By Deanna Pai, Allure
There are some of us who are pros when it comes to at-home hair
color, with all the tools and mixing bowls any balayage could ever
desire, and then there are some of us who have our professional colorist
on speed dial (unofficially, at least). But everyone has that one
story—you know the one, when you got all idealistic and changed your
hair color—only to regret shortly thereafter. It's like someone who
finally decides to go blonde—but after pulling the trigger, the
golden-spun silk vision turned into a more of an orange-tinged one—an
orange tone, frankly, that's not unlike the Cheetos bronzer.
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But regardless of whether you've been an at-home hair color pro for some time now or have never even tried a single-shampoo dye, don't worry—we got you. In fact, we actually crunched the numbers with the help of L'Oréal Paris, Clairol, at-home hair color experts including stylists Christophe Robin and Louis Licari, plus a few other pros. (Not too shabby, eh?) What we were immediately able to gather was that all women have one thing in common: We take our hair color very, very seriously.
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But regardless of whether you've been an at-home hair color pro for some time now or have never even tried a single-shampoo dye, don't worry—we got you. In fact, we actually crunched the numbers with the help of L'Oréal Paris, Clairol, at-home hair color experts including stylists Christophe Robin and Louis Licari, plus a few other pros. (Not too shabby, eh?) What we were immediately able to gather was that all women have one thing in common: We take our hair color very, very seriously.
44 Percent: The percentage of women would give up wine for a year in exchange for beautiful hair color every day for a year, according to research from L’Oréal Paris
Maybe they’re not drinking the right kind of wine (may we suggest a nice glass of Chianti?)—or maybe hair color really is that big a deal.35: The average age at which women go gray, according to Schwarzkopf
We get the urge to take a pair of tweezers to your newly gray hair, but don’t: The wild, wiry re-growth will only look worse. Instead, check our guide to handling your first strands of silver.[post_ads_2]
48 hours: How long you should wait between shampooing your hair and applying at-home hair color
When you’re coloring your hair, lightly greasy hair may actually work in your favor. “The natural oils will protect your hair from any harsh chemicals,” says Paris-based stylist Christophe Robin. Plus, a good layer of grime on your scalp minimizes irritation there, too.57,000: The number of boxes of L’Oréal Superior Preference sells each day.
That’s roughly the population of Greenland. Clearly, the popularity of Superior Preference hasn’t faded over the years.Four: The number of questions presented in Clairol’s MyShade app.
To recommend the best products for you and only you, the app poses questions to figure out your level of graying, your natural hair color, your biggest hair color concern, and the last shade you used.$2.75: How much a box of L’Oréal Superior Preference cost when it first launched in 1973.
At the time, it was the priciest at-home hair color option on the market. If history tells us anything, it’s that this higher expense was worth it to consumers.[post_ads_2]
Two: The number of at-home shades you should buy for a single-color process at home.
“Purchase a shade that’s exactly one level lighter than your usual color so you can apply it around your hairline,” says Nikki Ferrara, colorist at Marie Robinson salon in NYC. The hair around your hairline—like those baby hairs—is finer than the rest, partly because of wear-and-tear from pulling your hair back and scrubbing your face. Since it’s so fine, it picks up color faster than the rest of your hair—and can therefore look darker once you rinse it out. So, “by applying a formula that is slightly lighter around the front of your hair, everything will deposit the same color,” she explains.1 in 3: How many women buy multiple boxes of L’Oréal Superior Preference at a time.
Better safe than sorry, right? The last thing anyone wants is to need to cover up inch-long roots ASAP and have no way to actually do so.Once a week: How often you should use a scalp scrub.
“You usually never rinse as thoroughly at home as when someone does it in a salon, so there’s always some residue left,” says Robin. That residue could build up and make your scalp itch (no, thanks). Washing your hair with a salt scrub, like his Cleansing Purifying Scrub with Sea Salt ($52, sephora.com), removes it without harming the color.[post_ads_2]
1990s: The decade L’Oréal had to add tamper-free seals to their boxes.
File this under: Who knew? Women were so obsessed with the conditioner included in each Preference Hair Color kit that they started stealing them, leaving the color and the boxes half-opened on the shelf. Because of that, L’Oréal had to add a tamper seal to every pack.60: The number of seconds you should wait before applying at-home hair color to your ends.
You can apply the color formula to your hair as directed, but hold off on brushing it through the ends of your hair. “Hair that’s subtly lighter on the ends looks real and more modern,” says NYC stylist Louis Licari. Waiting a minute between distributing the color on your ends creates the 2017 version of ombré.75%: How many women first colored their at-home instead of at a salon.
Raise your hand if you did this in your dorm room. Raise your other hand if you ruined your towels in the process.[post_ads_2]
Five minutes: The amount of time a DIY hair gloss needs to sit on hair.
And don’t toss the unused color once you’ve applied what you need. Save it until your color starts to look a little dull and faded. Then, says Ferrara, water it down with conditioner and apply the mixture to wet hair. After letting it sit, shampoo and condition well. It’ll restore the shine and vibrancy to your hair color, extending its lifespan.Feel like you learned a lil' bit? We now know one thing, for sure: Hair color is no joke to you guys. And we're totally, totally OK with that.
