Tried a new formula for gray coverage and it turned my client's hair green

Got a request from a long-time client who wanted to cover her stubborn grays. I decided to try one of those newer ammonia-free formulas I saw at a show in Denver last fall. Followed the instructions exactly, did a strand test that looked fine. But after the full application, her salt-and-pepper sections came out a weird pale green. Had to spend an extra 45 minutes doing a color correction with a warm toner to fix it. Learned my lesson about sticking with the tried-and-true brands for resistant gray coverage. Anyone else had a new product backfire like that?

3 comments

3 Comments

margareto261mo agoMost Upvoted

See I gotta respectfully disagree lol. I switched to an ammonia free formula about two years ago and my gray coverage actually improved. That green issue sounds like it might be more about the specific brand or maybe even the water mineral content where you are. I've had way less brassiness since I made the switch.

jakejones1mo ago

Did you check if that new formula had a high blue or violet base? Some of those ammonia free lines use direct dyes that shift weird when they hit certain mineral deposits in gray hair. I had a similar tint problem once and it turned out to be the iron content in my salon's water reacting with the pigment. A clarifying treatment before the color might have helped lock in the right tone.

mary_west1mo ago

...and that green tint is a nightmare to explain to a client, I feel your pain. I've had a couple new formulas go sideways on me too, especially the eco friendly ones just don't hold up against the really stubborn grays like the old standbys do. Your mileage may vary of course but I'm a firm believer in not fixing what isn't broken for that particular job.