What’s the fuss about ammonia free hair colour?

Article by BR Tabatha

The beauty industry is constantly evolving.  And with new trends come buzz words and must-have ingredients.  Paraben-free.  Collagen Boosting.  Hyaluronic Acid. 

The buzz words of hair colouring at the moment have to be - Ammonia-free. But what's the fuss about ammonia?  And why is ammonia-free preferable?

How do products with ammonia work?

Ammonia has two functions in hair colour products:

1. Ammonia is used in hair colour as it increases the pH of the hair which opens the cuticle and allows colour to permeate the cortex of the hair.
2. Ammonia neutralises pigments already in the hair (when mixed with peroxide the effect is even more dramatic).

Ammonia allows for more dramatic changes and longer lasting changes to hair colour.

What's so all the talk about ammonia then?

Ammonia has been used for decades, and it works.  However there are disadvantages to using ammonia that may make ammonia-free formulas preferable.

1. Ammonia is a harsh chemical - and more often than not, it increases the pH of the hair to such a high level that it can't return to normal after the colouring process.  So the cuticles of the hair shaft can't fully close, causing hair to lose moisture, protein and even colour pigments.  This is why overly processed hair is coarse and fades quickly!
2. While ammonia is encouraging the cuticles to open and colour enters the cortex protein and moisture is lost.  This is why sometimes your hair can feel icky after colouring.
3. As the cortex is wide open after using ammonia, colour can be lost.  It takes more product to achieve the same result as ammonia-free options.  The proof is in the rinse - you'll notice losing more colour when washing it off with ammonia products.
4. Ammonia can be responsible for unwanted side effects such as tingling or burning scalp.
5. Ammonia has a very distinct (and unpleasant) odour.

How do ammonia-free products work?

Ammonia-free products use different ingredients to gently open the hair shaft. Some hair colours are actualy powered by oils, not ammonia.

Ammonia-free formulas generally don't open the cuticles to the same degree as formulas with ammonia, so there's less damage and colour loss and hair feels much softer and healthier.

L'Orèal's Casting Crème Gloss is a no ammonia hair colourant that gives you a natural-looking colour with visible shimmering tones and glossy shine - you don't have to use ammonia to get beautiful colour results!

Casting Crème Gloss is a non-drip crème formula which is enriched with a patented conditioning complex. This means it actually helps to protect the hair fibre both inside & out for satin soft hair. 

And just because a product seems gentler, doesn't mean it can't tackle the big problems, like colouring greys! 

To sum up, the benefits of ammonia-free products are:

• They're a more gentle option for sensitive scalps
• They generally cause less permanent damage to the hair shaft
• There are no harsh smells.

Have you tried ammonia free products before?  How do they compare with hair colourants containing ammonia?

Get chatting below!