The active ingredients in all hydroxide relaxers is the

• A. Hydrogen ion
• B. Hydroxide ion
• C. Sodium ion
• D. Ammonia

Answer: (A)

In hydroxide relaxers, the active ingredient is the hydroxide ion. These products are highly alkaline, and the high concentration of OH− raises the pH to create a chemical environment that breaks and rearranges the hair’s disulfide bonds, allowing the curl pattern to straighten. The hydrogen ion would indicate acidity and wouldn’t drive this bond-cleaving process. The sodium ion is just a counterion in bases like sodium hydroxide and isn’t the reactive species, and ammonia represents a different base that isn’t the defining active ingredient in classic hydroxide relaxers.