Coloring Thine Own Hair: L’Oreal Products Win PeaceBang’s Endorsement

October 13, 2008 on 6:02 am | In Hair, Product & Catalog Reviews | 10 Comments

Well let’s face it, kids, getting hair professionally colored is a luxury that many clergy could never afford, and is now becoming an unjustifiable luxury in the face of insanely expensive gas, food, and everything else for those who could/can afford it.

So PeaceBang has gone out and done a little research for you and would like to announce her endorsement of L’Oreal home hair coloring products, with Feria winning top honors in the all-over color category and L’Oreal Couleur Experte taking top honors in the color + highlights category.

Here are some tips for coloring at home:

1. Don’t be in a rush. Block out an hour or so and work carefully, getting a friend to help if possible. Clear the bathroom of rugs and towels so they don’t get splattered, and never, ever use metal bowls or appliances with the dye.

2. Every brand of hair color always recommend doing a patch test first, and waiting for 24 hours to see if you break out but I’ve never done it. Why? Because once you mix the color, it has to be used right away. So how is that supposed to work? Do, however, rub petroleum or heavy moisturizer around your hairline, ears and neck so you don’t stain, and keep those gloves on! If you start to feel itchy or allergic, rinse the color out immediately.

3. Go to a beauty supply store or a local salon and get yourself a handy-dandy little haircolor applicator brush for around a dollar — it will be of tremendous benefit in applying the color to roots and hairline. Do they really think we can get the color on accurately with just that applicator bottle tip? Lord knows I never could!

4. Semi-permanent colors may seem to be the best choice for the cautious, but in my experience they just don’t come out looking very well and they wash out so quickly (even if you use shampoo especially formulated for color-treated hair), it hardly seems worth your time investment to bother with them. They are also notoriously lousy at covering gray. Clairol Natural Instincts, I’m looking at you — and I’m not smiling.

5. Henna, while a supposedly “natural” product, is actually incredibly drying and damaging for hair. It can also produce some really frightening shades of color and simply coats the hair shaft, so re-growth is long and occasionally painful (if you wind up with one of the aforementioned frightening shades).

Good luck with your Adventures in Home Coloring, pigeons! I know… the results are usually less fabulous than you get at your salon, but doesn’t it feel good to save all that green stuff?

10 Comments »

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  1. Hair coloring was one of the expenses I could no longer afford after my divorce. The $100 I was spending on my hair could be so much better spent.
    I have had wonderful results with Natural Instincts. [Oh, GOOD! Because everyone's hair is so different. Glad to hear it worked for you! - PB]

    Comment by Elizabeth — October 13, 2008 #

  2. Before I got all grey I used henna with great success–but I ALWAYS added conditioner to the mix. It was therapeutic, because I would sit with a bag over the mud on my head in the sunshine, after which I could always take myself less seriously. I really miss being able to henna, because coloring my hair red never lasts–and there is the $$ thing. Sigh. I’ve decided to try lowlights to try and give myself some color.

    Comment by lela — October 13, 2008 #

  3. It is pretty easy to do a patch test with store bought hair color. Just put a drop or two each bottle on a plate and mix with something not metal. Then put about a quarter sized smear of it on your arm.

    I was a hair stylist for years and never knew anyone who had reactions to hair color.

    Comment by Serpentgrrl — October 14, 2008 #

  4. i gave up coloring in cpe – who had time?? but I now use the clairol “Shine” product – pink box – works great!! gives an all over shine so hair looks healthier – i love it!

    Comment by Elastigirl — October 15, 2008 #

  5. I’ve never colored my own hair. I’m all thumbs and I’m sure it would turn pink.

    Comment by revtoots — October 15, 2008 #

  6. I am Nice n easy 116A, have been doing my own for a couple years now. Lots cheaper and I love compliments.

    Comment by Linda — October 15, 2008 #

  7. I’ve been colouring my hair for a while now and like you would choose L’Oreal products. I too use a brush bought from the local pharmacy and it has given much better results. All of this saves time and green stuff!!!

    Comment by Sally — October 17, 2008 #

  8. I like Logona cream color. It’s hard to find, and kind of expensive ($20 / tube including shipping) but it doesn’t have lead or PPD. Nougat Brown warms up the grays to blondish. I buy it here: http://holisticbeauty.net/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=486

    Personally, I also like henna, but it’s messy to apply. Also, you can’t slack on touch ups because the roots look really drab by contrast.

    When I get more gray I think I’ll go natural. Right now, though, If I didn’t color I’d have dark brown with a few wiry gray hairs sproinging out.

    Comment by contessa — October 18, 2008 #

  9. thanks, Peacebang! I have been using L’Oreal Preference for years. 8G, warm golden blonde with a some 9G for highlights. And do remember to take out earrings before coloring. The hair color/metal reaction of turning skin green can happen to ears too!

    Comment by Carol — October 18, 2008 #

  10. hi there! i enjoy reading your blog; though i’m not a minister, i appreciate the tips on how to dress modestly.

    however, i did want to point something out. you mentioned that henna is dangerous. that is true, if you are talking about non-natural henna. pure, 100% body art quality henna is perfectly okay to use on the hair. i am of african-american descent, and i use henna on my hair on a regular basis. it is a wonderful way to give dark hair reddish highlights in the sun, and to turn light hair a deep burgundy / red color. I’d like to suggest this website for plenty of information, and tons of henna recipes: http://www.hennaforhair.com

    blessings!

    - amanda

    Comment by amanda — November 7, 2008 #

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