10.4 Smoothing & Re-forming Systems

The Full List the Standard Tests

RSOS sub-task E-12.01 lists the chemical relaxing products in scope: sodium hydroxide, ammonium thioglycolate, no-lye relaxers, smoothing systems, re-forming systems. Sections 10.1 and 10.2 covered the first three plus soft curl. This section closes the last two, and the distinction is a genuinely common exam question because clients use the words "relaxer," "keratin treatment" and "Brazilian blowout" interchangeably and stylists must not.

Smoothing Systems Are Not Relaxers

A smoothing system — sold as a keratin treatment, Brazilian blowout, or a similar brand name — reduces frizz and curl by coating and sealing, not by permanently rearranging the hair's internal structure.

The practical consequences follow directly from that table. Because a smoothing system does not destroy disulfide bonds, it can be reapplied over the full length without the overlap-breakage risk of a hydroxide retouch, and it fades rather than leaving a demarcation line. But it also cannot make coily hair straight — it reduces frizz, adds shine and cuts blow-dry time, and a client expecting a relaxer result from a smoothing service will be disappointed. Say so, and record that you said so.

Sequencing rules that follow from the chemistry:

• A smoothing system may be applied to hair that has been coloured or lightened, which is exactly why clients ask for it — but always strand test.
• A smoothing system is generally applied after a colour service, not before, because the sealed cuticle resists later colour penetration and because the smoothing shampoo strips fresh colour.
• A smoothing system does not stack safely onto hair that has just been relaxed or permed. Wait the manufacturer's interval and strand test (Section 10.3).

The Formaldehyde Problem — the Safety Content the Exam Cares About

Many smoothing solutions contain methylene glycol or another formaldehyde-releasing compound. It is inert in the bottle; when the stylist passes a 200 °C flat iron over the saturated hair, the heat releases formaldehyde gas into the stylist's and the client's breathing zone. Formaldehyde is a respiratory and eye irritant and a recognized carcinogen, and it is a restricted ingredient on Health Canada's Cosmetic Ingredient Hotlist — prohibited in aerosol products and restricted in others, including products that release it under normal use. Some newer systems use glyoxylic-acid or amino-acid chemistry instead and are formaldehyde-free, but you cannot tell from the marketing name.

The controls, in the order the hierarchy of controls puts them:

1. Substitute — choose a formaldehyde-free system where the result allows it.
2. Ventilate at the source — local exhaust capture at the station, not just a room fan or an open window (Section 2.3). This is the single most effective control.
3. PPE — gloves, eye protection, and a respirator rated for formaldehyde where the SDS requires one. A procedure mask does nothing against a gas.
4. Read the SDS before the first application, not during it. Section 2 tells you the hazard class, Section 8 the required exposure controls and PPE, and Section 4 the first-aid response for eye and respiratory exposure (Section 2.2).
5. Screen the client — anyone with asthma or a respiratory condition, and anyone who is pregnant, should be advised of the exposure and may be better served by a different service.
6. Limit exposure time — do not schedule multiple smoothing services back-to-back in one enclosed area.

If a scenario question describes a smoothing service with a poorly ventilated back room, stinging eyes and a caught throat, the correct answer is always to stop, ventilate, and not resume until source capture is in place — never to open a window and carry on.

Re-forming Systems

Re-forming systems are the RSOS name for what Section 10.2 covers as soft curl or curly reforming: thio reduction of the disulfide bonds, reshaping onto large rods, then an oxidizing neutralizer that re-forms the bonds in a looser pattern. The key exam distinctions are already there — re-forming loosens and preserves the curl, a relaxer removes it, and lanthionization belongs to sodium hydroxide alone.

The one addition worth making here is the aftercare load. A re-formed curl is a chemically reduced-and-re-oxidized curl, so it is drier and more fragile than the natural pattern: the client needs a moisture-and-protein-balanced regimen, a sulphate-free cleanser, no overlapping retouches, and a realistic 8-12 week service interval. Setting that expectation at consultation is part of the service, not an afterthought.

Choosing Between Them