, and also lends versatility with different processing options for different results. Ive just had my own hair treated with it, so stay tuned for a post dedicated solely to this favoritewith photos showing some of the different methods and how it works on different hair types!
I am happy to be offering Cadiveu Acai Therapy, Pure Brazilian Clear, Brazilian Blowout Zero, Liqwd Q-Keratin and Pravana Perfection SmoothOut in my studio. I also carry and use the original Brazilian Blowout, Keratin Complex Original and Blonde formulas, and all thee formulas by Globlal Keratin. In other words…whatever your keratin/smoothing needs are, I can meet them!
Jordana Lorraine Lorraine Colour Bar Santa Monica, CA 310-922-2645
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