Every day, I get the same questions as this one.
“Carina, I want to do a keratin treatment, but I don’t know what brand to buy…”
“Hi Carina, what are the most recommended brands of keratin?”
And dozens of similar questions.
So, true to my customs, I decided to write an article about this polemic topic of keratin brands.
I say polemic because these days, any topic is up for debate.
If I recommend a brand, there is always going to be someone that says, “Hey, Carina, you’re crazy. I used that keratin and it ruined my hair…”
And the next day someone appears saying that they used that same keratin and had spectacular results.
Both people followed my recommendation. For one of them, it went well, and she ended up super happy. The other one didn’t get such good results and took the liberty to come back here and insult me and all my ancestors.
A few months ago, I wrote about Ma Evans keratin. It’s a very popular product in almost all countries in Latin America.
In my review, I explained the good things and the not-so-good things about the product, because that’s how I think it should be.
Now, I’m not obligating anyone to go and by Ma Evans Keratin. But even so, in the comments, people say that I work for the brand, they call me a fraud, and who knows how many other things. Simply because I wrote my opinion.
As I always explain, everything that I put here are nothing more than simple opinions based on my experience. Others can have a completely different experience with the same product.
Now, do you understand why the topic of keratin brands is always up for debate and is polemic?
And we haven’t even started talking about keratin with formaldehyde, because that would be a debate in itself.
Those that defend formaldehyde-free proudcts, say that the products with formaldehyde ruin their hair.
Those that defend the classic keratins with formaldehyde insist that they have been using them for years without any type of problem.
Today, I want to talk about some brands of keratin.
They are keratins that I have used at some point so I can tell you first hand that they give extraordinary results.
They aren’t the only brands of keratin that exist on the market. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of brands. And in addition, they vary from one country to another. That’s why talking about all of them is impossible. Not just because not even 100 articles would be enough, but because I don’t know all the brands. I prefer to just talk about those that I know.
When they ask me here in the blog or in the salon, “Carina, what keratin brands do you recommend?” these are the ones that I recommend.
Tabla de Contenidos
1- Alfaprf Keratin
I’ve talked a couple of times about Alfaparf keratin.
I think it has a lot of advantages and a few disadvantages.
The main advantage and the reason that I always recommend Alfaparf keratin is because is formaldehyde-free. I don’t want to bore you with the ingredients and those things because that’s not the point of this article.
Let’s just say that many of the products to make keratin contain formaldehyde among the ingredients.
This ingredient tends to be pretty aggressive for the hair. That’s why some brands like Alfaparf decided to come up with formaldehyde-free keratins.
Another thing that I like a lot about this product is that it is very easy to apply. You don’t need to be an experienced hair stylist to apply this keratin. And I say this to my great regret.
I’m a hair stylist. It’s better for me that people come to the salon to do these types of treatments. But when such a high-quality product comes out that is so easy to apply, I can’t stop saying it.
It makes me remember when I was 6 years old and my best friend told me a secret. She asked me to please not say it to anyone. She begged me not to tell anyone.
The next day, everyone knew my friend’s secret. I was never good at keeping secrets. Not at 6 years old, and not now. That’s why I can’t keep the secret that Alfaparf works so well.
I’m sure this will bring me some problems with my colleagues, but it’s a risk that I’m willing to take. Anything for my readers.
Alfaparf keratin comes in a kit with 4 products. Each one of the products serves for one step of the treatment.
It’s very easy to use so you won’t have any problems. And if you want to apply it in a salon, you can also do that. Of course, in this case you will have to look for a salon that works with Alfaparf products, or you will have to buy the keratin and take it to a salon that you trust in.
2- L’Oreal Keratin
Check L’oreal treatment on Amazon
Another classic among the classics for straightening hair.
In this case you can buy the complete process in the form of a kit or you can buy the keratin vial separately.
Everything depends on where you buy it. Some places don’t sell the vials separately.
The main advantage of this keratin is that the brand is guaranteed to be trustworthy. L’Oreal’s products work very well and nobody can deny that.
This keratin treatment has the ability to transform your hair completely. The result is super straight and shiny hair.
The main disadvantage to L’Oreal keratin is that in some countries it can be pretty expensive. Especially in countries where it is imported, it is difficult for it to compete with the price of nationally-produced products.
3- Kativa Keratin
A good, pretty, and cheap treatment.
Good and pretty because it works well. It leaves the hair straight, smooth and shiny. It eliminates annoying frizz that we women hate so much.
It gives flexibility and nutrition to the hair, and best of all is that it achieves all this even though it doesn’t have formaldehyde.
Ah, and different from other treatments, this keratin from Kativa contains argan oil among its ingredients.
In addition to all of that, the main advantage of this keratin is that it is very easy to use. So easy to use that even my 10-year-old daughter can use it. (It’s just a saying, I don’t recommend doing a keratin treatment on your daughters).
And on top of all of that, it’s very economical. With the L’Oreal treatment, for example, there’s no comparison.
The disadvantage is that it isn’t available in all countries. But if you have the possibility of finding it, I assure you, you won’t regret it.
4- Keratin Research
The objective of a good keratin treatment is to eliminate frizz, strengthen hair, and add shine. This product achieves all of these things and more. That is why I added it to this list.
One of the things that gets me most excited about this keratin brand is that the results can last up to 3 months minimum and 9 months maximum.
As I have explained more than once, the duration of the effects of a treatment with these characteristics varies a lot from one person to another.
It’s not the same in a person that washes their hair every day and on that washes their hair every three days.
In which hair do you think that keratin is going to last longer?
Without a doubt hair that is washed every three days.
You have to understand that keratin fades as you wash your hair and also due to multiple other factors. That’s why the duration of the results varies from one person to another.
Having said that, as the effects last a minimum of 3 months, I think that it is an interesting alternative.
The product comes with very detailed instructions so if you decide to apply it by yourself you shouldn’t have problems. It even has links and how-to videos on YouTube.
IMPORTANT: before starting the application process, read carefully the instructions of the product.
It doesn’t matter that you have done other keratin treatments before. Every brand has a different way of applying because the active ingredients of each product are different. Remember that if you want to obtain the maximum benefits of this keratin or any others, it’s best to read the instructions carefully.
5- Inoar Keratin
Check the Inoar treatment on Amazon
Another classic that doesn’t need much presentation.
Inoar is a brand with high quality products and this treatment is not the exception.
It’s been applied in professional salons for years with surprising results.
More than once, I have seen ruined hair and after applying this keratin, they seem like new.
From having scandalous frizz and ruined ends they went to having lustrous, shiny hair like the eyes of a person in love.
Why does this keratin work so well?
I could say many things but one of the main reasons is that its formula is rich in hydrolyzed keratin and vitamins.
Dry hair with a lot of frizz is hair that has lost nutrients and has lost keratin. This treatment will help you get back both of those things.
If your hair is dry and dull, you can transform into hair that is full of life, silky and shiny with this treatment.
Generic-brand keratin
Many salons use generic-brand keratins or those from small producers.
The main advantage of these generic keratins is that they are cheaper. They are more economic for the for the salon that offers them and ends up being cheaper for the client.
These generic products are sold in large volumes as opposed to name-brand products that usually come neatly wrapped to justify the price of the brand.
If you think about it, it makes sense. It’s obvious that a product without all the marketing and publicity that all the big brands have is going to be cheaper.
And publicity isn’t just on television or on the radio. Publicity is also putting up advertisements of the brand in salons, for example. This way, brands become more well-known and better positioned in our minds.
In this article, I don’t’ want to start a war against generic brand products. It simply seems prudent to me, now that we are talking about keratin brands, to comment that these type of generic products exist.
How to care for your hair after keratin
I don’t want to be repetitive. This is a topic that I have talked about countless times, so it’s best that I leave you with an article where I explain how to care for your keratin treatment so that it lasts longer.
Conclusions
Any of these keratin brands are guaranteed to be trustworthy. You will be assured of very good results.
I do want to clear up something very important.
The results are going to vary a lot from person to person. Some women already know this, but others no, and after they end up leaving the salon disappointed with the results.
I can’t promise the same results in hair that is very damaged with split ends and that is dry than in hair that is in optimal health conditions.
Understanding this aspect is very important for managing your expectations.
Before doing the keratin, you should ask, in what state do I find my hair?
If lately, you have mistreated your hair with all kinds of dyes, bleaches and heat tools, surely your hair is pretty damaged. In this case, don’t have high hopes for the keratin.
Of course, the treatment is going to make your hair look better and it is going to help you repair it little by little, but you also can’t expect miracles.
I hope that this point is clear because I see that a lot of people keep thinking that they can fix the health of their damaged hair in the blink of an eye. This is impossible even when you use the best brand of keratin in the world.
Now, I would like to know your opinion.
Do you know these brands of keratin? What brands can you find in your city?