INFO FROM THE COLOR LAB

HERE WE GO! An explanation of how permanent hair color works, explained by brand

chemists. This information increases our understanding of what happens the moment color application begins processing.

A Permanent Hair Color base must contain: A wetting agent, alcohol and ammonia, along with. other materials like detergents, thickening and buffering agents. The Ph of the base must range from 9 to 11.. so that the alkalinity level of the permanent hair color is sufficient to allow natural pigment to be lifted out of the hair. And, alkaline intermediates, also added to the formula, act as dye couplers.

Due to the alkalinity of the color base, the formula opens hair's cuticle to allow penetration of the dye intermediates and the hydrogen peroxide. These readily penetrate the hair shaft, into the hair's cortex where they swell and remain. The size of the dye intermediates can vary depending on the shade of the formula. Paraphenylene dyes are very reactive, attached oxidation which is why exposure to air can oxidize a color left in an open tube or bottle.

About hydrogen peroxide: Most hydrogen peroxide has a Ph of 3.5 to 4. It is acidic. So adding ti to the color formula SLIGHTLY reduces the alkalinity of the formula. It should be noted that hydrogen peroxide along with the alkalinity caused by the presence of ammonia

affect tensile strength of the hiar. Today's color chemists concentrate on using the lowest

possible amount of buffered ammonia so that the hair's tensile strength can be less negatively compromised. Clearly this information helps us understand that due to the alkaline makeup of permanent hair color, simply lowering the volume of developer we mix into a formula DOES NOT cause the formula to become a demi-permanent, no-lift

solution. Efforts to create a demi- permanent (no lift) shade, using permanent hai color

requires that citric acid be added to the color.