Natural coloring vs chemical coloring

 

Natural coloring vs chemical coloring

 

 

Hair coloring is a process that many and many people do. Whether it is to add touches of light to natural hair, to color locks or even to start a drastic color change, it is no longer something to introduce. What may seem new, however, are natural coloring techniques.

 

 

What is natural coloring?

 

The difference between chemical coloring and natural coloring mainly lies in the pigments used.

 

A chemical coloring – called oxidation – is revealed with synthetic pigments mixed with an oxidant, often ammonia or ethanolamine (MEA), which are aggressive substances for the hair and scalp, and potentially dangerous (allergens, carcinogens, endocrine disruptors…) in addition to being dangerous for the environment – ​​to find out more, watch this explanatory video. Such a mixture (called oxidation-reduction) can penetrate to the core of the hair fiber, in order to allow a very fast hold and a lasting transformation of the hair.

 

A natural coloring is revealed by pigments of natural origin. There are two types of natural hair color: mineral hair color and plant-based hair color.

 

 

Plant-based coloring is simple: it consists of a powder of tinctorial and Ayurvedic plants (100% natural therefore and Ecocert certified at Rodolphe&Co) mixed with water and possibly HydroGel, a mineral base, also Ecocert certified, which will boosts the color effectiveness. The whole will create a creamy mixture which is deposited on the hair without altering the fiber, like makeup, and thus allows a tone-on-tone coloring or darker than the base color, with a super natural result. Be careful, natural coloring does NOT lighten the hair.

 

 

Mineral coloring, on the other hand, consists of a creamy base composed of plant and mineral active ingredients (such as clays or Mother-of-Pearl from Brittany) as well as dyes (TDS) which color without penetrating the hair fibre. This is a coloring process that is 95% to 97% natural, which offers many color possibilities.

 

 

 

 

What are the benefits of a natural coloring?

 

Respect for the environment: a natural coloring, and therefore free of chemicals, has many advantages, especially in terms of ecology. By avoiding the use of chemical ingredients that are not always biodegradable, natural coloring products do not contaminate wastewater and are therefore much more respectful of the environment. At Rodolphe&Co, we are also committed to donating 1% of our annual turnover to environmental associations, as part of the 1% for the Planet action.

 

Respect for the hair fiber: natural, mineral and plant-based colorings do not use ammonia or derivatives (ethanolamine or MEA), so they do not penetrate the hair fibre. This protects the health of the hair by limiting aggressions.

 

Respect for the scalp: due to the absence of synthetic components which are often irritating and allergenic, natural hair colors do not irritate the scalp and therefore avoid itching. The scalp is respected.

 

Respect for the overall health: natural coloring products do not penetrate cells, and therefore the body, so they are less allergenic and carcinogenic (beware, zero risk does not exist!). Mineral coloring as much as plant-based coloring are therefore both suitable for pregnant or breastfeeding women, people undergoing treatment, chemo or simply who cannot stand conventional coloring products!

 

 

What are the limits of natural coloring?

 

If there is one thing to remember about natural hair color, it's that you can NOT lighten hair. Indeed, the absence of ammonia or derivatives makes it impossible to open the hair scales to facilitate the penetration of color – this is precisely what helps protect the hair fiber! This is the main limitation of natural coloring, but be aware that it is possible to lighten your hair naturally with a Mineral Balayage, which you can then combine with a vegetable or mineral toner! And yes, we always find natural solutions ;)

 

A second notable limitation of natural coloring is its resting time. If you could change color in 30min with a chemical coloring, it will often be necessary to wait a little longer in natural. Mineral coloring has a quick to medium resting time (with 40min of application on average depending on the desired results), while plant-based coloring often requires between 30min to 2hrs of application depending on the needs but also on the recurrence of visits to the salon. This will require a little extra time in your schedule!

 

 

Some results of natural coloring

 

Mineral Colours

 

    

 

 

Plant-based colors

 

    

 

 

And you, have you taken the natural step? Do not hesitate to ask us all your questions about natural coloring via our Facebook and Instagram pages!

 

And for more information, don't hesitate to watch Teatime #3 in which Rodolphe talks to you in detail about the difference between these two types of hair color!