Gentle Hair Color

[mendy]

I used to get my hair highlighted blonde. Decided to go darker and opted for "gentle" home semi-perm color to cover gray (Natural Instincts, has peroxide, no ammonia). The first few times it worked well. I would redo roots every couple of weeks and whole head when color faded, every 6-8 weeks, per the directions. Well, ended up frying my hair, breakage, every hair damaged. That was a couple years ago. Since then, having more hair probs due to straightening iron and blow dry, health probs, hormonal fluctuations, etc. My hair is VERY fragile. So, to cover gray I use no ammonia/peroxide temporary color: Clairol Beautiful Collection for gray hair (only 5 shades, so mix a red w/a brown), Bigen semi-perm in bottle (mix 3 shades), or Ion (mix brown w/blonde as brown is very dark). I have had success w/all of these. Excellent gray coverage. I let it stay on my hair longer than directions say (2 hours), also use heat cap connected to dryer. The color lasts about 8-10 shampoos, so not bad. HTH.

[sarelis]

You mentioned that you use Bigen, I have read some serious horror stories about that stuff! A lot of people complained about serious allergic reactions, hair loss, scalp oozing pus I don't know if they have re-formulated it, but a lot of these people had been using it for a long time then suddenly reacted, I would be careful

[mendy]

Well, if it can go wrong, it usually does with me, hair-wise! I have used it a bunch (and left it on a looong time) with no problems at all on my very sensitive skin. Maybe you mean the permanent version? This has honey, sunflower oil, actually improves shine for me.

[sarelis]

Ooh, I don't know, all I remember is reading some really sad stories from people who had had reactions. Maybe the semi perm one is ok? I used to use harsh chemical dyes, my hair was dyed permanent black for nearly 10 years. All of a sudden one day after dying my roots my scalp felt funny, previously it used to get itchy after dying but this felt different. A couple of hours later a patch on the right of my head the size of my palm had swelled up! It was really scary & I have avoided using dyes with PPD ever since. Apparently you can be fine with them for years, but the sensitivity somehow builds up until one day you have a nasty reaction. I believe it was seriously high levels of PPD in Bigen that was causing people problems. I use veggie dyes now, like Directions, my scalp & hair are much happier!

E2A I have just done a quick google & found a few reports of bad reactions to Bigen semi perm dye, again, they could have changed the formulation now but I would be careful!

[mendy]

Well, these dyes have been great for me. They are not harsh at all. I think for people who can't use regular dyes they are really worth looking into. I mean, my hair broke off from something called "Natural Instincts"! I have thin, fine hair, fair, thin skin...I mean, I am a fragile person and I can leave this on for HOURS with no itching, redness, nothing.
These temporary colors with no ammonia or peroxide have been godsends to me....

[spidermom]

I've got the gentlest hair color of all - the one that grows out of my head.

[marykatz]

I've got the gentlest hair color of all - the one that grows out of my head.

That made me smile.

[mendy]

Here are the ingredients of the Ion:

WATER ,METHOXYISOPROPANOL ,PROPYLENE GLYCOL ,HYDROXYETHYLCELLULOSE ,PEG-40 HYDROGENATED CASTOR OIL ,COCAMIDOPROPYL BETAINE ,BORIC ACID ,PANTHENOL ,FRAGRANCE ,HC VIOLET NO. 1 ,3-NITRO-P-HYDROXYETHYLAMINOPHENOL ,ACRYLATES/STEARETH-20 ITACONATE COPOLYME ,SODIUM HYDROXIDE ,DMDM HYDANTOIN ,4-AMINO-3-NITROPHENOL ,HC YELLOW NO. 4 ,TOCOPHERYL ACETATE ,SIMMONDSIA CHINENSIS (JOJOBA) SEED OIL ,BUTYLENE GLYCOL ,IODOPROPYNYL BUTYLCARBAMATE ,HYDROLYZED SERICIN ,ALOE BARBADENSIS LEAF JUICE ,MALTODEXTRIN ,BENZYL BENZOATE ,CITRONELLOL ,ALPHA ISOMETHYL IONONE

Again, this washes out after about 8-10 washes. It doesn't penetrate the hair.

[mendy]

Clairol Beautiful Advanced Gray Solution Ingredients:

Beautiful Collection Advance Gray Solution: Shade 1A
Water, Ethanolamine, Undeceth-3, Propylene Glycol, Toluene-2,5-Diamine Sulfate, Oleic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, 2,4-Diaminophenoxyethanol Sulfate, HC Blue No. 16, m-Aminophenol, Resorcinol, HC Blue No. 12, Fragrance, HC Yellow No. 13, Hydroxyethyl-2-Nitro-p-Toluidine, HC Red No. 3, Ascorbic Acid, Disodium EDTA, 2,6-diamino-3-((pyridin-3-yl)azo)pyridine.

Beautiful Collection Advance Gray Solution: Shade 2A
Water, Undeceth-3, Propylene Glycol, Ethanolamine, Oleic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Toluene-2,5-Diamine Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Resorcinol, HC Blue No. 16, 2,4-Diaminophenoxyethanol Sulfate, HC Blue No. 12, Fragrance, HC Yellow No. 13, Hydroxyethyl-2-Nitro-p-Toluidine, Basic Brown 16, Ascorbic Acid, 2-Amino-6-Chloro-4- Nitrophenol, HC Red No. 3, 2,6-Diamino-3-((Pyridin-3-Yl)Azo)Pyridine, Disodium EDTA, m- Aminophenol.

Beautiful Collection Advance Gray Solution: Shade 2RV
Water, Undeceth-3, Propylene Glycol, Ethanolamine, Oleic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Toluene-2,5-Diamine Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, 4-Amino-2-Hydroxytoluene, HC Red No. 3, Fragrance, 2-Chloro-6-Ethylamino-4-Nitrophenol, HC Red No. 10, Ascorbic Acid, HC Red No. 11, Disodium EDTA.

Beautiful Collection Advance Gray Solution: Shade 4R
Water, Undeceth-3, Propylene Glycol, Ethanolamine, Oleic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Toluene-2,5-Diamine Sulfate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Resorcinol, Fragrance, 4- Amino-m-Cresol, 4-Amino-2-Hydroxytoluene, HC Red No. 3, 2-Chloro-6-Ethylamino-4- Nitrophenol, 2-Amino-6-Chloro-4-Nitrophenol, Ascorbic Acid, Disodium EDTA, m- Aminophenol.

Beautiful Collection Advance Gray Solution: Shade 6G
Water, Undeceth-3, Propylene Glycol, Ethanolamine, Oleic Acid, Glycol Distearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, Toluene-2,5-Diamine Sulfate, Fragrance, Resorcinol, Ascorbic Acid, 2-Methylresorcinol, 2-Amino-6-Chloro-4-Nitrophenol, Hydroxyethyl-2-Nitro-p- Toluidine, Disodium EDTA, HC Blue No. 16, HC Blue No. 12, HC Red No. 3, HC Red No. 10, m-Aminophenol, HC Red No. 11, 2-Hydroxyethyl Picramic Acid.
The product(s) does not contain ingredients considered hazardous as defined by OSHA, 29 CFR 1910.1200 and/or WHMIS under the HPA.