Sunday, August 8, 2010

Say oui to French Perm Stabilizer Plus!

A week or so ago, I decided that I'd do a touch up. One of the concerns I always try to address whenever I touch up, is the possible damage of the relaxer run-off to my previously relaxed hair. Normally, I apply my Preservo Serum all over my hair (including the new growth). Since my Preservo was running low, I figured I would venture out and try something new. I thought about it for a few moments before walking out the door. My goal was to return home with a low pH product that could easily counteract the high alkalinity of the relaxer. While at the beauty supply store, I did a quick search online and was introduced to a new product.
French Perm Stabilizer Plus boasts of a pH level of 2.5. Not knowing much about this product, I immediately began searching online to see what others had to say about French Perm. So there I was standing in the aisle at Sally's scrolling thru forum posts from those who've tried the product. Much of what I read was overwhelmingly positive. Some said the product was an excellent detangler. Others said the product made their hair soft and the strands smooth. Several contributors mentioned they used the product even when no chemical service was performed. That was all I needed to hear. Within moments of reading the reviews, I grabbed the product and paid. The bottle was huge! For only $7.50 or so, my hair would enjoy the benefits for quite a while.

To be quite honest with you, I was a little concerned about the acidity of the product so I decided to use a mix of Porosity Control (pH 4.5) and French Perm on my previously relaxed hair. For the first time in my life, I retouched with a mild relaxer. The application process was a breeze. Then came the moment of truth when I finally got a chance to use the French perm to neutralize. First off, I gotta tell you that this product has a really strong scent. This probably has a lot to do with the second ingredient, isopropyl alcohol. Make sure when you use this product, you ramp up your moisture products so you avoid any possible drying effects.
Scent aside, there's no denying the power of this product. I rinsed out the relaxer, applied conditioner then proceeded with the Stabilizer Plus. As soon as I rinsed out the product, my hair was ultra smooth and felt replenished. I've even gone on to add a little this product diluted in distilled water leave-in conditioner mix.

I have no facts to back this up, but my theory is that this low pH product, mixed in with a water (pH 7), probably creates a result closer to the hair's desired pH level of around 4.5. Again I haven't tested it but with results like this, I'm not even going to bother. Yesterday, I had to pick up something at the mall and all eyes were on my hair ( at least that's the way it felt). Even if no one paid attention to my hair, I still felt like a million bucks. I wore my hair in waves and, a day later, I still have soft waves that fall nicely down my shoulders. Best of all, I have no frizz, even in 100 % humidity. I can't say for sure if the results could be attributed to the Stabilizer Plus, the Affirm Fiberguard mild, or Coppola Keratin Infusion. Or if it's the combination of all three. I'm leaning more towards the French Perm because I laced the water in my Caruso steam setter with a few squirts to help lower the pH as I created the waves I wore that day. Plus, I think my hair is able to avoid excessive frizz because my cuticle layer is tightly sealed. Hopefully I've convinced you all that French Perm Stabilizer plus should be a part of your hair perfection system. At 32 ounces per bottle, you certainly get your money's worth. Bravo, French Stabilizer for giving me fabulous hair. Merci.

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