Amazonplex Brazilian Arginine Hair Smoothing Kit (3 x 120 ml) is the brand's own boxed kit for one smoothing service. It holds the Acai Berry Hair Smoothing Arginine Protein, a glyoxylic-acid smoothing cream, with the Vitamin Blend Shampoo and Vitamin Blend Conditioner, 120 ml each. The carton is marked for professional use. Its printed protocol leaves the protein on for 40 minutes on fine hair and 60 minutes on thick hair.

Key ingredients

• Glyoxylic Acid: the protein's active, second on its list, right after water.
• Hydrolyzed Keratin and Arginine: in the protein, with a run of amino acids; the arginine is the one in the name.
• Euterpe Oleracea Fruit Oil: açaí oil, on all three lists.
• Butyrospermum Parkii Butter: shea butter, fourth on the protein's list and also in the shampoo and conditioner.
• Sodium Laureth Sulfate: the shampoo's cleansing agent, second on its list.

What to expect

Smoother, less bulky hair that still moves. Regrowth comes through in the client's own texture.

Who it is for

• Fine or thick hair the client wants smoother: the carton gives a processing time for both
• Salons that want the whole service, shampoo, treatment and conditioner, in one carton

Who it is not for

• Home use: the carton marks the kit for professional use
• Hair that fails the elasticity or strand test, stretching when wet without recovering: rebuild it first
• Anyone sensitive to an ingredient on the three lists, including the declared fragrance allergens: hexyl cinnamal, linalool, limonene, citronellol, geraniol, hydroxycitronellal, alpha-isomethyl ionone, benzyl alcohol, benzyl benzoate, benzyl salicylate and methyl 2-octynoate

Professional tip

The whole service turns on the partial rinse. Rinse to the share in Method A with water only, dry completely, and only then take fine strands to the iron. Smoke or a stiff, coated feel at the iron means too much product was left on; hair that will not hold smooth means too much was rinsed away. Keep the three bottles in the carton's order: shampoo, treatment, conditioner. This is salon practice, not a step printed on the carton.

How to use

Method A is the carton's steps, translated, with what the protein and conditioner bottles add; Method B is the Brazilian salon method, with the same figures.

Method A: manufacturer method

1. Before every application, do a strand test on small sections from the top and the neck (protein bottle).
2. Wash the hair with Amazonplex™ Shampoo, then dry it fully. Divide the hair into 6 equal sections.
3. Apply Amazonplex™ Açai Berry with even, firm, long brush strokes, starting at the back sections, 1 cm from the scalp (protein bottle). Then spread it evenly over the full length with a fine-tooth comb, and repeat for every section. Leave it on for 40 minutes on fine hair and 60 minutes on thick hair.
4. Rinse out about 60% of the product with water only, then dry the hair fully. Treat each fine strand 10 to 15 times with a flat iron at 230 °C (the protein bottle prints 180 to 230 °C). Rinse the hair thoroughly, apply Amazonplex™ Conditioner from the lengths to the ends. Leave it about 3 minutes and rinse with plenty of water (conditioner bottle), then blow-dry or let the hair dry naturally.

Method B: the Brazilian method

1. Consultation and strand test. Test a wet strand from the most fragile section, not the easiest one. If it stretches without recovering, or breaks, rebuild the hair before any heat service.
2. Wash, then dry completely. On hair heavy with styling product or silicone, lather a second time. The treatment goes onto clean hair carrying no water.
3. Section and apply. Fine sub-sections inside the sections in Method A, brushed on from the back. Comb through so every strand is coated, then take off the excess.
4. Choose the time from the hair. Hair between fine and thick, or fine hair that is also lightened, takes the shorter time.
5. Dry, then iron. Blow-dry completely and smoothly on medium heat: no damp strand goes under the iron. Then fine strands, slow even passes, at the figures in Method A; the strand test decides whether the kit suits lightened, fine or fragile hair.

Where it fits in the Amazonplex range

The kit is the trial-size way into the range: the protein with its shampoo and conditioner, in one box. On their own, the range lists Acai Berry 120 ml and Acai Berry 1000 ml, and Guarana 120 ml and Guarana 1000 ml. Every listing sits on the Amazonplex brand page. To compare smoothing services by their printed composition, see our guide to choosing by composition and to nanoplastia.