Relaxer Residue Lingering Around

Look closer at this picture. Do you see the white relaxer residue on the shampoo nozzle? Be careful when rinsing out your relaxer bowl as well as while rinsing out a relaxer service. Relaxer residue can get caught on the shampoo nozzle. I found that if you try to push the residue off the nozzle with your fingers, that it just slides around in a circle. I literally had to take a paper towel to remove the residue.

Many of the relaxers have been adding more and more oils and butters to their formulas to make it more tolerable to the "sensitive" scalp clientele, but I do not think that the relaxer rinses off in water as well. Remember water and oil don't mix.

Just be more aware and check that your shampoo nozzle stays clear of relaxer residue. If this residue seeps into your client's rinse water; it may cause "creeping oxidation." This is where the relaxer residue may get trapped in the hair past the neutralizing phase. It can cause the hair not to neutralize properly because there is a "foreign object" present.

If you feel any chalkiness or any slickness at any time after rinsing or neutralizing the hair, then check your shampoo nozzle and go for another neutralizing shampoo lather making sure that the lather is White. Although such as small amount of relaxer may not be enough to turn the lather pink enough to see.