For those of us that love having straight locks but aren’t blessed with naturally sleek and frizz-free hair, we either have to spend our lives attached to our straighteners or put our hair through some pretty harsh chemical treatments. Now thanks to the launch of Braliz, the formaldehyde-free Brazilian blow dry treatment, there’s another way and we went to Neville Hair & Beauty in Knightsbridge to put it to the test.
Unlike traditional Brazilian blow-dry treatments, Braliz is vegan and chemical-free, so instead of formaldehyde (which makes your hair brittle and actually causes it to smoke when the heat is applied), a mixture of natural ingredients including Brazilian Botanical Bioactives (BBB) and guarana, cashew and Brazil nut oils are used to relax the hair fibres. That means it’s suitable for all hair types and you can have it without the need for a patch test.
And it’s a really easy treatment to have. Once your hair is shampooed and dried, Braliz is applied all over your hair and then you just have to let it work its magic for between 40-60 minutes, depending on the thickness of your hair. When your time is up, the solution is rinsed off, your hair is dried again and then it carefully gets straightened. As the treatment is heat activated, this part is key so the stylists do take their time here, sectioning your hair off into small pieces and running the tongs over multiple times. Again the length and thickness of your locks impact on how long it takes – we were in the salon for about two and a half hours total, which is about the average time.
When you first have the treatment done your hair is left poker straight but because it’s not a chemical relaxer, Braliz won’t change any natural waves in your hair. It smooths and de-frizzes making it much sleeker and more manageable, so you can still go curly if the mood takes you. And you do still have to style your hair after you wash it at home but it takes way less time and effort. Our hair was straight enough and totally frizz-free just after blowdrying (not normally the case) and it’s stayed that way even in this unpredictable weather.
Braliz lasts up to three months and you can prolong the effects with the Braliz homecare products. With prices starting from £250, it’s not the cheapest treatment (though it’s in line with other Brazilian blow dries in London) but it certainly does what it promises and without wrecking your hair in the process.
5 Pont St, London SW1X 9EJ
nevillehairandbeauty.net