Process for permanent waving keratin fibers

1 . A process for permanently waving keratin fibers comprising:

a—washing and towel drying fibers;

b—applying a first aqueous composition comprising one or more reducing agents onto the fibers and leaving the first aqueous composition on the fibers for a period of 1 to 60 minutes;

c—rinsing the first aqueous composition off the fibers;

d—inserting the fibers into a first opening of a curler toward a second opening of the curler and rolling or winding the curler onto itself to form a roll shape, wherein the curler comprising a tubular body has a total length defined between a first end and a second end opposite with respect to the first end, wherein the first opening is disposed at the first end of the tubular body and the second opening is disposed at the second end of the tubular body, wherein the tubular body has a total width defined between a first side edge and a second side edge opposite to the first side edge, the curler further comprises a first tab and a second tab, the first tab is disposed on the first side edge at the second end of the tubular body, and the second tab is disposed on the second side edge at the second end of the tubular body;

e—applying a non-reducing and non-oxidizing aqueous composition onto the fibers and leaving the non-reducing and non-oxidizing aqueous composition on the fibers for a period of 1 to 60 minutes, wherein the non-reducing and non-oxidizing aqueous composition comprises one or more alkalizing agents and has an alkaline pH;

f—optionally rinsing the non-reducing and non-oxidizing aqueous composition off the fibers;

g—applying a second aqueous composition comprising one or more oxidizing agents onto the fibers and leaving second aqueous composition on the fibers for a period of 1 to 30 minutes;

h—rinsing off the fibers; and

i—drying the fibers,

wherein

the curlers are taken off from the fibers after step h— and before step i.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the tubular body of the curler is formed by two sheets that are elongated in one direction, and the tubular body has a flat shape in which the two sheets are laid one on top of the other.

3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein at least one sheet of the two sheets is made of one or more materials selected from the group consisting of nonwoven fabric, woven fabric, a net-like sheet, a porous or non-porous resin film, paper, a polymer material sheet, a rubber sheet, a composite of said materials, and the at least one sheet has a thickness in the range of 5 μm to 2,000 μm.

4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the one or more reducing agents are selected from sulfite and/or hydrogen sulfite salts, thiogylcolic acid and/or its salts, cysteamine and/or its salts, thioglycerin and/or its salts, glycerin esters of thioglycolic acid and/or its salts, thiolactic acid and/or its salts, cysteine and/or its salts, and at least one mixture thereof.

5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the total concentration of the one or more reducing agents in the first aqueous composition is in the range of 0.5 to 20%, by weight, calculated to a total weight of the first aqueous composition.

6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first aqueous composition has a pH in the range of 3 to 12.

7 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the process, in its entirety, is carried out at ambient temperature without using any heat and/or heating device.

8 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the non-reducing and non-oxidizing aqueous alkaline composition is in the range of 7.5 to 12.

9 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the non-reducing and non-oxidizing aqueous alkaline composition comprises an alkalizing agent at an ammonia equivalent concentration of 0.1 to 15% by weight calculated to a total weight of the non-reducing and non-oxidizing aqueous alkaline composition as ammonia equivalent determined by titration method.

10 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the non-reducing and non-oxidizing aqueous alkaline composition comprises one or more alkalizing agents selected from sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, ammonium carbonate, ammonium hydrogen carbonate, ammonium carbamate, ammonium chloride, ammonium sulfate, ammonium dihydrogen phosphate, diammonium hydrogen phosphate, diammonium sodium phosphate, ammonium sodium hydrogen phosphate or ammonium disodium phosphate, ammonium nitrate, ammonium bromide, ammonium iodide, ammonium thiosulfate, ammonium molybdate, ammonium vanadate, ammonium sulfamate, ammonium citrate, ammonium salicylate, ammonium valerate, ammonium tartarate, ammonium benzoate, ammonium acetate, ammonium formiate and ammonium lactate, guanidine hydrochloride, guanidine carbonate, guanidine bicarbonate, and an alkyl or alkanol amine according to the general structure

wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 5 are same or different H, from C 1 to C 4 , C 3 to C 4 unsaturated alkyl, C 3 to C 4 branched alkyl, C 1 to C 4 hydroxyl alkyl, C 3 to C 4 unsaturated hydroxyl alkyl, C 3 to C 4 branched hydroxyl alkyl, with the condition that at least one of R 1 , R 2 , or R 3 is different from H and selected from the group consisting of monoethanolamine, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, monoethanol methylamine, monoethanoldimethylamine, di-ethanolmethylamine, monoethanolethylamine, monoethanoldiethylamine, diethanolethylamine, monoethanolpropylamine, diethanolpropylamine, monoethanolbutylamine, diethanolbutylamine, amino methyl propanol, and a mixture thereof.

11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the pH of the second aqueous composition is in the range of 2 to 8, when hydrogen peroxide is comprised as oxidizing agent, and in the range of 5 to 8, when bromate salt is comprised in the composition.

12 . The process of claim 1 , wherein, after step e— or prior to step g—, an additional non-reducing and non-oxidizing aqueous composition is applied onto the fibers, comprising one or more organic and/or one or more inorganic acids, and has a pH in the range of 2 to 6.5 and is optionally left on the hair for a period 1 to 60 minutes, which is optionally rinsed off the fibers.

13 . The process of claim 12 wherein the one or more organic acids are selected from citric acid, succinic acid, lactic acid, malic acid, acetic acid, lactic acid, glycolic acid, tartaric acid, formic acid, oxalic acid, malonic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid and their salts, and the one or more inorganic acids are selected from phosphoric acid, hydrochloric acid, sulfuric acid, carbonic acid and their respective salts.

14 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the one or more organic and/or the one or more inorganic acids are comprised at total concentration of in the range of 0.1 to 20% by weight, calculated to a total weight of the additional non-reducing and non-oxidizing aqueous alkaline composition with the condition the pH of a 1:1, by weight, mixture of the compositions used in steps e and the additional non-reducing and non-oxidizing aqueous alkaline composition comprising the one or more organic and/or the one or more inorganic acids is in the range of 4.5 to 8.

15 . A kit for keratin fibers comprising three compositions and at least one curler, wherein a first composition of the three compositions is a first aqueous composition comprising one or more reducing agents, a second composition of the three composition is a non-reducing and non-oxidizing aqueous alkaline composition comprising one or more alkalizing agents, a third composition of three compositions is a second aqueous composition comprising one or more oxidizing agents, and the at least one curler is one of the curlers according to claim 1 .

16 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first tab and the second tab contact and/or terminate at the second end of the tubular body.

17 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the first tab and the second tab overlap each other in their entireties in a longitudinal direction along the total length of the curler.