All acid waves have three components: lotion, neutralizer, and _____.

• A. Neutralizer
• B. Activator
• C. Lotion
• D. Conditioner

Answer: (B)

Acid waves rely on three components to complete the chemical process: the lotion that contains the reducing agent to break the hair’s disulfide bonds, an activator that triggers the reformation of bonds once the hair is set on the rods, and a neutralizer that stops the action and locks the new bond structure in place. The missing piece is the activator, because it bridges the waving lotion and the neutralizer, enabling the hair to form the new bonds in the desired curl before final stabilization. Without the activator, the bonds wouldn’t re-form properly to hold the shape, and the neutralizer would have nothing to finish locking in. The conditioner isn’t part of this chemical process, and the lotion and neutralizer are already essential components.