FAQs & Color tips
Product Knowledge + Color & Perming Tips
Q: Do I need more than one "color additive" per color service?
A: No. Choose our regular additive for any brand or tint. You already know that reds and blonds have their own special set of problems: reds fade easily and blonding services and perms damage the hair. SEEING RED is a "specialty" additive just for the "red family" Ultra One is a "specialty" additive just for blonding, bleaching, weaving and perms. The specialty additives are different formulations to address the specific problems of blonde and red coloring; they do work better for their specific type of coloring. See Ultra One tab and Seeing Red tab for more information.
Q: How does the Color Express System (additive & Endz Only), using anti-oxidant technology, work to develop color faster?
A: The majority of color takes 35 minutes to develop; the first 25 minutes deposits color to the cortex, the last 10 minutes develops the color. The special molecules of our anti-oxidant formula surround the color mixture (color & developer) enabling it to slide through at full strength into the cortex immediately ( a monoclonal effect), without disturbing the cuticle. You do need the 25-35 minutes to open up the layers of cuticle; only the 10-12 minutes it takes for color to deposit and develop.
Q: Why do color manufacturers not recommend the use of heat when depositing color?
A: When heat interacts with ammonia, it makes 20-volume developer act like 30-volume. The color will be a 1/2 shade lighter, have a translucent effect, and makes the hair look duller and feel dryer. Heat also blows apart the cuticle by stripping the lipid layer, causing dryness and causing the hair to lose new color molecules. ***If you insist on using any form of heat in your color processing, Color Express additive in your mixture will super protect the hair and keep the color vibrant.
Q: How does Color Express additive help stop colors from fading?
A: Anti-oxidants are positive free radicals which neutralize the bad effects of negative free radicals (i.e. ammonia, alkalinity of color, UV rays, pollution, and the chemicals in styling products) which cause color to fade. This process works from within the hair. It is the purity of Color Express additive (no fillers) that prevents colors from fading and gives better gray coverage.
Q: Why do I need a pre-punched processing bag when using Color Express additives?
A: A pre-punched processing bag allows ammonia and body heat to escape during the processing time. Ammonia is a strong and potentially damaging chemical for the hair. Body heat can interact with the ammonia in the color mixture and cause shades to come up lighter and with a translucent effect. ***If you only have a regular processing bag, fold it over 4 times and hit it 6 times with a rat-tail comb; you'll have 24 holes.
Q: Can I use Seeing Red to develop colors other than red, violet, copper and auburn?
A: Color Express does not recommend this as SEEING RED has carriers and a select group of anti-oxidants that stabilize the red molecules to carry red colors deeper into the hair. Due to the intensity of the anti-oxidants and carriers in SEEING RED, if used with non-red colors, it can make the colors develop too intensely.
Q: How important is it to keep the cuticle flat and undamaged?
A: The most important thing in hair color is SHINE! Shine makes women's hair look younger and healthier and it better reflects the hair color. Heat damages the cuticle of the hair by ruffling it, thus reducing the shine and elasticity.
Q: Why does color not take well on white hair? (Use this technique on clients over 40% gray)
A: White hair is devoid of melanin (pigment). Hard minerals such as iron and copper fill in the space where the melanin once was. Also due to women's estrogen levels, they can produce copper toxicity which is in the hair shaft within about 17 hours. These minerals can cause a barrier when color is applied. You can override this problem by adding 25 drops of Color Express additive into the color mixture and process it for 15 minutes WITHOUT HEAT. Why does this work? The color mixture is surrounded by the anti-oxidants in our additive which allows the color mixture to slide through the metallic barrier of minerals.
Color & Perming Tips
TIP: To restore elasticity and shine of bleached and over-processed hair:
Shampoo hair lightly and towel dry
Mix 1/4 cup of salt into 1 pint (2 cups) of distilled water
Spray salt water mixture onto the hair thoroughly
Do not comb through as hair will normally feel tacky & sticky
Leave on the hair 4-5 minutes and then rinse
Put 3-4 drops of Ultra One into palm of hand and mix with your favorite conditioner (NOT MOISTURIZER) and apply to hair thoroughly
Put a plastic bag on the client's head and leave 4-5 minutes; NO HEAT
Shampoo lightly
**** You must use the tip above to prepare the hair for the following.
TIP: To put low lights (reverse weave or dye-back) on bleached hair for a natural looking color without unwanted tones & fading:
Choose the level of color you wish to achieve
Using a semi-permanent color: Mix 3/4 of a color that is one shade lighter than the desired effect and add 1/4 of a gold color of the desired level
Add to this mixture 25 drops of Color Express® additive
Process as usual
EXAMPLE: to achieve a dark blonde tone (level 6), mix 3/4 of (7N) and 1/4 (6G), and 25 drops of CE additive. The reason for using a (6G) is, the first tone removed from hair when bleaching is gold, so the first tone to put back into the hair for a natural look is gold.
TIP: Use 10-Vol developer for depositing color, especially on white hair and mix 1/2 to one inch of concentrated gold into the color mixture for better coverage on solid white hair.
TIP: Do not use HOT water on color-treated hair as it will expand the cuticle and more color molecules will be washed out.
TIP: Another technique for better coverage than with a semi-permanent, without going too dark, and to cover 80-95% of gray hair for a natural look: Use a permanent hair color, but only use 5-7.5% volume of peroxide. Choose a color (1/2 to 1 ) shade lighter than the desired color. We suggest that you use 25 drops of Color Express® additive in your mixture and process approximately 15 minutes WITHOUT HEAT. NOTE: you can also add 1/2 inch concentrated gold to the formula.
TIP: To help prevent fading of color, apply a spray leave-in conditioner to the hair before shampooing. The conditioner waters down sulfates in the shampoo that can cause fading.
TIP: You cannot fix 20 volume color problems with 20 volume color. Kathy Partin, Educator
TIP: Going 3 shades lighter without getting red tones: If you are a level 3 and you want to go 3 shades lighter, mix one part level 4N and one part 12N, equal parts of 40-volume developer, 25 drops of Color Express additive. Apply and process for 15 minutes WITHOUT HEAT. Alex, Alexander's G'day Salon, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
TIP: For the perfectly vibrant red, copper, auburn & violet (normal hair no gray):
put 1/2 to one inch of concentrated gold into the color mixture +35 drops of SEEING RED . Process 15 minutes WITHOUT HEAT.
TIP: For better gray coverage: To your color formulation, add 1 inch of concentrated gold + 1/8 to 1/4 oz. of a neutral shade 2 shades darker + 15 drops of SEEING RED. Process 15 minutes WITHOUT HEAT.
TIP: To prevent REDS fading (even more): Put 1 drop per oz. of Restorative Skin & Hair Additive into your shampoo and conditioner. Microwave the bottle about 10-12 seconds to break down the surface tension of the shampoo so the Restorative will mix well. You will now have the BEST anti-fade hair care products available.
TIP: Most corrections come in the form of horizontal stripes. The correction is to apply vertical ones; not too dark, or so light that they will not be noticed. Kathy Partin, Master Educator
TIP: For better hair color, and better gray coverage at levels 7, 8 & 9: use one ounce of 40-volume instead of 20 volume developer. The "working volurme" remains the same while the concentration of conditioners and the dye loads are diluted less, resulting in a superior color experience. Kathy Partin, Educator
TIP: To get a weave closer to the scalp: Slightly dampen the hair first. This naturally and gently stretches the hair so that when the hair dries off after the service, the weave is closer to the scalp.
TIP: To remove color from the skin: Put chapstick on the skin around the hairline before coloring. Before shampooing the color out, take it off at the back bar with baby oil. Gerry Romer, Colorist
TIP: Do not use moisturizers or moisturizing shampoo on bleached hair as the hair is already over stretched. These products stretch it more and reduce the elasticity and bounce of bleached hair. Try a good protein conditioner instead, or our Restorative
Skin & Hair additive.
TIP: To clarify the hair from styling products: Use equal amounts of baking soda and shampoo. Massage into the hair working on the areas that have build-up. Rinse and condition as usual. This method can be used once a week with any kind of shampoo. Nora Capri, Colorist
TIP: For a sensitive scalp: put 3 packets of Sweet 'N' Low® or Sorbitol (available at heath food stores) into the color/bleach mixture to stop irritation. If you get red spots when perming, dab Sweet 'N' Low®/sorbitol onto the spots. The anti-oxidants in Color Express additives also help prevent scalp irritation.
TIP: For a "natural" blonde look: When doing a high lift tint (level 11 or 12) to lift hair color about 5 shades, put one very small drop of neutral (1N) black into color mixture to get a great natural looking blonde tone. The reason: Black has all of the colors of the spectrum in it, which helps to neutralize un-natural looking and unwanted tones.
TIP: To freshen color when perming hair: Most colors slightly fade after perming. Into the neutralizer, put 1-2 capfuls of a semi-permanent of the client's color to freshen it up and keep it vibrant.
TIP: To remove most of the smell from perms: Blot the perm rods with paper towels (industrial blue ones are best) before rinsing. Otherwise, when you rinse the solution out, you are rinsing it right into the open bonds of the hair and it holds the smell when the bonds are closed back up.
TIP: Cajun Washing: Apply a base color using Color Express® additive according to instructions. Then, mix a de-colorizing formula, using a 5-volume peroxide to a runny consistency and add 25 drops of CE additive. Dip a make-up sponge (you can make holes in it if desired) into the decolorizing formula and use it to "wash" large sections of hair (as if you were doing a faux finish on a wall). Develop 10-13 minutes with NO HEAT. You will get a glistening highlighted effect with a very textured result depending on how much or how little you "wash" the hair. Fabian Bordelon, Educator
TIP: Easy method for putting some color back into a weave:
Using the formula above, paint fine strands onto roots, mid-length and ends
NO HEAT required for processing.
Check every 3 minutes
Shampoo and rinse
Technical Hotline: (888) 773-6406; ask for Freddie
or e-mail your questions to : colorexpress@comcast.net
For a distributor near you, phone (888) 847-7633
Color Express®, Inc
Color Acceleration
WITHOUT HEAT
Works safely with any brand of color
Stops fading up to 95%, even low-lights
Covers gray 99% better
Never over processes
faster, better, safer color!
Color companies state: DO NOT USE HEAT TO DEVELOP COLOR
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