It is a well-known fact that the majority of professional and commercial products used to change hair color contain one or more chemicals. Of course, because there are many people who prefer natural products, companies now offer hair color made with nothing but organic or 100% natural ingredients. While many of these products work well, it seems that hair color does not remain as vibrant and rich as when colored by more conventional products.
Problems with Ammonia
The thing about hair color products formulated with chemicals is that some chemicals are more toxic than others. In fact, some of the chemicals used are not really given much thought but others have gone through extensive research and studies, finding they are not only harsh on hair but also pose serious health risks. One such ingredient is ammonia, which is the topic of this article.
If anyone has ever sniffed ammonia, they know immediately how harsh this chemical is so it is easy to see why hair would be damaged by any hair color product made with ammonia. For one thing, ammonia causes significant dryness to hair, and to the point of doing serious breakage. In addition, hair color formulated with ammonia tends to produce a burning sensation to the scalp, something exaggerated for someone with sensitive skin.
Another problem associated with ammonia is the horrific smell. When hair is colored with a product made with ammonia, the unpleasant odor would last several days beyond the initial day at the salon. Then, many people would choose semi-permanent hair color to avoid smelly and harsh ammonia since permanent hair color could only be produced by adding ammonia and the reaction to peroxide.
New Shampoo Developments
Until recently, there was no ammonia free hair color but that all changed in 2010 when L’Oreal came out with a new hair color product called INOA. Although this product is currently available only in salons, it has revolutionized the hair coloring process. As a result, the harshness of ammonia that has been a staple ingredient in permanent hair colors for many years became a thing of the past.
Although this is all very exciting news for millions of people, there are some things that should be understood. For one thing, anomia free hair color offered by L’Oreal costs on average 20% higher than top-of-the-line professional hair color products. This means while INOA is currently available for professional hair colorists to use, the additional price would have to be passed onto the customer.
Sure, there will be some customers willing to pay more for permanent ammonia free hair color but others will bulk, choosing to have hair colored with semi-permanent color until the price for INOA or some other ammonia free hair color lowers. Another consideration is the time it takes to prepare INOA due to having an oil base. Some customers might not mind spending extra time in the salon while for others this could be a serious inconvenience.
Obviously with time, the formula for ammonia free hair color will evolve to the degree of being an easier product to use. As far as coverage, this is an amazing solution for anyone with gray hair. INOA actually covers gray hair more efficiently, which is quite impressive considering that gray hair has always been so hard to change.
Then, knowing this ammonia free hair color is actually gentle while still providing 100% coverage is nothing less than amazing. Even better, INOA does not produce the same horrible smell as hair colors that contain this particular chemical.
Conclusion
As stated, many people are sick and tired of all the chemicals found in skincare and hair care products. As a result, some have decided to take action by going with natural products. The one aspect of hair color made with ammonia that is often overlooked is that hair is not the only thing being damaged. This strong chemical is also damaging to the scalp and by being absorbed by the body and the pungent odor breathed in, other potential health issues could arise.
Without doubt, INOA is leading the way for other ammonia free hair color products of the future. In addition to the original formula being refined from time to time, we will begin to see a greater number of brands for ammonia free hair color but not only for those used by professionals in salons but one day, commercial products designed for home use.