A hair straightening and/or hair relaxing method comprising: applying a hair care composition to hair, wherein the composition comprises a sugar, a buffering agent and a cosmetically acceptable carrier and wherein, where the composition is heated to a temperature of at least 100°C, the composition comprises from about 6% to about 20% reducing sugar hair drying providing a hair straightening appliance at a temperature of from about 100°C to about 280°C and mechanically straightening the hair with the appliance.