The OGX Ever-Straightening + Brazilian Keratin Therapy line promises smooth, glossy hair through a blend of ingredients. This article provides a comprehensive look at the components of these products, dissecting their roles and potential effects. Understanding these ingredients empowers consumers to make informed choices about their hair care.
The OGX Ever-Straightening + Brazilian Keratin Therapy line, including both shampoo and conditioner, aims to deliver smooth, manageable hair. The products are formulated with keratin protein, coconut oil, avocado oil, and cocoa butter. These are designed to strengthen hair, add shine, nourish, and hydrate. The formulations are paraben-free and use sulfate-free surfactants, aiming for a gentle yet effective cleansing and smoothing action.
Let's break down the key ingredients and explore their functions, benefits, and potential drawbacks:
Water (Aqua): The primary solvent in most cosmetic formulations, including OGX shampoo and conditioner. Water acts as a base and helps to dissolve other ingredients. The water used in cosmetics is purified and deionized.
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate: A versatile cleansing agent with high cleaning power and strong foaming properties. It is a cleansing agent made from a mixture of long chain sulfonate salts. It can also help produce foam. This ingredient may be drying.
Read also: Choosing between Brazilian Blowout and Keratin Treatment
Cocamidopropyl Betaine: A surfactant and cleanser derived from coconut oil. It helps to gather dirt, pollutants, and other impurities, allowing them to be washed away. It also thickens the product and creates a creamy texture. It is considered a gentle cleansing agent. Being created from coconut oil means Cocamidopropyl Betaine is hydrating for the skin.
Sodium Cocoyl Isethionate: A cleansing agent that's claimed to be so gentle on the skin that it hardly impacts the skin barrier.
Cocamidopropyl Hydroxysultaine: A very mild and gentle thickening and foam-boasting co-surfactant.
Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Oil: Rich in fatty acids, especially lauric acid, coconut oil helps trap moisture and soften hair. It penetrates the hair shaft, reducing protein loss and damage. The saturated nature of coconut oil also means that it is a heavy-duty-oil ideal for dry skin types.
Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil: Contains antioxidant properties and is rich in fatty acids like oleic, palmitic, and linoleic acids. It hydrates, softens, and may increase collagen content in the skin. Avocado oil has extraordinary skin penetration abilities and can nourish different skin layers.
Read also: The Ultimate Guide to Brazilian Keratin Treatments
Theobroma Cacao (Cocoa) Seed Butter: An emollient that soothes and softens the skin by creating a barrier to trap moisture. It contains antioxidants that fight free radicals. Cocoa butter counts as a rich emollient that can moisturize and nourish even the driest skin.
Hydrolyzed Keratin: Derived from keratin, a protein naturally found in hair and skin. It seals broken hair cuticles, preventing split ends and breakage. Studies show keratin is able to seal broken hair cuticles, helping to prevent split ends and breakage.
Panthenol: Also known as pro-vitamin B5, it moisturizes the skin and hair, attracts water, and helps retain it. It has anti-inflammatory and skin-protecting abilities.
Dimethicone: A silicone that provides a silky smooth feel, creates a subtle gloss, and forms a protective barrier. It fills in fine lines and wrinkles, giving skin a plump look. As for hair care, it is a non-volatile silicone meaning that it stays on the hair rather than evaporates from it and smoothes the hair like no other thing.
Amodimethicone: A modified dimethicone silicone molecule containing amino-groups. It adheres to the hair shaft, providing conditioning benefits.
Read also: The Secrets of Brazilian Keratin Treatment
Glycol Distearate: Serves as a pearlizing or opacifying agent, giving the product a glossy appearance. A so-called diester created from two stearic acid molecules and an ethylene glycol molecule. Its main thing is being an opacifier and pearling agent in cleansing products making them white and glossy.
PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate:
Guar Hydroxypropyltrimonium Chloride:
Polyquaternium-6:
Polyquaternium-10:
Laureth-4: Created by reacting ethylene oxide with Lauryl Alcohol. Surfactants reduce the surface tension of ingredients so they can mix better.
Laureth-23: A white waxy solid that helps water and oil to mix nicely together (emulsifier).
PPG-2 Hydroxyethyl Coco/Isostearamide:
Cetrimonium Chloride:
Trideceth-12:
Tetrasodium EDTA: A chelating agent used to bind metal ions and prevent them from interfering with the product's performance.
Glycerin: A humectant that attracts moisture to the skin and hair.
Propylene Glycol: A humectant that helps skin retain moisture and aids in delivering active ingredients.
Sodium Chloride: Also known as salt, it acts as a thickener in cleansing formulas.
Citric Acid: An AHA derived from citrus fruits, used to adjust the pH of the product.
DMDM Hydantoin: A controversial preservative that has formaldehyde-releasing properties.
Diazolidinyl Urea: An antimicrobial preservative that helps your products not to go wrong too quickly.
Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate:
Fragrance (Parfum): A blend of chemicals or plant oils used to give the product a pleasant scent.
Yellow 5 (CI 19140): Also known as Tartrazine. Tartrazine is a synthetic dye used in cosmetics, foods, and medicine to add a yellow color.
Red 40 (CI 16035): A synthetic dark-red dye. This dye is created from an acid called Allura red AC, an azo dye.
Blue 1 (CI 42090): A synthetic dye created from petroleum, used to give a bright blue color.
The OGX Brazilian Keratin Therapy line touts several benefits, largely tied to its key ingredients. Let's examine these claims:
Smooth Hair: The combination of keratin, coconut oil, and silicones like dimethicone contributes to smoother hair by filling in gaps in the hair shaft and creating a hydrophobic layer.
Strengthened Hair: Hydrolyzed keratin is intended to reinforce the hair's protein structure, reducing breakage.
Glossy Shine: Ingredients like coconut oil and dimethicone enhance shine by smoothing the hair cuticle, allowing light to reflect more effectively.
Nourishment and Hydration: Coconut oil, avocado oil, and cocoa butter provide emollient properties, moisturizing the hair and scalp.
While the OGX Brazilian Keratin Therapy line offers potential benefits, some ingredients raise concerns:
Sodium C14-16 Olefin Sulfonate: Can be drying for some hair types, potentially leading to frizz or irritation.
"Fragrance (Parfum)": A generic term that can hide a multitude of potentially irritating chemicals. Individuals with sensitive skin should exercise caution.
Silicones (Dimethicone, Amodimethicone): While providing smoothness and shine, silicones can build up on the hair over time, requiring clarifying shampoos for removal.
DMDM Hydantoin & Diazolidinyl Urea: These are formaldehyde-releasing preservatives. The amount of formaldehyde used in cosmetics either neat or through formaldehyde-releasing preservatives is tiny. However, Colins argues that in the case of formaldehyde-releasing preservatives, formaldehyde is released slowly and the skin has probably not evolved to deal with that. The lingering formaldehyde might be toxic to the Langerhans Cells that are important for the skin's defense system. Another potential issue is that formaldehyde-releasers might also release other things while reacting with amino acids in the skin that is probably the explanation why some people are not allergic to formaldehyde but are allergic to formaldehyde-releasing preservatives.
The OGX Brazilian Keratin Therapy line may be suitable for individuals with:
It may not be the best choice for individuals with:
Shampoo: Apply shampoo generously to wet hair. Massage into a lather through to ends. Rinse the hair thoroughly.
Conditioner: After shampooing, follow with the OGX Ever-Straightening + Brazilian Keratin Therapy Conditioner.
tags: #ogx #brazilian #keratin #ingredients
