Patent ID: 8420064

Claim:
A method for processing hair, which comprises: mixing while stirring a hair processing composition comprising an alkoxysilane of formula (1) R 1 p Si(OR 2 ) 4-p (1) wherein R 1 and R 2 represent a straight or branched alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms or a straight or branched alkenyl group having 2 to 6 carbon atoms, p “R 1 ”(s) and (4−p) “R 2 ”(s) may be the same or different, and p represents an integer of from 0 to 2; an organic acid and water wherein said hair processing composition has a pH of 2 to 4.2, until said composition has one uniform phase, applying said composition to hair within 30 minutes after mixing to allow a water soluble silanol compound of formula (2): R 1 p Si(OH) n (OR 2 ) 4-p-n (2) wherein R 1 , R 2 and p have the same meaning as above, n is an integer of not less than 1 and not more than (4−p), and p “R 1 ”(s) and (4−p−n) “R 2 ”(s) may be the same or different and having a molecular weight of 300 or less and generated through the acidic hydrolysis of the alkoxysilane of formula (1), to penetrate into said hair and polymerize, wherein said composition is retained on said hair for 15 to 90 minutes, wherein said organic acid is at least one selected from the group consisting of oxalic acid, maleic acid, aspartic acid, salicylic acid, tartaric acid, fumaric acid, citric acid, malic acid, succinic acid, formic acid, lactic acid, glutaric acid, adipic acid, and propionic acid, and wherein the organic acid content in said mixing ranges from 0.001 to 5 wt %.