Picture this: Leave your friends and family behind to enroll in Grad School. In a foreign country. In another continent. With two suitcases and a significant other.
That’s what happened to me a few months ago. My fist week in New York City was everything but relaxed. Finding an apartment (tick), fixing the broken appliances (tick), getting used to commuting without getting lost (tick), and signing up for my classes at University left me with little time to deal with a big-headed problem: my hair. Naturally curly and used to the (more) benign climate of Spain, it suddenly became frizzy, untamed, and a magnet for static electricity. Humidity has always taken its toll in my mane, and living near the Hudson river didn’t make things easier.
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| Source: riodekeratin.com |
So when I was invited to try Rio de Keratin, an at-home keratin system which promised silky smooth hair in a whim, I couldn’t be more excited. I literally had no time to deal with my hair every morning. Grad school and adjusting to a new life sucked up all my time.
I have to admit I’ve always been a bit skeptical about Keratin treatments; their formulas contained too many chemicals for my taste. However, Rio de Keratin promised great results with a gentler formula -infused with coconut oil, vitamin E, and vegetal keratin, and formaldehyde-free. So I decided it was worth to give it a try.
The 4-step system was extremely easy to use, and took me less than two hours. I followed the instructions included in the package (also available in this link):
1. Wash (do not condition) and blow dry hair until it is 100% dry.
2. Apply the treatment into hair using the spray applicator
3. Blow dry hair to a smooth finish
4. Flat iron hair using an iron that reaches 450° to seal in the treatment
Easy-peasy!
The results were astonishing: After using their system once, my hair was more manageable, with less frizz and considerably easier to style. There was no apparent loss of hydration (unlike a particularly messy keratin application I suffered about six years ago in a salon.) My usually unruly curls looked nice and relaxed, and when straightening my hair, it took me half an hour instead an hour and a quarter. Also, I have to admit I have a very sensitive scalp, but I didn’t experiment any irritations. As the product webpage advertises, it seems to be safe on all hair types.
I understood that, in order to keep the results, it is advised to repeat the treatment once a month. In my particular case, and because my goal was to take away the frizz from my curls, I found the effect of the treatment lasted about two months.
My Verdict: A real deal for $39.99. A great at-home keratin solution for curly-haired fans of all things beauty and Do-It-Yourself.
For more information, take a peek at http://riodekeratin.com/
Full disclosure: I was not financially compensated for this post. As previously stated, I received a sample for
review purposes. The opinions are completely my own based on my
experience.
