Unlike household paint, professional paint contains more caring components. If the dyeing technique is followed, they protect the hair during the procedure.
Supermarket hair dye comes in a ready-made kit that is suitable for all hair types. Most professional coloring products must be selected individually, based on the condition of the hair and the desired result, for example, for covering gray hair.
The kit with household paint usually includes an oxidizing agent with a concentration of 6 or 9%. The properties of the oxidizing agent allow it to penetrate into the hair and disrupt its structure. Thanks to this, pigment penetrates into the hair. The higher the percentage of oxidation, the more intense the coloring. But this is not always necessary. With a professional product, you can select an oxidizing agent individually, for example 1.5 or 3%.
The purpose of ammonia in dye is to create an alkaline pH, which will cause the hair to swell and trigger the decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide. It ensures maximum penetration of drugs into the hair and the longest lasting effect from their use. Household dye contains a lot of ammonia, on average 9-12% . And in professional ones – 1.6-4.5% . According to the expert , the degree of damage in household paint is almost eight times greater. Most ammonia-free paints are less durable than ammonia-based paints.
Before purchasing and coloring, especially radical ones, you should consult a hairdresser. Don’t forget to check if you are allergic to the product. To do this, apply it to a small area of skin and wait a couple of hours.
Selection parameters
I read the characteristics of professional hair coloring products and chose the best options based on the following criteria.
Useful components in the composition. The paint may contain various oils, proteins and other useful components.
For example, avocado oil. It penetrates the hair shaft, restores it and protects it from the harmful effects of coloring. Olive oil softens dry hair, while wheat proteins restore damaged strands and add shine.
The next useful component for hair is keratin. This is a protein that is produced in the human body. It penetrates the hair shaft and reduces damage, making hair smoother, more manageable and reducing porosity. Milk proteins penetrate the hair shaft and reduce damage. This component also moisturizes and restores.
Silk proteins and argan oil in the hair product also protect against damage and prevent hair breakage. Soybean oil contains vitamins A, C, E and fatty acids. It nourishes the scalp, helps retain moisture in the hair and promotes hair growth. This ingredient can help with split ends. It smoothes the cuticle, making curls manageable, soft and shiny.
With a minimum of ammonia. Dyes without ammonia are more gentle because they damage the hair less and they do not have a strong chemical smell. But the products are not suitable for radical coloring and do not always cope with gray hair. Ammonia-free paint lasts less time than ammonia-based paint.
No parabens. These are chemicals that act as preservatives in cosmetics. For people with sensitive skin, products containing parabens may cause irritation.
I studied about 50 products on Yandex Market, Ozone, Keen Hair, Estelle, Wildberries, Sbermegamarket and excluded paints that customers did not like in terms of quality. I have compiled a list of 16 professional coloring products with ratings from 4.5 to 5 stars that meet our parameters:
Redken Shades EQ Gloss.
Matrix Professional.
Matrix Color Sync.
American Crew Precision Blend.
Brelil Professional Colorianne Prestige.
Biokap Nutricolor Delicate.
Brelil Professional Colorianne Prestige.
Keen Colour Cream.
Kaaral Hair Cream Colorant.
L’Oreal Professional Majiblond Ultra.
Estel De Luxe Sense.
Schwarzkopf Professional Igora Royal Absolutes.
No ultra-light blonde pearl.
Redken Shades EQ Gloss.
Macadamia Oil Cream Color.
Wella Professionals Color Touch Plus.
Super care – Redken Shades EQ Gloss
This product does not contain ammonia, so it colors without damaging your hair. Redken Shades EQ Gloss may be suitable for people with dry, damaged hair because it contains a lot of wheat proteins. They nourish, strengthen and restore damaged hair.
The main feature of the paint is that it creates a long-lasting conditioner effect. Hair after coloring looks soft and shiny. The line includes about 40 colors and shades.
Customers like the product: they believe that it has a convenient consistency and can be easily used at home. According to them, the hair becomes better in quality than before dyeing, and with the help of this dye you can remove yellowness.
For gray hair – Biokap Nutricolor Delicato
Ammonia-free hair dye from an Italian brand that completely covers gray hair. It contains wheat proteins that restore damaged hair and give it shine. Argan oil protects hair from damage and prevents breakage.
The dye also contains soybean oil , which helps retain moisture in the hair, making it manageable, soft and shiny.
The product has a creamy consistency and is easy to apply to hair. The paint will appeal to people who do not want to radically change the color, but to refresh it: the line has many beautiful natural shades.
The kit includes not only paint, but also a bottle of activator emulsion, a bag of restorative shampoo-conditioner and protective cream for the scalp. This is convenient: you don’t need to buy additional emulsion.