Ammonia-free color is all the rage right now. Go down the color isle in the store and you eye will be drawn all sorts of hair-color products labeled "ammonia-free!" and "organic!". Clients have said "yeah, I use a box dye but it's ammonia-free so it's not as bad." I have to admit, before going to Paul Mitchell, I was fooled by these products, too. It's hard to see past the crafty wording and marketing these companies are coming up with to swindle people into thinking what they're using is somehow safer than other box dyes. We are being conned because we are uninformed!There are three main chemical ingredients that must be present to make a permanent color last more than about 12 shampoos, uncolored dye precursors (aniline derivatives), an oxidizing agent (developer), and an alkalizing ingredient (ammonia, or an ammonia substitute).
- Analine Derivatives are uncolored dye molecules that can easily penetrate the hair shaft. The oxidizing process blows them up to somewhere around 300x their size so that they are trapped inside the cortex and can not be easily shampooed out.
- Hydrogen peroxide (also known as the developer or oxidizing agent) - This ingredient, in varying forms and strengths, helps initiate the color-forming process and begins the oxidation-reduction reaction responsible for the chemical changes created by permanent hair color.
- Ammonia / Substitute - These ingredients raise the pH of the hair so the hair color can penetrate the cortex. Without them, the dye molecules would sit on the outside of the hair and disappear with a few shampoo. Alkanolamines are often used in place of ammonia because there is less odor associated with their use. The function the same as ammonia, they are every bit as alkaline, and just as damaging.
Alkanolamines are what the industry is using in your "ammonia-free" hair color. They do the exact same thing, stink less, and are not technically ammonia, so companies are getting away with calling their products "Ammonia-free" and marketing them as safer/better/etc. If you are sensitive to ammonia, these products may be more comfortable to use, but Ammonia-free does not mean damage-free!
So, how can you dye your hair damage-free? The simplest answer is dye it no lighter than your natural color. There are dyes and stains out there that do not contain ammonia or a substitute but these products DO NOT LIGHTEN HAIR COLOR AT ALL. These are marketed as semi-, demi-, temporary, and vegetable/natural haircolors. These products are non-oxiditave (do not require a developer) and coat or stain the hair shaft with color. This does not mean anything darker than your natural is always safe, if you're dying your hair black permanently, the product still is lifting your cuticle and replacing your natural melanin. The exceptions to this rule are henna and other natural dyes. These are permanent, do not lighten, and are available in limited tones. The color result tends to be weak (unless a natural product like lemon juice is used to raise the pH and enhance penetration) and the processes is lengthy and messy.
So if you're looking for a darker color, try a semi-permanent color. PM Shines is a great example of a demi-permanent hair color that is conditioning and vibrant. They come in a wide range of colors, are safer, smell better, and will fade gradually but on tone so that by the time you have roots and are ready to dye again (4 weeks or so) your roots will not be glaring and your hair will be in better condition over all!
So cool! I loved learning about the three main components of dye; thanks for the de-bunking!
ReplyDeletecan i dye over ammonia free dye with a permanent color that i have been using for the last 8 years. The ammonia free dye went wayyyyy too dark and i have to redo it urgently and only have my permanent dye available
ReplyDeleteNot exactly. To color over a darker color with a lighter one will have no effect on the color and only damage your hair more. The darker the color is, the more closely packed the color molecules are, so you need something to break up (lighten) or shrink (remove)those to see any color difference. Although I would recommend visiting your local salon for color correction, a less powerful over-the-counter color remover can be found at Sally Beauty. Try L'Oreal Color Zap (link below) and then color over the result with your old hair color. I can't guarantee results with at-home processing (hairdressers are trained with professional hair color theory) but that's the process in general for what you're trying to do.
ReplyDeleteHope this helps!
-Rach
http://www.sallybeauty.com/Haircolor-Remover/SBS-500495,default,pd.html?cgid=Hair05-10
I have dark brown curly hair. I recently used Clariol textures and tones honey blonde. I didnt leave it on long enough to get the full honey blonde as I wanted a really light brownish blonde. I got a medium brown with lots of reddish orange tone. Eek. not exactly what I wanted. How can I fix this?
ReplyDeleteLots of good information here. Please note that lemon juice has a very low (about 2) or acidic pH so it will not raise the pH. You need something alkaline for that, like ammonia.
ReplyDeleteWhy has my shine not yet washed out, after more than 20 washes in 10 weeks?
ReplyDelete