I have been doing searches on this product and was looking for reviews... I read the posts and I wanted to do a little PSA...well actually a long one
Ladies lets not all freak out over the ingrediants...... Ethanolamine is a weak base but it does not work like a relaxer....Im not saying it is the healthiest thing but definately not a relaxer!
Now I did a little research and here is what I gathered, and I will add that I recieved and degree in Biology and and working on a masters in bio so I know a thing or 2 bout chemicals and da body!
Okay so heres the skinny:
Why is it used? http://www.cosmeticsinfo.org/ingredient_details.php?ingredient_id=1069
Why is it used in cosmetics and personal care products?
Acetamide MEA increases the water content of the top layers of the skin by drawing moisture from the surrounding air. It also enhances the appearance and feel of hair, by increasing hair body, suppleness, or sheen, or by improving the texture of hair that has been damaged physically or by chemical treatment.
commonly it is used as a substitue for Ammonia in hair dye that claim to be "ammonia free"
products that contain MEA or Ethanolamine:
facial moisturizers/treatments
shampoos/conditioners
hair care/coloring agents
hair relaxers
permanent wave lotions
deodorants
bubble bath
lipsticks
hairspray
lotions/creams
foundations
fragrances
nail polish/polish remover
cuticle softeners/removers
athlete’s foot treatment
around-eye cream
anti-aging cream
sunscreen: SPF 15-30
anti-fungal treatment
That is the simple answer but the nerd in me need to find out the why behind it all!
Here is a snippet from wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ethanolamine
Ethanolamine, also called 2-aminoethanol or monoethanolamine (often abbreviated as ETA or MEA), is an organic chemical compound that is both a primary amine (due to an amino group in its molecule) and a primary alcohol (due to a hydroxyl group). Like other amines, monoethanolamine acts as a weak base. Ethanolamine is a toxic, flammable, corrosive, colorless, viscous liquid with an odor similar to that of ammonia.
out of all that technical mumbo jumbo what you should notice is the abbreviations. MEA or ETA.
This is an abbreviation you see used in products that are heat activated....Think thermasilk (and ladies use thermasilk product all the time) I know I use the shampoo B4 I heat style and I havent had "relaxed" hair yet
Now why is MEA used???
it is a
pH-control amine (fancy work for weak base)
Ethanolamine is often used for alkalinization of water in steam cycles of power plants, including nuclear power plants with pressurized water reactors. This alkalinization is performed to control corrosion of metal components. ETA (or sometimes a similar organic amine, e.g., morpholine) is selected because it does not accumulate in steam generators (boilers) and crevices due to its volatility, but rather distributes relatively uniformly throughout the entire steam cycle. In such application, ETA is a key ingredient of so-called "all-volatile treatment" of water (AVT).
so from all that blah blah blah read
1) this product balances PH....much like how products use Sodium Hydroxide to balance PH... ie Neutrogena tripple moisture leave- in
2)@ the bolded.... This shows that the product works well when heat is added. The molecules of MEA stay the same when exposed to high heat (steam= high heat) this is why it is chosen for heat activated products.
Now if you want to avoid using this product please do!! I know I will probably never let it touch my precious locks
But just ensure that you are well correctly stating how a product works before we equate it to a relaxer and burn it at the steak lol :gotroasted:
With allllllll of that said.... if you are serious about "organic haircare" avoid this...... if not....give it a try and post a review.....and lots and lots of pichas!!!
The 3rd ingredient on the List
lol
