Sarah K Rio Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Conditioner Set 2x500ml

Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Sulfate-Free Shampoo and Conditioner for Blonde Hair - 2x500ml is a routine, not two products that happen to share a shelf. The shampoo washes at pH 5.0/5.5 without sulfates or salt. The conditioner closes at pH 3.0/3.5. That drop down the pH scale is the whole design, and it only happens if you use both. Violet pigment in each bottle, cupuaçu butter in each bottle. Home care, two 500 ml bottles.

At a glance

What it is: the complete Rio home-care routine, for blonde hair
In the set: Rio Sulfate-Free Shampoo 500 ml, Rio Conditioner 500 ml
The design: pH 5.0/5.5 in the wash, pH 3.0/3.5 in the close
Both carry: cupuaçu butter and a violet pigment (CI 60730)
The shampoo: no sulfates, no salt, the two things that shorten a smoothing
The conditioner: silicone and paraffin, which is what a prolonged straight effect is made of
Format: 2 x 500 ml, rinse-off, home care

Why the pair is the product

Buy the shampoo on its own and you get half a routine. It cleans without sulfates or salt, which is the right way to wash a smoothed blonde, and it carries a violet pigment. But washing opens the hair a little, and something has to close it again.

That is what the conditioner is for, and the number on its front is the whole argument: pH 3.0/3.5. The shampoo washes at 5.0/5.5, already mildly acidic. The conditioner drops it further, and the more acid the environment, the flatter the cuticle lies. A flat cuticle is what shine actually is: light bouncing off a smooth surface instead of scattering off a rough one. The pH pair only exists when both bottles are on the shelf, which is the reason this set is sold as a set.

What is in each bottle

In both: cupuaçu butter, Brazil nut oil, copaiba, carnauba and a violet pigment (CI 60730).
In the shampoo only: coconut-derived amine oxide and betaine. No sulfates, no salt.
In the conditioner only: cyclopentasiloxane and cyclomethicone, which evaporate, and dimethiconol and paraffin, which stay.
Citric acid in both: holding 5.0/5.5 in the wash and 3.0/3.5 in the close.
Silicones: the conditioner carries three, plus mineral oil. The shampoo carries none. Both of those are deliberate.

What to expect

Lather that is lower and slower than you are used to, because that is what a sulfate-free cleanser does. Hair that combs out while it is still wet. And a smoothing that holds longer than it would under a supermarket routine, because the two things most likely to shorten it, sulfates and salt, are not in the wash. Expect a slight weight on the lengths from the conditioner's film: that is what a smoothed head wants. What you should not expect is volume. This routine is on the side of gravity, on purpose.

Who it is for

Blonde, highlighted and bleached hair carrying a Rio smoothing.
Anyone told to switch to sulfate-free who does not want to give up toning to do it.
Anyone who bought the shampoo alone and wondered why the ends still feel rough.
Coarse, thick or frizz-prone hair that a film suits.

Who it is not for

Fine hair that goes flat easily: the conditioner's film adds weight. Use less, and stay on the ends.
Anyone avoiding silicones or mineral oil: the conditioner has both. The shampoo has neither, and is sold on its own.
Curly-girl routines: a film is not what that method is looking for.
MCI/MI sensitivity or a tree-nut allergy: both bottles are preserved with methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone, and both contain Brazil nut oil.

Professional tip

Sell the pair, not the bottle. A client who walks out with only the shampoo comes back in six weeks saying the smoothing did not last, and they will be half right: they were washing correctly and closing nothing. The pH pair is the design, and it is far easier to explain in the chair than in a review. Tell them the lather will be lower and that this is correct. Tell them to keep the conditioner off the roots. And tell them to rinse both like they mean it.

How to use

Wash with the Rio Shampoo on wet hair, massaging gently. Leave it 2 to 5 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.
Repeat the wash if necessary.
Apply the Rio Conditioner over the entire length of wet hair and leave it 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. Both bottles are preserved with methylchloroisothiazolinone and methylisothiazolinone, a known sensitiser, both contain Brazil nut oil, and both declare alpha-isomethyl ionone as a fragrance allergen.

Using it after your Rio service

This routine exists because of 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; these two bottles carry it through the months that follow. Both are also sold on their own, the Rio Sulfate-Free Shampoo 500ml and the Rio Conditioner 500ml, for when one empties before the other. And if the service is still ahead of you, Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Tanino Protein Kit 2500ml is the salon protocol in one box.

In short

Two bottles, one design: pH 5.0/5.5 in the wash, 3.0/3.5 in the close.
No sulfates, no salt in the shampoo, which are the two things that shorten a smoothing.
A violet pigment in both, so the blonde does not have to warm up between visits.
The service it protects: Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Tanino Protein Kit 2500ml.

Complete your Rio routine

Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Tanino Protein Kit 2500ml -- the salon protocol this routine is built to protect.
Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Sulfate-Free Shampoo for Blonde Hair 500ml -- the wash on its own, if it empties first.
Sarah K Professional Hair Rio Conditioner for Blonde Hair 500ml -- the acid close on its own, at pH 3.0/3.5.

Frequently asked questions

What is in the set?

Two bottles: the Rio Sulfate-Free Shampoo 500 ml, which washes at pH 5.0/5.5 without sulfates or salt, and the Rio Conditioner 500 ml, which closes at pH 3.0/3.5. Both carry cupuacu butter and the same violet pigment that runs through the rest of the line.

Why buy both, rather than just the shampoo?

Because the pH pair only exists if both bottles are on the shelf. Washing opens the hair; something has to close it again. The shampoo cleanses at 5.0/5.5 and the conditioner drops it to 3.0/3.5, and that drop is what makes the cuticle lie flat. Buy one and you get half a routine.

Is it sulfate-free?

Yes, both bottles. The shampoo cleanses with coconut-derived amine oxide and betaine, so no SLS and no SLES, and neither formula contains sodium chloride. Sulfates and salt are the two ingredients most likely to shorten a progressive smoothing, which is the point of an aftercare routine at all.

Does the conditioner contain silicones?

Yes, three of them, plus mineral oil. The shampoo contains none. That is deliberate on both sides: cyclopentasiloxane and cyclomethicone are volatile carriers that evaporate, and what stays is a thin film of dimethiconol and paraffin, which is what the prolonged straight effect is made of.

Can I use it if I have not had the Rio service?

Yes. It is a blonde routine at an acid pH with cupuacu butter and a violet pigment, and it works on that basis alone. It is simply built for smoothed hair, which is why the shampoo washes without the two ingredients that would shorten a smoothing if you had one.

How often should I use it?

As often as you wash. Leave the shampoo on for 2 to 5 minutes and the conditioner for 5, and rinse both thoroughly. Keep the conditioner on the lengths and ends and off the roots, where its film only makes the hair look like it needed washing a day earlier.

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.