| abstract |
A hair relaxer includes at least one specific mercapto compound such as 2-methoxyethyl 3-mercaptopropionate, 2-mercapto-4-butanolide and 2-mercapto-4-butyrolactam. The hair relaxer can achieve an excellent effect of shaping and relaxing hair over a wide range of pH values from weak acidity to weak alkalinity. In particular, the hair relaxer displays a more superior hair shaping and relaxing performance in a weakly acidic to neutral pH range. Consequently, the hair relaxer can drastically reduce the damage to the hair and skin and can reliably perform straightening, uncurling, curling and other hair processing. |