Frequently Asked Questions
These are the questions we think you should have answered before you buy the Ellerand Curl-Safe Smoothing System. If yours is not here, email us at support@ellerand.com and we will answer it.
About the product
What is the Ellerand Curl-Safe Smoothing System?
It is a three piece haircare set that smooths frizz without changing your curl pattern. You wash, you mask, you seal with a serum.
The name is the whole idea. Frizz gone. Curls kept. It is not a keratin treatment and it is not a straightener.
What is in the box?
Three products, one for each step of the routine.
- Shampoo, 250ml. The wash step.
- Mask, 250ml. The conditioning step.
- Leave in serum, 100ml. The sealing step, and the one that stays in your hair.
There is no applicator, no heat tool and no extra kit to buy. Full instructions are on how to use it.
Will it straighten my hair?
No. It is not a straightener and we are not going to pretend otherwise.
What it does is smooth the outside of the hair, so frizz lies down and your hair reads calmer and shinier. The curls, waves or coils keep their shape. If you want your hair straight you still blow dry or flat iron it. This just gives you a smoother starting point.
Will I lose my curl pattern?
No. It physically cannot take your pattern away.
Your curl pattern is set inside the cortex, which is the inner core of the hair. Ellerand works on the cuticle, which is the outer layer. It never reaches the cortex, so there is nothing there for it to change.
Is this a keratin treatment?
No. It is a different category of thing.
A keratin treatment is a chemical service done in a salon chair that works past the surface of your hair. Ellerand is three bottles you use at home in the shower. Nothing in it breaks a bond and nothing in it needs a flat iron to work.
How is it different from a keratin treatment?
A keratin treatment changes your hair from the inside. Ellerand works on the surface only.
A salon keratin treatment is a chemical process worked past the cuticle and sealed in with a flat iron at around 450 degrees Fahrenheit. That is why your curl pattern changes, and why you cannot simply wash it back out. It typically costs somewhere around $150 to $500, takes hours in the chair, and gets repeated roughly three times a year.
| Salon keratin treatment | Ellerand | |
|---|---|---|
| Where it works | Past the cuticle, inside the hair | On the cuticle, the surface |
| What happens to your curl pattern | Changed | Untouched |
| Can you reverse it yourself | No | There is nothing to reverse |
| Heat needed | Flat iron at around 450 degrees Fahrenheit | None |
| Where you do it | A salon chair, for hours | Your own shower |
| How often | Around three times a year | On wash day |
Is it permanent?
No, and that is the point.
Permanent smoothing means a changed curl pattern, because the only way to make smoothing last is to work past the cuticle and reset the hair flat. Ellerand stays on the outside, so the smoothing lives on the outside too. You keep the result by keeping the routine.
Anyone selling you permanent smoothing is selling you a changed curl pattern, whether they say so or not.
What does it actually do to my hair?
It seals and smooths the cuticle, which is the outer layer of the hair.
The cuticle is built like overlapping scales. When those scales lift, hair catches humidity, tangles against itself and scatters light, and that is what you see and feel as frizz and dullness. The five actives in the system lay that outer layer flat and seal it.
None of that involves the cortex, which is where curl pattern is stored. So the smoothing is real and the pattern stays exactly as it is.
What is in it?
Five actives, and every one of them works on the surface of the hair.
- Niacinamide
- Omega 3-6-8-9
- Phytosqualane
- Carbohydrate Complex
- Smoothing Silicone Blend
All five are surface agents. They smooth and seal the cuticle, the outer layer of the hair. None of them reaches the cortex, the inner core where your curl pattern is set. That is why we can say it seals the cuticle and never touches your pattern and mean it literally rather than as a figure of speech.
There is more on each of the five on the ingredients page, and the complete ingredient list is printed on every bottle.
Does it contain silicone?
Yes. There is a smoothing silicone blend in it, and it is the reason your curl pattern is safe.
Silicone is a surface agent. It sits on the cuticle and lays it flat, which is what brings frizz down. It cannot get into the cortex, and the cortex is where your curl pattern lives. So the exact thing that smooths your hair is the exact thing that makes it impossible for this product to change your curls.
That is not small print. It is the mechanism, and it is why we lead with it.
Does it have formaldehyde in it?
No. There is no formaldehyde in it and no bond breaking chemistry of any kind.
Bond breaking chemistry is what a salon smoothing service relies on, and it is what makes that result something you cannot rinse back out. We do not do it, which is why your pattern is safe.
Do I need heat or a flat iron?
No. There is no heat step anywhere in the routine.
Wash, mask, serum. That is it. You can air dry or blow dry afterwards, whichever you normally do, and you can heat style if you want to, but nothing about the result depends on a hot tool.
Will it work for my hair
Will it work on curly hair?
Yes, and your curls stay curly.
Curly hair frizzes because the cuticle lifts along all those bends. Ellerand smooths that outer layer, so the frizz comes down while the curl shape stays where it is.
Will it work on coily and 4c hair?
Yes. The cuticle is the same structure on every curl pattern, including 4c.
Tighter coils have more twists and turns, which means more places for the cuticle to lift, which is a large part of why coily hair reads as frizzy at the surface. Smoothing that surface helps for exactly the same reason it helps on any other texture. There is no pattern this fails on, because it is not doing anything pattern specific.
Will it work on wavy hair?
Yes. Waves keep their bend and lose the frizz around them.
Wavy hair often sits in the frustrating middle, too smooth to read as curly and too frizzy to read as sleek. Sealing the cuticle is what closes that gap.
Will it work on straight hair?
Yes. Frizz is not a curly hair problem, it is a cuticle problem, and straight hair has a cuticle too.
If your hair is straight and still goes rough and fluffy in humidity, that is a lifted cuticle, and that is what this system is for.
Can I use it with a silk press?
Yes. Use it as your wash day routine before you press.
It does not do the pressing for you and it does not replace your heat tool. It gives you a smoother, sealed surface to work with. Your natural pattern still comes back with water, the same way it always has with a press.
Can I use it with a blowout?
Yes. Wash, mask, then apply the serum to damp hair before you dry.
The serum is not a heat protectant, so keep using whatever heat protectant you normally use. This sits underneath your usual routine rather than replacing pieces of it.
Can I use it on color treated hair?
Yes. It works on the surface of your hair, not on the pigment inside it, and it does no chemistry to your hair at all.
What we will not do is print a color safe claim, because that is a certification we do not have. If you want your colorist to look at what is in it, the list is printed on every bottle and the five actives are explained on the ingredients page.
Will it work on fine hair and on thick hair?
Yes to both. The difference is how much you use, not whether it works.
On fine hair, use less serum and keep it to the mid lengths and ends. On thick or coarse hair, work in sections so every part actually gets covered. See how to use it for amounts.
Can I use it if I have already had a keratin treatment?
Yes. Ellerand works on the surface, so it is not doing anything to what a keratin service already changed.
As that treatment grows out, your natural pattern returns at the root on its own schedule. Ellerand does not speed that up and does not hold it back. If your stylist gave you aftercare instructions for the treatment, keep following them.
Will it weigh my hair down?
It should not, and if it does, look at how much serum you are using before you look at anything else.
Start with less than you think you need, keep the serum off your roots, and rinse the mask out properly. You can always add a little more next time you wash. On fine hair a light hand goes a long way.
Using it
How do I use the three pieces?
Three steps, in the shower, in this order.
- Shampoo. On wet hair, massage through the roots and lengths, then rinse.
- Mask. Work through the mid lengths and ends, leave it while you finish washing, then rinse.
- Serum. On damp hair, warm a small amount between your palms and work it through the mid lengths and ends. Do not rinse it out. Then dry or air dry as usual.
There is a longer walkthrough on how to use it.
How often should I use it?
Use it as your wash day routine, as often as you normally wash your hair.
There is no schedule to keep to and no loading phase. If you wash twice a week, use it twice a week. If you wash every ten days, use it every ten days. The serum can also be used on its own between washes.
What order do I use them in?
Shampoo, then mask, then serum. Always the serum last.
The order matters for one reason. The serum is the step that seals, and it is the only step that stays in your hair. Anything you rinse after it takes some of it back out, so it goes on after the water is done.
How much do I use?
Less than you would expect with the serum, and as much as it takes to actually cover your hair with the shampoo and mask.
Use enough shampoo to work through the roots and lengths, and enough mask to coat the mid lengths and ends. For the serum, start with a small amount, warm it in your palms, and add a little more only if the ends still feel dry once your hair is dry.
Can I use the serum on dry hair?
Yes. It spreads most evenly on damp hair, but dry hair is fine.
On dry hair use noticeably less, and rub it between your palms first so it goes on evenly rather than landing in one patch. This is the easiest way to bring frizz down between washes without getting your hair wet again.
Can I use just one piece on its own?
Yes. Each one works on its own and none of them needs the others to function.
They are designed as a routine though. The shampoo and mask prepare the surface and the serum seals it, so you get the most out of the system when all three run together on wash day.
Can I still use my other products?
Yes. Your gel, cream, mousse, oil or styler can all stay.
The usual order is Ellerand serum first on damp hair, then your styler on top. Nothing here reacts with anything, because nothing here is doing chemistry to your hair.
Can I still heat style?
Yes. Nothing about this stops you blow drying, flat ironing or curling.
The serum is not a heat protectant, so keep using whatever heat protectant you already use before a hot tool.
Can I use it if I am pregnant or nursing?
Ask your doctor. We are not able to give medical advice and we are not going to guess on your behalf.
The ingredient list is printed on every bottle, so you can show it to them and get a proper answer.
What if it stings or irritates my skin?
Stop using it, rinse it out with cool water, and email us at support@ellerand.com.
Your 30 day guarantee covers that situation, opened bottles and all. If the reaction is severe or does not settle, please see a doctor.
Orders, shipping and returns
How long until my order ships?
Orders are picked and packed on business days, and you get a confirmation email with tracking as soon as it leaves us.
Current processing times are listed on our shipping policy. If you have not seen a shipping confirmation and you think you should have, email us with your order number and we will find it.
How long does delivery take?
It depends where you are. Orders inside the United States arrive faster than international ones.
The current delivery windows for each destination are on our shipping policy. Once a parcel is with the carrier, the tracking link is the most accurate source, because we can see exactly what you can see and nothing more.
Do you ship internationally?
Yes. We ship across the United States and to most of the world.
If checkout will not accept your country, email us at support@ellerand.com before you try again and we will tell you whether we can get it to you.
Will I pay customs or import charges?
On international orders you may. Those charges are set by your own country, not by us.
We do not collect them and we do not receive them. If your country applies duty or import tax, the carrier will normally ask you for it before delivery, and it is the customer who pays it. Details are on our shipping policy.
How do I track my order?
Use the tracking link in your shipping confirmation email. There is a full walkthrough on track your order.
If you cannot find that email, check your spam and promotions folders first, then email us with the name and email address you ordered under and we will resend it.
What is your guarantee?
30 days from the day your order is delivered.
If it is not right for you, email support@ellerand.com within those 30 days and we will start a return and refund you. There is no argument to win and no reason you have to give us. The full version is on the Ellerand promise and in our refund policy.
Can I return it if I opened it?
Yes. Opened, used, half empty, all fine.
You cannot judge a shampoo without washing your hair with it. A guarantee that only covers a sealed box is not a guarantee, it is a technicality, so ours covers opened bottles on purpose.
How do I start a return?
Email support@ellerand.com with your order number and the name on the order. We authorize the return and send you the instructions and the return address.
Please wait for that authorization before you send anything back. We do not publish a return address, and a parcel that turns up without an authorization is very hard for us to match to your order and refund.
When do I get my refund?
We issue it to your original payment method once your return has been received and checked, and we email you when it is done.
How quickly it then shows up in your account is down to your bank or card provider rather than us. If it has not appeared and you think it should have, email us and we will send you the confirmation.
Can I change or cancel my order?
Email us as soon as you can with your order number and tell us what needs to change.
If it has not been packed yet we can usually fix the address, swap the details or cancel it. Once it is with the carrier we cannot pull it back, but your 30 day guarantee still applies from the day it is delivered.
What if it arrives damaged?
Email us at support@ellerand.com with your order number and a photo of the box and the bottles.
We will replace it or refund it, whichever you prefer. Please do not throw the packaging away until we have sorted it out, because the carrier sometimes asks for it.
About Ellerand
Where are you based?
We are a United States business. Our address on record is 29146 Renee St, Andalusia, AL 36421, United States, and we price everything in USD.
That address is our business address, not a returns address. Returns go to the address we send you with your return authorization.
How do I contact you?
Email support@ellerand.com or call +1 205 287 9987. There is also a form on our contact page.
Email is the most reliable way to reach us, especially for anything to do with an order, because it gives us your order number in writing.
Do you test on animals?
We do not put a cruelty free claim on this site, because we do not have a certification behind it.
We would rather say that plainly than print a badge we cannot stand behind. The same rule applies to everything else on this site. If we cannot back it up, it does not go on the page. If you have a specific question about our suppliers, email us and we will answer it in writing.
Is the packaging recyclable?
Check your local guidance, because that is the only answer that is true where you live.
Recycling rules vary enormously by city and by country, and we ship to a lot of both, so a single claim printed here would be wrong for some of the people reading it. We are not going to print one we cannot back up everywhere we ship. If your local service needs to know what the container is, email us and we will tell you.
Still have a question?
Email support@ellerand.com or call +1 205 287 9987 and ask us directly. If it is a good question we will add it to this page.