Beautiful Textures Texture Manageablity System - A Brazilian Keratin Treatment

I must start this post with a #NaturalTillIDie statement on the record to say that no matter what hair texture you have, it is beautiful just as it is!

The Beautiful Textures Texture Manageability System (which will be TMS from now on because that is such a mouthful!) is marketed as a system to help straighten your natural hair 'naturally' for longer - 4-6 weeks and promises that your hair will revert to its natural state afterwards.

Many naturals view this product as totally natural and since it was endorsed by Chime Edwards who has beautiful hair, it has gained in appeal for some.



The Questions

1. Is this a natural system?
2. Is this a BKT (Brazilian Keratin Treatment)
3. Will my hair revert?
4. Do you get good straight results?

The Short Answers:

1. Umm, if you consider that everything made in the lab has a natural origin, then yes. IF you consider products like pantene, herbal essences etc as non-natural then the TMS leave in conditioner that does the work is REALLY non-natural. 
 2. Yes it is a BKT - a formaldehyde - free BKT that pretty much has a formaldehyde like ingredient in it. 
3. Yes some reversion will occur, some permanent changes may occur. *There are some anecdotal reports of hair not fully reverting (see comments)
4. As it is a BKT, yes the combination of breaking bonds in hair and heat should give you 'straighter' hair.


The Long Answer:

The TMS kit contains 4 products and I am skipping to the juicy part which is the 'Inner Active Leave In Conditioner'. The other 3 products are fairly standard shampoos and conditioner. The 'Inner Active Leave In Conditioner is applied to shampooed hair, allowed to sit for 20 minutes and then heat is applied to straighten the hair. So what is in it?

Inner-Active Leave-In Conditioner Ingredients: Aqua , Glyoxyloyl Carbocysteine , Glyoxyloyl Keratin Amino Acids , Shea Butter Aminodpropyltrimonium Chloride , CyclopentaSiloxane , dimethiconol , dimethicone crosspolymer , Silanetriol , panthenol , Isopropyl Palmitate , methylchloroisothiazolinone , methylisothiazolinone


What is Glyoxyloyl Carbocysteine? Try and say that 3 times fast :)

- This is a common ingredient in formaldehyde free 'safe' keratin treatments (aka SKTs)
-  Although it is not formaldehyde, it does have very many similarities to formaldehyde

Structures of the main ingredient in Beautiful Textures TMS - a formaldehyde free Brazilian keratin treatment and formaldehyde found in some Brazilian keratin treatments
Similarities highlighed in green between glyoxyloyl carbocysteine  found in TMS and formaldehyde found in some BKTs


  
How exactly does this ingredient work?

You may or may not be surprised that I could not find a research paper on this ingredient. The general mechanism of how it works is not published but it is generally thought to work in the same way formaldehyde does (Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, pp144-148,2012). Here is a little diagram for you!

Image of how BKTs break and rearrange bonds in hair

In short, for the TMS system, the glyoxyloyl carbocysteine is used to break bonds in hair and the glyoxyloyl amino acids help to reform some of these bonds although not usually in the same way that they were broken. This is thought to be why the hair can stretch out more as the bonds are less restricted than they normally would be.


So I know the next question is it (glyoxyloyl carbocysteine) safe?

Formaldehyde is definitely more potent as it much smaller in size so may spread very easily but as far as chemical activity, I think that as they act in a very similar way on hair, they may well act in a similar way on cells. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen because of its ability to restructure proteins which is a worry for human cells in general as they are often composed of proteins and make proteins.

Low levels of formaldehyde are considered safe for use in preservatives but the high volumes found in some BKTs are not. I cannot say definitively whether this ingredient is safe or not but if push came to shove, I would personally side on the not safe.

What if I have used it and now worry it may not be safe?

Just stop using it, don't worry about it, you live you learn!

What if I want to keep using it?

Hey, we all have free choice!

Is the Beautiful Textures TMS system, the only one using this ingredient?

No it is pretty common, also goes by the name oxoacetamide carbocysteine. Other manufacturers do use it and it is commonly marketed as a SKT (safe keratin treatment). Examples include Kera-luxe, Keratherapy, Diora. So if you are in the market for a BKT, shop around!

Image Credit - Pub Chem for Chemical Structures



Comments

  1. I love you JC !!!! Most of the people that have used the TMS are saying good stuff about it. However, I think a blogger- knottinikki (i am not sure if it was the TMS she used but she did use temporary har straightening something) used it and her hair didn't revert, she had to do a mini chop. People have free choice but I think they should be well informed that their hair might not revert.

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    1. Oh that is sad! I will update it in the post.

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    2. yes, it was indeed the TMS. she has pictures on the TMS saga on her IG...that's where I saw it.

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    3. It made my hair fall out and curls have not reverted back

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  2. First, let me say that I love your site. I love the analysis you perform on products and ideas. Very informative!

    I used this product over the weekend. I followed all the steps except setting it with a flat iron. I used a boar bristle brush and the concentrater nozzle on my blow dryer instead. I've been natural about four years, and have only blown out my hair a few times. The blowout after using the TMS is much straighter and softer than my previous blowouts. I did break down and lightly flat iron my ends this morning. It's only been two days, but I'm satisfied with the straightening results. One thing I don't like is how my hair smells. My hair has a stale smell to it. I'm not sure if that is from the product itself, or if it is my scalp protesting the blow drying. My hair and scalp have not smelled bad since I stopped perming my hair.

    I am very interested to see what happens when I wash my hair. I wear wash-and-gos almost exclusively. My hair has grown, but the growth is hard to see because as the condition of my hair improves, my coils/curls get tighter. I get major shrinkage. I'm hoping the product will do what it says and allow my coils/curls to be a little more elongated.

    Would I have used the product if I had seen your analysis first? Maybe not. The illustration showing how BKTs work really has me thinking. I don't want broken/restructured bonds. Will I use the product again? Probably not, but I decided that this morning when I had to deal with straightened hair. I prefer my natural hair. Once I get my wash-and-go set on day one, I don't have to spend more than 5-10 minutes on my hair in the morning on days 2 through 4. I prefer the simplicity.

    If anyone is interested, I can post another reply after I wash my hair to get my curls back. By the way, my hair is 4c texture with a some 4b mixed in (if you use that system as a reference).

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    1. Alexis, I think you will get your curls back because you used low heat. Often lack of reversion is usually more a case of high heat/regular heat. I would love an update on how it went for you and if it is not too nosy, can you tell me how long your hair is because I just cannot live with the shrinkage of my 4c hair past 6 inches so wash and gos are not my style of choice, very curious that they are your style of choice :)

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    2. No problem! Straightened, it reaches about two or three inches below my neck (when I say straightened, I don't mean stick straight; I mean blown-out straight but still kind of fuzzy). When I wear it in a wash-and-go, it just reaches the bottom of my neck when it is still wet. When my hair dries, my hair shrinks up to my hairline. Not sure the above helps, as you don't know how long my neck is. I am petite (4'11") with an average length neck.

      I wear wash-and-goes because my hair is on the thin side (always has been). Braidouts and twistouts don't look good on me because I don't have enough volume. Also, my hair takes forever to dry. I'd have to wear braids or twists for a couple days to completely dry, and I wouldn't want to leave the house with scalp-y looking braids/twists.

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    3. Thanks Alexis! Looking forward to your update on reversion!

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    4. JC: I typed a reply but lost it. I hope I didn't accidentally submit it. Here is my update on the Beautiful Textures TMS product.

      For me, I believe the product delivered what it promised. I was able to straighten my hair and it stayed straight until I washed it. My hair was not relaxer straight, but it was straighter than I could have gotten it by doing a regular blow dry and flat iron without the product. Remember, I did not flat iron my hair as per the directions. I did flat iron my ends the second day, but most of the straightening came from just blow drying with a bristle brush and concentrator nozzle on my blow dryer.

      When I did wash, my curls came back with very little trouble. I noticed my hair seemed easier to detangle. It has been about two weeks since I used the product and I notice that my curls seem just slightly larger and they lay down instead of sticking out at all angles. My hair also seems to be a bit fluffier, but that might be due to my using greased gel for curl defining.

      I did a flex rod set on an old wash-and-go last weekend. It came out smooth, shiny, and frizz free - the best result I've ever had. I don't know if the result was due to the TMS or because I used greased gel for my setting product. Or maybe my rolling technique is getting better. My hair was kind of frizzy the next day (my fault), so I hit my bangs with one quick pass of the flat iron. My bangs stayed straight all day long. When I first started transitioning to natural, I would flat iron my hair and it NEVER stayed straight for an entire day.

      Would I use the product again? Probably not. It isn't worth it for me because I don't like wearing my hair straight (too much maintenance). It also didn't make enough difference in my curls to be worth it. I only used half the product (clarifying shampoo and the leave-in 'conditioner'), so I have one more application if I do decide to try it again. I have not used the maintenance shampoo or conditioner included in the box.

      I don't think I have any damage from using the product. Being able to immediately get my curls back was most important to me, and that promise was delivered. I know this was along update, but I hope it is helpful to someone. Feel free to ask any follow-up questions.

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    5. Thanks! My comment box is eating up comments so I appreciate you coming back to give your review, plus it was really detailed and will be helpful for those considering this product.

      Glad your curls came back too!

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  3. Thanks for the post. I found an interesting read entitled: NON-FORMALDEHYDE BASED
    SMOOTHING TREATMENTS by Dr. Ali N. Syed. The master chemist behind many of the Avlon products (Afirm, Keracare, As I am). I would read that before using any TMS system. For those who choose to - thanks for updating the rest of us.

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    1. Yes I saw that too Rece. He also does the As I Am range but he is more well known for developing relaxers. I think that the particular article has some good information but is biased as it was made to show results of a 'safe' BKT developed by/ for a company.

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    2. Thanks JC. I wouldn't know what a bias article is :-), just looking for information. I know down the road my daughter is going to want her hair straightened and I don't want to damage her hair. I love the pictures you provide it is very helpful consdiering I'm a visual learner. :-) Thanks again!

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    3. BTW...doesn't this kind of remind you of RIO. Does anyone remember RIO - it made the same claims.

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    4. You are welcome Rece, yes if I had a daughter I would predict the same about straightening. lol you know I just wikipedia'd Rio. I knew about it causing hair to fall out and turn green but I did not know it also was marketed as a 'hair naturalizer'. Seems like the consumer downfall is the word 'natural'.

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  4. I love the tone of your posts. Thanks for the heads up. Though of course I'm loc'd so not about to even consider that even if it was available here in South Africa.

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    1. Thank you Thandi, try to keep things cheerful here :)

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  5. I pretty much figured there was something stinky in Denmark. I often visit a site called Keratinquestions.com and they had a very good explanation although kinda scientific concerning the chemicals used to reaarange hair bonds. It seemed like this this product fell in one of those categories. I love your blog and refer to it often. Thanks so much for your hard work and your great posts.

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  6. Thank you for your timely, insightful and (as always) informative post! I watched Chime's video and was kind of impressed until I started reading about the active ingredients in this stuff. The only thing that I ever knew about formaldehyde was that it was used to embalm dead bodies in preparation for a funeral. *wonders why anyone would want that in their hair*

    I can't lie though. After watching the video, I thought about putting that product in my own hair....just for a hot second. After reading your post, I decided that it would be best if I did not use it. Don't get me wrong, I love my hair au naturale. It is prone to tangles and let's just say I struggle (and shed a tear or two) on wash day. When I was a child, my mother would press my hair and reversion would be imminent the very next day. As an adult who wears my hair natural, my hair curls back up at the slightest sign of humidity, sweat or anything really. Sometimes I like to wear it straight, but it is very short-lived. I am in the gym 5 days a week, so straight hair is definitely out of the question.

    Oh well, everything is not meant for everyone. I will pass on this "natural" hair wonder.

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  7. Hello JC!

    I watched the video in it's entirety. I must admit that her hair is beautiful curly and also straight. However, I am always skeptical of these types of systems. Not only from the possible damage/ingredients contained within, but the message about our curly-kinky textured hair still MUST be managed. But mostly that managed is considered "straight" and that does not necessarily equate with healthy and the acceptance that we are just allowing our hair to do what it naturally does growing directly from our scalp.

    I know most or at least some women would say that this about options beinag available. It is true. It is an option. But straight hair can still be obtained without the chemical addition as in this product. Perhaps I am biased here. I have been natural since 1995, when there weren't many of us around in droves with all this information we NOW have. I have only had my hair straightened once, too much heat, too much work, and very little pay off. I love my naturally curly hair in all it's glory. There are no special occasions for straightening my hair.

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  8. One more thing...the funny thing about "damage" done isn't always immediately noticeable. The true testimony is what is happening with your hair six months later? I have found that to be the magic time frame when you really KNOW something has truly gone awry and is now manifested in the state of your hairs current condition. I have very fine strands with medium to high density. Every time I have colored my hair, the results are the same...it looks so amazing when it is first done. OMG. Then the subtle damage starts to really show around the 6 month mark. My hair is not good with color and it always leads to damage down the line

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  9. Hello, thanks you for your article. I'm in transition and my 4C hair tangles a lot. Im about 6months post relaxer and i would like to use the TMS to prolong my transition. Do you think i can use it in my transitioning hair?

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  10. Thank you SO much for this!
    I used it in the summer and had great straight results BUT I DID NOT like the way my hair felt when it reverted back. My curls came back but they felt "mushy". I didn't recognise them, it was like starting again with a slightly different texture of hair. I didnt like it. My twists etc did not hold as well. I'm not saying it's a bad product, but it's not for me.
    I've been meaning to do a blog post about it but I've been taking a minute away from the blog this Summer/Autumn.
    Thanks again for this. xx

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    1. Do you think that this will lead to having to transition from this process back to virgin hair again? Do you consider your hair damaged?

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  11. I've been thinking of going for brazilian treatment for a long time now. Some of the discussions about its harmful effects has made me so afraid of trying. You've provided one of the most comprehensive explanation about what it is and how it works. That gives me a better idea on how to make my own decision. Thanks! I'm sure many of the readers here will have the same to say to you.

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  12. I remember Rio! Thanks for this post. I tried TMS and did appreciate the results of my flat ironing but not enough to use it regularly. I thought it would make keeping my hair stretched easier but it didn't so I just ended up sticking with tension stretching then banding my hair. The inner active serum was pretty "sticky" it was very difficult to blow dry my hair with a brush and even with a comb. I was afraid my hair would break and it felt like it had a film on it. Once I flat ironed (275-300 degrees) it I liked the result better. I was able to wear a top knot--a style i really miss from my relaxed days--for the first time in 2 years. I didn't flat iron my hair bone straight but it was much more manageable than it is flat ironed w/o TMS. My curls reverted in 3 washes like I never used it so, in all a pretty good experience. Now that I know it is a BKT though, I am less likely to use it again. Great post/info as usual Natural Haven! Thanks for all you do!

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