Loreal Professional X Tenso Oil Trio Extra Resistant Hair Straightening Cream+ Neutralizer (125ml+125ml)

Product Overview

X-Tenso is L’Oréal Professionnel’s permanent straightening system, and this is the Extra Resistant strength — formulated for hair that is thick, coarse and hard to straighten. The kit contains two 125ml creams: a smoothing cream that softens the internal bonds of the hair, and a neutralising cream that reforms them in the new straight shape. A flat iron is used between the two steps.

Both creams are needed and both must be used in order. This is a salon product sold for salon use, and the result on a first attempt at home is genuinely unpredictable.

Read This Before You Straighten

Chemical straightening is not a styling product. It breaks the disulphide bonds that give hair its shape and reforms them straight, and that change is permanent for the hair you treat — it grows out, it does not wash out. Done well it looks superb. Done badly it takes the hair off.

• Strand test first, every time. Cut a small piece from an unseen area, run the full process on it, and see what happens before you commit a whole head.
• Do not use it on bleached, highlighted or recently coloured hair, or over a previous relaxer or perm, unless a professional has assessed it. Stacking chemical processes is how hair snaps off at the root.
• Wear the gloves. Keep the cream off the scalp, off the skin and well away from the eyes.
• Work in a ventilated room and never exceed the time on the instructions. Leaving it longer does not straighten more, it dissolves the hair.
• The neutraliser is not optional and it is not a conditioner. It is the step that locks the new shape in. Skipping or shortening it ruins the result.
• If the scalp burns, stings or the hair starts to feel slippery and stretchy, rinse it out immediately with cool water.

If you have not done this before, having it done in a salon the first time is money well spent.

How the Two Steps Work

1. Smoothing cream. Applied to dry hair, section by section, kept off the scalp. It breaks the disulphide bonds that hold the hair in its curl pattern, leaving the hair temporarily soft and reshapeable. Timing here is critical — this is the step that damages hair if it runs long.
2. Rinse and blow-dry, then straighten section by section with a hot iron while the bonds are still open. This is where the shape is set.
3. Neutralising cream. Applied to the straightened hair and left the stated time. It reforms the bonds in the new position and locks the shape in. Skipping or rushing this leaves hair weak and the straightening will not hold.
4. Final rinse and a conditioning treatment.

Key Features

• Two-step permanent straightening system
• Smoothing cream 125ml + neutralising cream 125ml
• Extra Resistant strength for thick, coarse, resistant hair
• Used with a flat iron between the steps
• Suitable for men and women
• Professional salon product

Aftercare

• Do not wash the hair for 48 to 72 hours after the process. The new bonds are still settling.
• Do not tie it up, clip it or tuck it behind the ears in that window — it will set with a kink in it.
• Use a sulfate-free shampoo afterwards and a weekly mask. Straightened hair is drier hair.
• Leave at least six months before straightening the same hair again. Touch up the new growth only, never the whole length.
• Do not colour or bleach for at least two weeks either side of the process.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it permanent?

Permanent for the hair it touches — it will not wash out. But your hair keeps growing, so the natural texture reappears at the roots within a couple of months and you will see a line where the two meet.

Can I do it at home?

It is sold for professional use. If you do it yourself, do a strand test first, follow the timings exactly, and have someone help with the back. The most common home mistakes are leaving the cream on too long and missing sections at the back of the head.

What if my hair is already coloured?

Get it assessed by a professional first. Colour, and especially bleach, has already opened the hair structure. Putting a relaxer over it is the classic route to hair breaking off at the root.

Can I use it while pregnant or breastfeeding?

Check with your doctor or midwife before using any new treatment product during pregnancy or while breastfeeding. It is a short conversation and it settles the question properly, which a product page cannot.