Sarah K Rio Conditioner for Blonde Hair - pH 3.0/3.5

Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Conditioner for Blonde Hair - Cupuaçu Butter - 500ml is the acid half of the routine. The shampoo washes at pH 5.0/5.5; this one closes at pH 3.0/3.5, and that drop is what makes the cuticle lie flat. It carries the same violet pigment as the rest of Rio, and it leaves a light film of silicone and paraffin on the lengths. That film is not a shortcut. It is the Prolonged Straight Effect the bottle promises. Home care, 500 ml.

At a glance

What it is: the home-care conditioner of the Rio system, for blonde hair
pH: 3.0/3.5, the acid close after the shampoo's 5.0/5.5
Hero: cupuaçu butter, with Brazil nut oil, copaiba and carnauba
Also in it: a violet pigment (CI 60730), the same one across the line
The film: cyclopentasiloxane and cyclomethicone carry it; dimethiconol and paraffin stay
Format: 500 ml, rinse-off, home care
How to use: after shampoo, on wet lengths, 5 minutes, rinse thoroughly

Why the acid close matters, and why the film is the point

Washing opens the hair a little. That is what washing is. What decides how it looks afterwards is what happens next, and Rio's home care answers that with a pH pair. The shampoo cleanses at 5.0/5.5, mildly acidic already. This conditioner closes at 3.0/3.5, which is properly acidic. The more acid the environment, the flatter the cuticle lies, and a flat cuticle is what shine actually is: light bouncing off a smooth surface instead of scattering off a rough one.

Then there is the film, and this is where most blonde conditioners get coy. This one does not. Cyclopentasiloxane and cyclomethicone are volatile carriers: they spread the conditioning evenly along the strand and then evaporate. What stays behind is a thin layer of dimethiconol and paraffin on the lengths, and that layer is not a corner cut. It is the Prolonged Straight Effect: it blocks humidity, keeps the hair lying flat and throws light. Take the film away and the claim goes with it.

Key ingredients

Cupuaçu butter: the headline butter, for softness and slip.
Citric acid: holds the conditioner at pH 3.0/3.5.
The silicone system: cyclopentasiloxane and cyclomethicone spread it, dimethiconol stays, paraffin seals.
Brazil nut oil, copaiba and carnauba: the Brazilian base, doing the same job from the plant side.
Violet pigment (CI 60730): the same colourant carried across the Rio line.

What to expect

Hair that combs out cleanly while it is still wet, and dries flatter and glossier than it would on its own. The film does that, and the film is also what you feel: a slight weight on the lengths. That is exactly what a smoothed head wants and exactly what a fine, flat head does not. Use it on the lengths and the ends, never on the roots. What you should not expect is lift or volume. This conditioner is on the side of gravity, deliberately.

Who it is for

Blonde, highlighted and bleached hair carrying a Rio smoothing.
Anyone who wants the smoothing to survive humidity between salon visits.
Coarse, thick or frizz-prone hair that a film suits.
Anyone using the Rio Shampoo, because the pH pair was designed as a pair.

Who it is not for

Anyone avoiding silicones or mineral oil: there are three silicones and paraffinum liquidum in here, and no apology for either.
Fine hair that goes flat easily: the film adds weight. Use less, and stay on the ends.
Curly-girl routines: a film is not what that method is looking for.
MCI/MI sensitivity, or a tree-nut allergy: the preservative is methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone, and the formula contains Brazil nut oil.

Professional tip

Rinse it like you mean it. Silicone and paraffin come off with surfactants, and the Rio Shampoo has them, amine oxide and betaine, just not sulfates. So the routine keeps itself honest as long as the conditioner actually leaves the hair. What accumulates is what never gets rinsed at all: leave-ins, creams, serums. And keep it off the scalp. The film belongs on the lengths where it does the work; on the roots it only makes the hair look like it needed washing a day earlier.

How to use

Apply after shampoo, over the entire length of wet hair.
Leave it to act for 5 minutes.
Rinse thoroughly.

Safety: For external use only. Keep out of reach of children. Avoid light, excessive heat and humidity. Avoid contact with eyes, mouth and mucous membranes, and stop use if irritation occurs. The formula is preserved with methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone, a known sensitiser, contains Brazil nut oil, and declares alpha-isomethyl ionone as a fragrance allergen.

Using it after your Rio service

This conditioner is the second half of a pair. Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Sulfate-Free Shampoo for Blonde Hair 500ml washes without sulfates or salt at pH 5.0/5.5; this one closes at 3.0/3.5. Used together, the routine does what it was designed to do. Both exist to protect what happens in the chair: Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Tanino Brazilian Protein Smoothing for Blonde Hair - 1000ml and Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Blond Neutralizing Mask - 500ml do the service. If it is still ahead of you, Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Tanino Protein Kit 2500ml is the salon protocol in one box.

In short

The acid close: pH 3.0/3.5, after the shampoo's 5.0/5.5.
The film is the point: silicone and paraffin are what a prolonged straight effect is made of.
A violet pigment, the same one carried across Rio.
The service it protects: Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Tanino Protein Kit 2500ml.

Complete your Rio routine

Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Sulfate-Free Shampoo for Blonde Hair 500ml -- the wash this one closes, at pH 5.0/5.5, without sulfates or salt.
Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Shampoo and Conditioner 2x500ml -- both bottles in one set.
Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Tanino Protein Kit 2500ml -- the salon protocol this pair is built to protect.

Frequently asked questions

Does it contain silicones?

Yes, three of them, and mineral oil. That is the mechanism, not a shortcut. Cyclopentasiloxane and cyclomethicone are volatile: they spread the conditioning evenly along the strand and then evaporate. What stays is a thin film of dimethiconol and paraffin on the lengths, and that film is the prolonged straight effect the bottle promises.

Will the silicones build up under a sulfate-free shampoo?

Sulfate-free is not surfactant-free. The Rio Shampoo cleanses with amine oxide and betaine, which do lift the film, just more gently than sulfates would. Rinse the conditioner thoroughly, keep it off the roots, and the routine manages itself. What builds up is what never gets rinsed at all: leave-ins, creams and serums.

Why is it acidic, at pH 3.0/3.5?

Because acid is what makes the cuticle lie flat, and a flat cuticle is what shine actually is. The shampoo washes at pH 5.0/5.5 and this one closes at 3.0/3.5, so the routine walks the hair down the scale. That drop is the reason the two bottles are sold as a pair.

Does it tone like the shampoo?

It carries the same violet pigment, Acid Violet 43, that the shampoo and the salon steps carry. It sits on the hair for five minutes rather than washing through it, so treat it as part of the same routine rather than as a toner in its own right. It does not replace a gloss.

Can I use it on every wash, and will it weigh my hair down?

Every wash is fine on the lengths and ends. The film adds a little weight, which is what a smoothed or coarse head wants and what a fine, flat head does not. If your hair goes limp, use less and stay on the ends. Never take it near the roots.

Can I use it without the Rio Shampoo?

Yes, though you lose half the design. The pH pairing is the point: 5.0/5.5 in the wash, 3.0/3.5 in the close. On its own it still conditions and still carries the violet pigment, but the two bottles were built to be used one after the other.

Need help with your order? Visit our customer service center & online shopping FAQ for answers on shipping, returns, guarantees, payment security and everything else about your purchase.