Ammonia-free color? Hairdressers, stop being fooled

By Sara, Beauty Advisor of Il Magazine del Parrucchiere

Every season comes the usual heated soup: “ammonia-free dye”, “natural color”, “full coverage”, “healthier hair after color”.
Let’s face it: it’s marketing, not magic.

The truth that no one tells

To open the cuticle and let the pigments in, you always need an alkalizer. Point.
If there is no ammonia, there is something else: MEA, TEA, or molecules with names that sound sweeter but irritate all the same.
The “without” is used to sell, not to really protect the hair.

White coverage? Yes, but for how long?

Every brand swears: “100% total coverage”. Too bad that on resistant whites the fairy tale lasts two weeks.
Then the customer comes back to you and tells you that the color is already gone. And who loses face? You, not the company.

The myth of color that heals

Another textbook slogan: “color that restructures and nourishes”.
An oxidation color, in order to work, must open the cuticle and oxidize the melanin: a process that inevitably weakens the fiber. It is true that modern formulas contain oils, proteins or keratins that make the hair softer and shinier, but this is only a temporary cosmetic effect, not an actual repair. And when you hear phrases such as “nourishes the hair” or “heals the follicle”, remember that the color acts only on the stem already out of the skin: the bulb does not touch it. Those are marketing promises, not scientific facts.

Showcase ingredients

Olive oil, Argan oil, grape seeds, organic extracts, royal jelly… Excellent as a side dish, but in minimal quantities.
They serve more to impress the customer on the packaging than to really change the chemistry of the dye.

The Salon Rip-Off

Do you know what happens if you fall for it?

• Understand the “green” product at a premium price.
• You use it by trusting brochures.
• The customer notices that the white is not covered, or the color downloads immediately.
• Result: the customer no longer trusts you.

Meanwhile, the brand has already sold. You, on the other hand, have lost credibility.

The 5 questions to ask (and the correct answers)

1. What is the alkalizing agent used?
A clear product will clearly tell you whether it uses MEA, TEA, or other low-impact amines, including why they were chosen and in what concentration. If they only answer “without ammonia”, that’s not enough.

2. What is the pH when laid?
For a subtle color, it should be around 8–9—tall enough to open up the cuticle, but not so high that it wreaks havoc. If they don’t give you a number, it means they don’t want to tell you.

3. What oxygen should I use to cover whites?
Gentle coverage is achieved with low oxygens: 10–20 volumes maximum. If you are pushed to use 30–40 volumes per force, it is no longer a “gentle” color, but an aggressive oxidizer disguised as natural.

4. Do you have independent testing or just glossy brochures?
The right answer is: “We have clinical laboratory studies or tests carried out by external bodies, we can show you data on skin coverage, duration and tolerability.” If they only have photos of perfect models and testimonials, it’s smoke.

5. What are the limitations of the product?
An honest brand will tell you: “On very white or resistant hair, coverage may take longer or more concentrated blends; on very dark bases it does not lighten like a traditional color.”
If they tell you that it always works, on everyone, without differences, they are selling you hot air.

Conclusion

The perfect color does not exist: either it covers well and stresses more, or it is more delicate and lasts less.
Those who promise you both, are selling you hot air.

Let’s stop taking the bait of slogans and go back to being professionals: we are the ones who have to tell the truth to customers, not salespeople.

La vs Sara, Beauty Advisor MdP