The last time I used a hair relaxer was about four or five years ago. I only used them when I cut my hair extremely short in hopes that I could achieve the popular pixie cut styles. Of course, I have a hair type that can’t pull them off and hair that does what it wants to do no matter how much I plead with it.
I gave up on relaxers because they are harsh on my hair and leave it feeling like straw. I also stopped using flat irons after my niece; just in kindergarten decided she hated her hair because “it wasn’t pretty like everyone else’s.” Because it wasn't straight and didn't sit flat. I realized that my encouragement to “love yourself the way you are because that is the exact way you are meant to be.” and “Your hair is awesome and cool,” Would be more effective and believable if I didn’t turn around and flatten away my own curls. So two years ago I also gave up flat ironing my hair, well…mostly. I’ve flat ironed my hair about six or seven times in the last two years. Each time getting a sideways look from my niece and feeling guilty. However, lately she seems to be embracing her hair a bit more (albeit slightly) and I, on the other hand am tired of my standard ponytails and braided hairdos. When BzzAgent offered the Smooth 'N Shine® Keratin Power Semi-Permanent Hair Tamer BzzCampaign I wanted in.
However, when my older sister found out I got a Smooth 'N Shine® Keratin Power Semi-Permanent Hair Tamer BzzKit to try she wasn't content to just accept the coupons. She volunteered herself to test the kit. She relaxes her regularly and I haven't used one in years. So it made sense.
I got the job of applying it to her hair. The Smooth 'N Shine® Keratin Power Semi-Permanent Hair Tamer has two steps. Three, if you use the Smooth ‘N Shine Polishing Olive and Tea Tree RevivOil that came in the box -there are so many words on the conditioner label that I’m not sure if that’s its complete name but close enough - which we did.
Step One: The Protein Smoothing Treatment was pretty easy to apply. It comes in a tube with a twist off cap. The gel inside is clear and thick. It smelled at first like rotten eggs then later a similar scent to relaxers. When the kids walked into the room they asked, “Why does it smell like it does after the dogs take a bath?” But what can you do? There was no burning or tingling of the scalp or any other irritation. The ends of her hair were already breaking off before we started the process but we did not see an increase of breakage due to using the Smooth ‘N Shine. We didn’t notice much of a difference to my sister’s hair during or after step one. I was even a bit worried because her hair didn’t feel very healthy as I was rinsing out the Protein Treatment.
Step Two: The Neutralizing Milk also a tube with twist off cap, luckily there is not much scent to this one. The Neutralizing Milk is a light cream and it was easy to apply as well. When it came time to rinse off the Neutralizing Milk my sister and I both got a surprise. Her hair felt really soft. We even continued rinsing past the recommended time because we weren’t sure if it was Neutralizing Milk still left on her hair or her hair itself that felt so soft. Here is a direct quote from my sister after we rinsed the neutralizing milk off her hair, "Wow, My hair feels good."
Step Three: Smooth ‘N Shine Polishing Olive and Tea Tree RevivOil instructs you to leave on for one minute and rinse. My sister put the conditioner on, a shower cap over and applied heat from the blow dryer for about five minutes for extra conditioning.
The box says two steps but the instructions want you to blow dry and then flat iron your hair making it more like four to five steps. I somehow forgot to mention the two times you have to wash your hair before you start, so… seven steps. So make sure you have several hours for this. You can opt to just air dry and go curly. But we did blow dry and flat iron her hair.
Long review short, the Smooth ‘N Shine Semi Permanent Hair Tamer seems to be a pretty good product and if it can really continue to improve her hair with prolonged use, then my sister will keep using it. I think she might also have to use relaxers every now and again because I don’t know if the tamer on its own will give her the results she wants but we’ll see. After seeing her results I might try Smooth 'N Shine® Keratin Power Semi-Permanent Hair Tamer myself.
In the before picture she has oil sheen on her hair but not in the after, that’s why the before appears shinier and smoother. In reality her hair felt softer after the process.
In the after picture, I think the flash makes it look like her hair is suddenly highlighted. It doesn’t look that way in person.
In the after picture, I think the flash makes it look like her hair is suddenly highlighted. It doesn’t look that way in person.
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Before: Hair was relaxed several months ago, blow
dried, flat ironed and curled with a curling iron
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After: Smooth 'N Shine Tamer used, blow
dried and flat ironed.
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Full Disclosure, Disclaimer, the truth and nothing but the truth: I am a BzzAgent. BzzAgent sends me free samples and coupons to try out and share my opinions -and the coupons- with others. These are my honest opinions.
