Sometimes, using hair dye becomes unavoidable. It might be to cover grays, because of a dye job gone wrong, or simply for a change. But the one thing that keeps us from taking the plunge and going for it is the presence of harmful chemicals in the dye. To be more specific, the presence of ammonia. To make life a whole lot easier, we’ve put together a list of 15 ammonia-free hair color brands that are available in India.
Since ‘ammonia-free’ is becoming a mantra in the hair care world, let’s understand the difference between ammonia and ammonia-free hair colors.
What Is The Difference Between Ammonia And Ammonia-Free Hair Colors?
Before looking at the difference between ammonia-based and ammonia-free hair colors, let’s learn about the purpose of ammonia in the products.
Ammonia serves as an ingredient that opens up your hair’s cuticles during the coloring process and makes them more absorbent. This helps retain the color for a long period. However, ammonia also lightens your natural hair color gradually. Ammonia molecules are very small and evaporate quickly. This is the reason ammonia-based hair colors are easy to rinse away.
On the other hand, ammonia-free products still contain certain chemical components. In fact, ammonia-free products tend to be less optimal than ammonia-based hair colors. This is because the former use larger molecules that do not have the ability to penetrate as deeply into the hair as the latter. But these products do not have a pungent odor and stay longer than ammonia-based products.
Let’s now look at the advantages and disadvantages of using ammonia-free hair colors.
Benefits Of Ammonia-Free Hair Colors
- These are less harmful to your hair.
- They do not damage the cuticles despite multiple uses.
- They keep your hair soft and silky.
- They can be used on damaged hair as well.
- They are odorless.
- They do not alter the internal cuticle bonds like ammonia-based hair colors.
Disadvantages Of Ammonia-Free Hair Colors
- They tend to leave a residue on the follicles.
- The chemicals take time to evaporate.
- They are difficult to rinse out.
- They are relatively less vibrant.
Let’s now take a look at the top 15 ammonia-free hair colors available in India.
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Ammonia-Free Hair Colors To Buy In 2020
1. L’Oreal Paris Casting Crème Gloss
L’Oreal Paris’ Casting Crème Gloss is one of the top ammonia-free hair dyes in the market. The brand is also one of the first to launch ammonia-free hair colors. This semi-permanent hair dye gently adds natural-looking color to your hair. The formula blends away gray hair and provides 100% coverage. It is specially formulated to coat your hair fibers from deep within. It not only adds rich shine but also imparts luscious fragrance to your hair. The color claims to last up to 28 washes and leaves your hair visibility shinier and healthier. This rich formula is infused with coconut oil, goji extract, hazelnut, and honey.
Pros
- Improves hair texture
- A little product goes a long way
- Mess-free application
- Conditions your hair
- Adds shine and gloss to hair
- Contains natural extracts
- Effective formula for covering grays
Cons
- Starts fading within a few weeks
2. Garnier Olia Brilliant Color
Garnier’s Olia has a 60% oil blend formula that contains natural flower oils. The product has a velvet crème formula that is non-drip and has a pleasant fragrance. The oils help reverse damage and leave your hair looking and feeling healthier. It is available in 34 shades that range from lustrous blacks to luminous blondes. The product also claims to leave your hair looking three times shinier with long-lasting color results.
Pros
- Nice floral fragrance
- No artificial finish
- Hydrates dry hair
- Imparts radiant shine
Cons
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3. BBLUNT Salon Secret High Shine Creme Hair Colour
This salon-grade hair color is popular among Bollywood beauties. The pack comes with a shine tonic that must be added to the colorant and developer. It is infused with silk proteins that give your hair a natural finish with tremendous shine. This luxuriously creamy formula is drip-free and has a pleasant fragrance. It is important not to apply new color on previously applied color as this will give you darker results. Apply it for 30 minutes and give your hair the nourishment it requires.
Pros
- Long-lasting shine
- Fades gracefully
- Lasts for 8 weeks
- Processes quickly
- 100% gray hair coverage
- Affordable
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4. Revlon Top Speed Hair Color
This hair color is formulated using speed up coloring technology that gives maximum coverage to gray hair in just 5 minutes. It contains pearl and ginseng extracts to make your hair shinier and more radiant. This ammonia-free formula ensures to condition your hair from root to tip as it colors. Its nourishing properties help prevent your hair from drying out.
Pros
- Highly pigmented
- Fades gracefully
- Processes quickly
- No side effects
- Makes your hair softer and silkier
Cons
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5. Clairol Natural Instincts Hair Color
Clairol’s Natural Instincts Hair Color claims to leave your hair feeling healthier and stronger post-processing. It protects your hair strands from surface damage as it develops reasonably quickly. It has an ammonia-free and non-drip formula that not only covers grays but also boosts the color of the dark hair strands. The color comes with a hydrating conditioner that contains coconut oil. This helps smooth away frizz and roughness to give you soft and shiny hair.
Pros
- Suitable for dry and dull hair
- Blends well with your natural hair color
- Eliminates brassy and uneven tones
- Long-lasting
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6. Schwarzkopf Essensity Ammonia-Free Permanent Color
Schwarzkopf Essensity is the first permanent ammonia-free hair color with phytolipid technology, which promotes multi-tonal reflections of the hair. It provides 100% gray and white hair coverage. Since it is an oil-based color, it does not dry out your hair after use. The formula contains hydrating grapeseed oil with no ammonia or other harmful chemicals. There are 58 shades to choose from in this range.
Pros
- Can lift up to 4 levels of color
- Wide range of shades
- Suitable for dry hair and scalp
- Softens hair with use
- No artificial fragrance
Cons
- Developer needs to be bought separately.
7. Matrix Wonder Black Ammonia Free Hair Colour
Matrix’s Wonder Black Ammonia Free Hair Color gives 100% gray coverage with natural-looking results. The product claims to adds about five times more shine post coloring. It has a golden gel texture that is meant to protect and preserve your hair shaft, ensuring that it remains soft and manageable post processing. It ensures to reach the hidden gray strands with its jet black pigments. The color lasts up to 6 weeks before washing away gracefully.
Pros
- Highly pigmented
- Improves hair texture
- Gives 100% gray coverage
- Leaves your hair looking shiny and glossy
- Adds a natural look
- Long-lasting
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8. Indus Valley Organically Natural Gel Hair Color
Indus Valley Gel Hair Color is imbibed with the goodness of aloe vera, jojoba oil, and wheat germ oil that nourish and moisturize your hair. It also contains natural extracts of henna, amla, honey, orange, basil, and sunflower. These ingredients cleanse your hair and help in eliminating dandruff and other scalp impurities. If you have excess of gray hair, this color is the perfect product for you as it covers the stubborn gray strands and reduces the occurrence of new gray hair.
Pros
- Easy application
- Processes quickly
- Gives maximum gray coverage
- Strengthens the roots
- Improves hair texture
Cons
- Requires patch test before using.
9. Godrej Expert Rich Crème Hair Colour
Godrej Expert Rich Crème Hair Color has been upgraded to a new multi-application pack. With this hair color, you can now color your hair multiple times right at home. It contains milk and aloe proteins that condition and nourish the hair shafts, keeping them from drying out. The pack also includes two ‘color protect’ conditioner sachets that keep your hair incredibly soft. It gives you 100% gray coverage and also adds shine. Godrej uses mild base ingredients that, unlike ammonia, do not cause extreme damage to your hair shafts. It is available in five beautiful shades and claims to add a natural look to your freshly colored hair.
Pros
- Can be used multiple times
- No side effects
- Cost-effective
- Long-lasting color
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10. Shahnaz Husain Colourveda Natural Hair Colour
This 100% natural hair dye imparts highly pigmented hair color that suits Indian skin tones. The Ayurvedic hair color contains traditional plant extracts that are safe for your hair and scalp. Ingredients like henna, indigo, and catechu protect your hair from damage and premature graying. This color is an ideal product for concealing gray hair.
Pros
- Conditions your hair
- Promotes healthy hair growth
- Adds thickness, body, and shine to your hair
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11. Dabur Vatika Henna Hair Colour
Dabur Vatika’s Henna Hair Colour contains plant-based colorants, such as henna, and natural extracts from ingredients like walnut and olive. These natural ingredients strengthen your hair and add vitality. Besides adding a natural and radiant look to your hair, this hair color also nourishes and protects each strand from aging. This product comes in four shades – rich black, natural brown, dark brown (chestnut), and burgundy.
Pros
- Reduces dandruff
- Works great on fine gray hair
- Strengthens the roots
- Reduces breakage
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12. L’Oreal Inoa Ammonia Free Permanent Colour
L’Oreal Inoa Ammonia Free Permanent Color is meant for scalp comfort and hair protection. It is to be used with L’Oreal Inoa rich developer – 20% in equal parts. These two products, together, deliver bright and beautiful color to your hair that looks natural. It leaves your hair feeling conditioned with color radiance until your next coloring appointment. It gives you high coverage while still keeping the color fresh and shiny.
Pros
- Covers gray hair
- Eliminates dryness
- No odor
- Adds a glossy look to your hair
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13. Vegetal Bio Colour
Vegetal Bio Color is a 100% natural hair color brand that controls hair fall, reduces dandruff, and repairs damaged hair all at once. It contains natural botanical extracts that provide nourishment to dry and damaged hair. The formula contains coloring components like indigo, henna, manjistha, and coffee. Other medicinal herbs like Brahmi, shikari, amla, bhangra, and catechu are also present. These ingredients add a natural look to your hair with intense shine.
Pros
- Controls hair breakage
- A little product goes a long way
- No added preservatives
- No side effects
Cons
- Takes time to impart the color
14. Naturigin Permanent Hair Color
Naturigin Permanent Hair Color is manufactured using certified organic ingredients such as soya, sunflower oil, prunus armeniaca, kernel oil, jojoba oil, shea butter extract, aloe vera extract, etc. Besides coloring, it also nourishes and strengthens your hair, improving the health of your scalp. This organic hair color offers 19 permanent shades.
Pros
- Comes with a conditioner
- Safe and easy to use
- Adds natural shine
- Cruelty-free
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15. Optima Ammonia Free Hair Colour
This professional-grade ammonia-free hair color adds intense and bright hair color that lasts for more than 6 to 8 weeks. It is enriched with nourishing ingredients like argan oil, cocoa oil, keratin, and jojoba oil that help protect the hair against damage, split ends, and breakage. This hair color claims to provide nourishment while revitalizing and reinforcing your hair. It leaves your hair looking soft, shiny, and healthy with every use.
Pros
- Premium quality ingredients
- No side effects
- Skin- and scalp-friendly
Cons
- Availability issues
- Expensive
Listed above are some of the best ammonia-free hair colors. But before buying any of them, keep in mind a few vital points. The buying guide given below lists a few essential facts about hair colors that you need to consider.
Things To Consider When Buying An Ammonia-Free Hair Color
Ammonia-free hair colors are not completely hypoallergenic. These hair colors contain many other chemicals that may cause skin sensitivity, burning sensation, redness, and itching. Therefore, go through the ingredients list to prevent any risk of adverse reactions, especially if you have sensitive skin and scalp.
Conducting a patch test before using an ammonia-free hair color is also recommended.
Ammonia-free hair colors come in various shades. Therefore, it’s necessary to opt for a shade that suits your natural skin tone. It is advised to opt for shades closer to the natural color of your hair. If you want to opt for a different shade, make sure it compliments your face.
Ammonia-free hair colors are not only a safer option, but they also last longer. These colors offer full gray hair coverage in one application and can last up to 5 weeks.
Final Thoughts
Always do a patch test before you use any hair coloring products. While all of these hair dyes are free of ammonia, they still contain other chemicals like PPD, MEA, or AMP that can cause skin irritation and hair damage. Do a patch test 48 hours before you use any hair dye to avoid allergic reactions and skin irritation. It might also be a good idea to look at natural alternatives like henna and hair darkening oils to avoid the repeated use of these chemical-laden products. Semi-permanent hair colors are also a safer option.
Always read the ingredients list before you buy a product. Avoiding harmful chemicals like ammonia is crucial when it comes to preventing skin and hair damage. Have you tried any of these ammonia-free products? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.
