How the Brazilian Blowout Zero compares to the original Brazilian Blowout
In early 2011, the company Brazilian Blowout released a new product, Brazilian Blowout Zero, and claims the new product contains and releases no formaldehyde yet works just as effectively as the original Brazilian Blowout. In this article, we will discuss whether these claims make any sense, and what customers have to say.
How does the Brazilian Blowout Zero work?
The Brazilian Blowout would have been the perfect product if it didn’t have such major collateral formaldehyde issues. The technology involved works by crosslinking new keratin to the keratin of the hair with formaldehyde (also known as methylene glycol) as the bridge.
However, looking at the ingredients in the list for Brazilian Blowout Zero, there is nothing in the top ingredients that seems to indicate that it can perform any permanent straightening as compared to methylene glycol (formaldehyde) present in the Original Brazilian Blowout. However, further down the list, note the presence of cysteine, the amino acid present in hair, but also a reducing/binding agent. It is possible that the product uses the cysteine to break the disulfide bonds (or bind to free sulfur residues of the hair) and reform new S-S bonds, which upon flat-ironing could retain the straight configuration. However, the low concentration of this ingredient in the list (being further down) makes me wonder if that’s what it was intended for.
A comparison of the ingredient listings are shown below:
Also in the list is the presence of VP/DMAPA/acrylates copolymer which is a fixative/film former used in hair sprays. Is its intended purpose here to keep the hair in place until the next wash?
What the company suggests
The company has crafted a tutorial for stylists stating the expectations that clients should have based on their hair types.
Note how the Brazilian Blowout Zero is quoted to be most appropriate for fine/ thin hair. Unfortunately many stylists fail to communicate this to their clients.
This makes me wonder if it’s because of the low efficacy of the product. If the cysteine were to do any reaction in the hair, it would have to diffuse into the cortex which would be incredibly slow under neutral pH in thick hair. In thin hair, it might actually show some benefits since it has a better chance of penetrating deeper into the cortex.
What consumers think
Many people have been disappointed with the new Brazilian Blowout Zero. For starters, the cost of this treatment is not trivial (which is why the expectations are also set high). However, like the company discreetly posted, this treatment is not a straightening treatment for medium/thick hair.
Many people have complained of seeing their curls reappear as soon as the next wash. Others mention that it behaves just like any smoothing serum would. While on the other hand, there are people who are totally satisfied with this new product. Could it be because they had the right hair type? Or is the product simply ineffective?
The Verdict
The new Brazilian Blowout Zero for sure doesn’t compare in performance to the original Brazilian Blowout, which was a total success as can be expected from the chemistry behind. The company should have been clearer in its marketing that this product is NOT for every hair type which would have saved people lots of money and time. Amazon sells the product which is now marketed more as a smoothing treatment against frizz (at $143) rather than a straightening product. For a cheaper anti-frizz product that actually works I would recommend the Living Proof Frizz (no Frizz) line.
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Originally published at hairmomentum.com on November 8, 2015.