Holly was the winner of one of the Rio de Keratin Cocolada at-home Keratin treatments that I gave away a few weeks ago, and very generously offered to write up her experience for RG. Thanks, Holly!
Rio De Keratin Cocolada Review, by Holly
First, disclosure: I did a bunch of things “incorrectly” according to the directions, so your results may vary depending on how by-the-book you are:
1) I did not have a friend help me apply the treatment, as suggested. I did it alone in the bathroom, while my boyfriend sort of looked on in horror.
2) I accidentally forgot to use the shampoo and conditioner provided, which is supposed to be used on the first wash after applying the treatment. I used generic drugstore brands, and I’m not sure whether this affected the results at all.
3) The directions say not to put hair behind your ears, tie your hair back in any way, scrunch your hair, or get it wet during the first 24 hours following application treatment and to re-straighten your hair after any exposure to humidity. This is pretty much impossible to achieve, especially during summertime in New York. Seriously, I would have had to straighten my hair EVERY time I returned home from being outside. Did not achieve that.
Cons:
– The smell of the treatment is extremely pungent; it really should be done in an open, well-ventilated space. For several hours after I applied the treatment I had a headache and my eyes were burning.
– From beginning to end, the process takes about 3-4 hours, so you have to be willing to set aside a significant chunk of time for washing your hair, drying your hair completely, applying the treatment, blowdrying your hair a second time, and then meticulously straightening your hair. I got sick of the process around Blow Dry #2, and still had a ways to go.
– Not being able to wet or “crumple” the hair after treatment was a pain. With my super-straight hair hanging straight down on either side of my face, I felt like Cher.
Pros:
– My hair was noticeably shinier, with much less frizz (no flyaways in a ponytail).
– The process was far cheaper than a salon Keratin treatment (about $100 vs. $250-$500 for a salon treatment).
– The shampoo and conditioner that come with the treatment are coconut-scented (so is the solution, but it has more of a toxic coconut smell) and I LOVE using them. My boyfriend loves them too.
In sum: if your hair is super dry/damaged, this is a good alternative to the salon treatment. Just be willing to set aside a lot of time towards this…and be wary of the chemical smell.
