Dropped $180 on a keratin smoothing kit before I read the ingredients list close enough

Riley Rivera · 2026-11-14T20:45:07.067897+00:00

I bought one of those at-home keratin kits back in February because a client asked about smoothing and I wanted to know what the process felt like before I offered it. Spent $180 on the kit plus another $40 on the formaldehyde-free mask they upsold me at checkout in Austin. Did the whole thing in my garage with the windows cracked and the smell still gave me a headache for two days. The real kicker is the results lasted about two weeks on my own hair, way under the 8 to 12 weeks the box promised, and I later found out the active ingredient amount was way lower than what a salon kit runs. So I'm out $220 and now I tell every client to skip the box kits and just book the in-salon treatment if they really want it. Anyone else get burned by a home smoothing kit before? I want to know if it was just my hair type or if these kits are all a waste.

Vivisector

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Dropped $180 on a keratin smoothing kit before I read the ingredients list close enough | Cosmetologists - Vivisector