Is Lye or No-Lye Chemical Relaxing Better for Your Hair?

Lye or No Lye Relaxers?
This article will focus on the major differences between lye and no-lye relaxers and how to decide which formula is right for you.

General lye and no-lye relaxer information
As a whole, relaxer formulations have pHs that range from 10-14. The higher the pH of the chemical relaxer, the greater the formula's ability to swell and lift the hair's cuticle. The more the shaft swells, the more damage the cuticle endures. Relaxer pH also increases as the relaxer formula strength grows from sensitive scalp, to mild, to regular, to super. In general, as the strength of the relaxer formula increases, the pH increases, the degree of cuticle swelling increases, and cuticle lifting increases as well.

There are four basic types of relaxers out on the market today. These four types include:

a.) Lye formulas which can either be base relaxers or "no base" relaxers
b.) and No-Lye formulas which can either be mix or "no mix" relaxer formulas.

Lye relaxers have naturally higher pHs than no-lye relaxers, and this is the reason why these stronger formulas are generally only available to professional stylists.

What is the Chemical Difference?
The differences between lye and no-lye relaxer formulas result from the chemical compounds responsible for the straightening action. For lye relaxers, this compound is sodium hydroxide. In no-lye relaxers, this compound can either be guanidine, lithium, or potassium hydroxide. Though, no-lye relaxers claim to have no traces of lye (or "caustic soda"), this statement is not entirely true as the guanidine, lithium, and potassium hydroxides are in the same metal hydroxide family as sodium hydroxide.

One way to tell whether a relaxer is a lye or no-lye formula deals with the formula's physical preparation. No lye relaxers, particularly guanidine hydroxide no lyes, will include an activator step---or a separate component to be mixed into the relaxer creme. These are the most popular no-lye formulations on the market. However, not every no-lye relaxer needs to be mixed. Lithium and potassium hydroxide relaxers are no-lye relaxers that are sold as "no mix" formulas.