4 min read
At-home hair color has come a long way in recent years — and Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty & Personal Care Lab experts have witnessed its evolution from messy, smelly, and labor- and time-intensive to easy and speedy with salon-level results. The most shining example: the groundbreaking Clairol Nice’n Easy10 permanent hair color, backed by the Good Housekeeping Seal. What makes this DIY dye rise above the rest? Follow along as our pros share both the breakthrough science behind it and how it performed in real-life GH Beauty Lab testing.
THE EXPERTS
THE SCIENTIST: Sabina Wizemann, GH Institute Beauty & Personal Care Lab Director
Wizemann is a cosmetic chemist who has conducted and overseen in-lab and consumer testing of beauty products at Good Housekeeping, including hair color, for 14 years. She also reviews applications, substantiates claims, and evaluates products for the Good Housekeeping Seal and Beauty Awards programs. In addition, Wizemann has more than 17 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical and personal care industries.
THE BEAUTY EDITOR: April Franzino, GH Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
Franzino has headed Good Housekeeping’s Beauty Department for 12 years, overseeing all beauty editorial content for the magazine and goodhousekeeping.com. She produces and edits in-depth hair color and haircare coverage based on GH Beauty Lab product testing and expert insights, highlighting the latest in science-backed advice, technology, and trends.
THE SCIENCE
Wizemann delves into what makes this dye different and how it works to create a next-level experience.
The Formula + Technology: Unlike others on the market, this dye utilizes a special combination of ingredients for a more effective, efficient color processing with reduced damage and noticeably less odor. Instead of the more common ammonium hydroxide (the chemical used to open the hair cuticle, allowing the dye to penetrate), it’s made with ammonium carbonate, which works faster yet has a lower pH, making it less harsh on hair. And the peroxide activator is glycine, which is targeted to break down hair’s pigment rather than its protein structure. Plus, glycine helps neutralize unstable free radicals to inhibit further hair damage.
The color cream itself is boosted with conditioning ingredients like emollients and humectants. The dye formula alone was found to prevent hair damage in a combing force test on hair after coloring, GH Beauty Lab data evaluation confirmed. The brand also raises the bar on application with the PerfectColor Comb, a comb applicator you twist onto the activator bottle. It is outfitted with five nozzles that have three rows of holes to quickly and completely saturate hair strands with dye.
The Testing: In the GH Beauty Lab, we tested the hair color on 100% gray and natural dark brown hair samples with 30% gray. The product lived up to its claims, delivering full color coverage in 10 minutes of processing. We were impressed by the fast and complete color development and coverage.
THE BEAUTY
Franzino reveals how and what it’s like to use the kit, plus the results you can expect.
The How-To: The first step — and one of the most important — is choosing your color from among the 13 options, ranging from bright light blonde to rich auburn, eight shades of dimensional brown, and rich black. The GH Beauty Lab recommends going no more than two shades lighter or darker than your existing color; use the handy shade guide on the back of the box to find your starting hue and preview how the color would appear on your hair. And consider doing a Strand Test, which involves dyeing a small piece of hair, before you begin to see exactly what the color looks like on your hair (follow the steps in the included instructions).
Once you’ve chosen a color, it’s time to dive into the box. Inside, you’ll find a High Gloss Color Cream, the Activator (the developer, a liquid), the PerfectColor Comb, the ColorSeal Intensive Conditioner (for use after the dye is processed), gloves, and of course, the instructions. Lay out the materials on your counter, slip on the gloves, and get started, closely following the included directions. Part and divide hair into even sections, then mix up the color: squeeze the color cream into the developer bottle, shake it until the product is fully mixed, then twist the applicator comb (for all over color) or tip (to target roots) onto the Activator bottle.
To color your full head, use the comb to apply dye to each section starting at your roots, moving down to the ends, lightly squeezing the bottle as you go to dispense the color. Once all sections are finished, rub the dye through your hair (avoiding the scalp) to ensure it’s completely covered, set a timer for 10 minutes to process the color, then rinse it out until the water is clear and follow with the ColorSeal Intensive Conditioner.
To concentrate color on your roots, use the applicator tip to squeeze the dye directly onto regrowth, then swap in the applicator comb to brush the rest of the color down the lengths of your hair. Massage the dye into hair, set a timer for 10 minutes to process the color, then rinse it out until the water is clear and follow with the ColorSeal Intensive Conditioner.
The Experience: This at-home hair color process could not have been easier. It took just a few minutes to prepare and apply the color. The comb applicator was simple to attach, delivered a continuous stream of dye, and glided through hair fluidly to evenly coat strands in the color without having to use a separate brush to distribute it. Amazingly, the dye didn’t have a strong ammonia scent that could irritate the nose and eyes.
The Effects: We were wowed by how quickly this formula fully dyed hair, saving a considerable amount of time in a process that in the past had been lengthy. After rinsing, conditioning, and drying hair, the color was rich and even, plus hair was noticeably softer to the touch, visibly shinier, and easier to style.
April (she/her) is the senior beauty and style director at Good Housekeeping, Prevention and Woman’s Day. She has over 15 years of experience under her belt, starting her career as an assistant beauty editor at GH in 2007, and working in the beauty departments of SELF and Fitness magazines.
Sabina (she/her) is the director of the Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, where she has overseen skincare, haircare and makeup testing since 2012. She also reviews applications, substantiates claims and evaluates products for the GH Seal and the Beauty Awards and Sustainability Awards programs. She has a B.S. in chemistry from Ithaca College and more than 16 years of experience working in the pharmaceutical and personal care industries.