What chemical is used to neutralize a permanent wave?

• A. Hydrogen Peroxide
• B. Sodium Bromate
• C. Both Hydrogen Peroxide and Sodium Bromate
• D. Ammonium Thioglycolate

Answer: (C)

Neutralizing a permanent wave is about re-oxidizing the hair to rebuild the disulfide bonds that were broken in the waving lotion. The neutralizer provides an oxidizing agent that locks in the curl by reforming those bonds. Hydrogen peroxide is the most common neutralizer because it effectively oxidizes the reduced hair and sets the curl. Sodium bromate is another oxidizing neutralizer used in some formulations, serving the same function of rebuilding disulfide bonds. Ammonium thioglycolate, on the other hand, is the reducing agent used in the waving solution to break the bonds, not the neutralizer. So both hydrogen peroxide and sodium bromate can be used to neutralize a permanent wave, depending on the product.