The keratin fibers of the hair shaft are connected by peptide bonds, salt bonds, disulfide bonds, and hydrogen bonds between protein chains. To permanently change the shape of the hair, the cross-linking disulfide bonds must first be broken through a reduction reaction, and then the broken disulfide bonds at different positions in the keratin are reshaped by oxidation. This is the essential chemical part of hair styling, and then the physical act of curling the hair to achieve the desired hairstyle must be performed. Disulfide bonds can be easily broken by reducing agents, whose electrons attack the bonds. In a standard cold perming process, the hair is first placed in a curler and a reducing agent, usually ammonium thioglycolate, is added. The disulfide bonds are broken, and the keratin molecules are now free to move around and adjust to the shape of the curler. A neutralizing agent such as hydrogen peroxide is then added to reverse the effect of the reducing agent. New disulfide bonds are formed, thus locking the keratin molecules into their newly formed form. The reducing composition contains the following agents: (1) a reducing agent such as thioglycolic acid, ammonium thioglycolate, thioglycolate monoethanolamide, L-cysteine, L-cysteine hydrochloride, N-acyl-L-cysteine, etc. (2) an alkali such as ammonium hydroxide, ethanolamine, ammonium hydrogen carbonate, L-arginine, etc.; and (3) other additives including chelating agents such as EDTA salts, conditioning agents such as silicones and cationic celluloses, surfactants as emulsifiers, and pH adjusting agents, UV absorbers, dyes, thickeners, fragrances, etc. The oxidizing composition usually contains oxidizing agents such as bromic acid salts, sodium perborate, and hydrogen peroxide along with other additives similar to the reducing composition. The chemicals involved in the permanent wave process are generally harsh. Therefore, restrictions are imposed by regulators.