Which chemical is commonly used in no-mix-no-lye relaxers?

• A. Potassium hydroxide
• B. Sodium hydroxide
• C. Calcium hydroxide
• D. Ammonium thioglycolate

Answer: (A)

No-mix-no-lye relaxers work by using a thioglycolate compound as the active reducing agent. This chemistry breaks the hair’s disulfide bonds, allowing the strands to be reshaped into a straight form, and then a neutralizer helps re-set the bonds in the new configuration. The chemical most commonly used in these pre-mixed, no-lye systems is ammonium thioglycolate. This stands in contrast to lye relaxers, which rely on strong hydroxide bases like sodium or potassium hydroxide, and even though some no-lye formulas employ calcium-based systems, ammonium thioglycolate is the standard example of the active ingredient in many no-mix-no-lye relaxers.