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| Clairol Beautiful Collection hair color |
THE BAD NEWS:
Clairol Loving Care hair color has been DISCONTINUED. (I've been noticing that I can't find it on the local drugstore shelves anymore, or even K-mart! ) Clairol Loving Care was a gentle, almost non-toxic hair color that I've been using now for about a year (see my article Clairol Loving Care). It has NO ammonia and NO peroxide and NO PPD (the chemical p-phenylenediamine).However, it does contains AZO dyes (which are chemical compounds that have a hydrogen molecule replaced with an amino acid. For a more technical description see Aromatic Amino Compounds). Note: Peolple can still be allergic to AZO dyes (especially if you already had an allergic reaction to PPD) - so you should always do the allergy tests indicated on the product before using it.
I can still buy Clairol Loving Care hair color from Amazon.com (my affiliate link) - but, I know that eventually it will disappear from there.
SO, WHAT PRODUCT CAN I USE NOW THAT IS SIMILAR TO CLAIROL LOVING CARE HAIR COLOR?
THE GOOD NEWS:
I emailed Clairol.com and asked them what the story was - and they said they have discontinued the product line due to limited customer sales of the product. They suggested I use the Clairol Beautiful Collection - it is a product that is available to "professionals" only - so of course, I can buy it at Sally Beauty Supply and Michelle's Beauty Supply and on Amazon.com. And of course, if you decide to give it a try, always perform the allergy tests indicated on the product label before using it.
Clairol Beautiful Collection hair color has basically the same ingredients as Loving Care did - with NO ammonia, NO peroxide and NO PPD as well. It has more colors available. It also contains wonderful conditioners like jojoba oil and aloe. All in all, it is very similar.
The Clairol Beautiful Collection has 2 lines of their products. The original "Beautiful Collection" and one called "Beautiful Collection Advanced Gray Formula". I've read that the Advanced Gray formula contains TDS which is TolueneDiamine Sulfate - and some people who are allergic to PPD will be allergic to TDS as well. So be aware of that.
I decided to use the original "Beautiful Collection hair color". I purchase it from my affiliate - Amazon.com - see below:
APPLICATION
- The directions say to apply to wet hair for 20 minutes after a perm (a permanent wave).
- But seeing I have stubborn grays, I applied it to dry hair and left it on for 40 minutes on the roots, then an extra 7 minutes on the rest of my hair. It covered the grays great!
- (Later on, I called Clairol's Help Line (1-800-252-4765) and asked them how long I could leave it on for stubborn gray, and they said the product should not be left on for more than 25 minutes - and if you did leave it on longer that it possibly may dry out your hair or give you a darker hair color. So, DO NOT leave it on for more than 25 minutes.) Next time I use it, I'm going to leave it on for just the 25 minutes.
RESULTS
I gave it a try with the "Wine Brown" color and these are my results:
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| Before apply hair color |
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| After applying Clairol Beautiful Collection hair color |
It seems a little bit more Wine than Brown - so maybe next time I'll mix 1/2 of Dark Brown with 1/2 of Wine Brown.
MORE HEALTHY HAIR DYES ARE AVAILABLE
Now I recently found out about a couple of other hair colors that have no PPD, no Azo dyes and no "bad chemicals".
They are:
- Palette by Nature - Palette by Nature.com and
- Advanced Cosmetics www.actnaturals.com.
ALSO I JUST FOUND (5/1/2013):
- CoSaMo Love Your Color - this appears to be a generic Clairol Loving Care (available on Amazon.com - see my affiliate recommendations above).
Thank you so much for the information you published concerning a replacement product for Loving Care, which has been discontinued.
ReplyDeleteI have major alleries to other hair coloring products and thought I'd have to go gray when I discovered that
"Loving Care" bit the dust!
Now that you gave information about the "Clairol Beautiful Collection", I will most definitely give that a test try. When I called "Clairol", they never mentioned that product line to me; so thank you again for the welcomed information.
Regards,
Marie
Just found this post. Have been looking for a substitute for this hair colour for a while. I live in Scotland and gave had to order from the US but just glad to get a similar product. Thank you do much for your informative post.
DeleteThank you for sharing this. I am in the same boat as you.
ReplyDeleteDonna
Thank you so much for sharing. I am highly allergic to PPD, and was using Clairol non-perminent too. I was really worried about what to do, after the discontinuation. Thank you so much for the tips; I will try all three different products.
ReplyDeleteI purchased the Clairol beautiful collection,but haven't tried it yet. Do you know why it would dsy semi permanent when the discontinued one said non permanent? I'm very curious about this.
ReplyDeleteLoving Care was a product intended for the general public and "non" permanent sounds less scary or confusing than "semi" permanent. Semi-Permanent and Demi-Permanent are terms used primarily for hair color products intended for use by professionals. Semi (and non) are almost permanent, Demi doesn't last as long as Semi and Temporary is just that, lasting through only one shampoo. I'm a cosmetologist, so I know all the lingo. Hope this info is helpful. :)
DeleteI have used Clairol Loving Care for years and wish they would at least offer it online. I will definitely try these products, but like you said - most all others tend to dry out the hair.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your information. I called Clairol as well and was given the advice to try the Beautiful Collection, which I did, but Sally's only had 3-4 colors and I didn't like them...too brassy. In the meantime I did order some Loving Care on line and am loving it! Wish I could afford to buy a whole bunch before it all disappears. I am so mad at Clairol for doing this. I hate their other products!
ReplyDeleteI agree. The color line of Beautiful is very limited. It does not have the light beige blonde, like 804, and tends to be brassy or greenish. So I will be mixing. Clairol's reason for discontinuing a very very popular line, Loving Care, is because they stopped advertising, and stopped selling the no damage aspect of it. People are willing to color their hair frequently, if there hair is not damaged.
DeleteAre there any cancer causing agents in the clariol beautiful collection. Very concerned!!
ReplyDeletePlease list agents thats harmful, PLEASE.
I was searching where to purchase Clairol Loving Care. I realized they had discontinued it over a year ago. I stocked up on it at that time but have used it all. I am amazed at how much money some sites are charging for this discontinued product. I have severe alergies to regular hair dye and is why I chose the Loving Care. I am happy to see they have developed another line, "Beautiful Collection." I am hesitant about trying but I will first try the allergy test on my arm, just to make sure. If it works, I will be happy, if I develop a reaction I will be very upset and sad. People allergic to certain chemicals, still have a need to look glamourous!!
ReplyDeleteHow did that work for you? I am in same boat, but when I tried two of the Beautiful Collection products,had VERY BAD allergic reaction ( went to doctor and had to wait it out!) and then tried patch test on 2nd one and had same thing, but thank goodness ( month or so later) all healed up from first, but still had bad reaction just on small patch ( red, itching bad odor, etc) so.........now I am back to square ONE and cannot bring myself to pay over 90 dollars for Amazon or other places, (ebay) to buy ONE bottle of good old Loving Care that would have washed out in a few rinses anyhow ( used it for so many years, was the only one I could use and not have bad reaction to)and so I am getting grayer and grayer with no end in sight, please let me know if anyone can come up with something to use in its place ( that is affordable) and I will gladly try it, not sure what the ingredient is that I am allergic to in all of the products, managed to get a list of loving care ingredients but not sure what to do with it..
ReplyDeleteAs a Clairol Loving Care user for many years, I can say that there is no similar product available. I have tried both "Clairol Beautiful Browns" (3 times) & also "ION"(5 times) , (both available at Sally's) to find that I had serious allergic irritation on my scalp to both of them. So much that a hairdresser remarked about the "irritation on my scalp".
ReplyDeleteSeveral weeks after a permanent color at the hairdresser, I tried the last bottle of "Loving Care" that I still had on my shelf. It colored my hair nicely and no scalp irritation reaction at all.
I am wondering... what is different in ingredients between Clairol Loving Care and their own Clairol Beautiful Browns? Some ingredient is different, or else I would not have an irritation reaction.
Another thing I am wondering...???? Perhaps just making a lotion (like 50% water to 50% hair dye colorant) will make a similar product to Loving Care Lotion. Only, that the Clairol company will not tell us that because it is so simple. I intend to try this experiment.
I always found good coloring from Clairol Loving Care, in fact, I had had compliments on my hair color...the only drawback was that if I exercised and sweated, then the color would tend to come off. Other than that I always found it excellent for "in-between colorings", quick color refreshing pick ups. Using it exclusively for many years worked for me, as well as alternating it with permanent color.
Why Clairol would drop a product of so many years, unexpectedly, with no explanation is difficult to understand. Unless something in the product was potentially unsafe and they didn't want to suggest or bring up the fact it might be harmful.
I am very interested to know of others experiences!
DO NOT BELIEVE IT when Clairol says that you can use their Clairol Beautiful Collection as an easy replacement for their Clairol Loving Care which they've chosen to discontinue!! It took me a while to realize that my hair loss was from their Beautiful Collection product and not from menopause. I am now thankfully using Cosamo "Love Your Color", which is a REAL REPLACEMENT and just as benign as Loving Care. Now that I am coloring my hair with Cosamo my hair is little by little coming back -- thank goodness. Please look up Cosamo and start using their hair coloring product. I'm just afraid, as they are a start-up company, that they may not make it and I'm up !@&*# creek again. Lowest price I found is from Nationwidecampus.com. Alot cheaper than Amazon's pricing.
ReplyDeleteHi Lucy,
DeleteDid you use the Beautiful Collection Advanced Gray Formula or the regular Beautiful Collection? The Advanced Gray Formula has a few more chemicals in it than the regular Beautiful Collection product.
Michelle W
Hi all. I too am highly allergic to PPD and Toulene-2, Diamine Sulfate after a week at the Mayo Clinic trying to find out my allergens, I now have a phone app which puts your allergens into it and gives you a list of product by category that are safe to use as promised by the Mayo Clinic. CONTACT ALLERGEN REPLACEMENT DATABASE or CARD (in the app store) I used Palette By Nature last week. Had to use it twice in 48 hours to try and get it darker (websites suggestion as my natural color is black). The second attempt made no difference.
ReplyDeleteHow about this: I use the organic color that barely works on my roots and the real stuff on the rest of my hair. If its not touching my scalp in anyway while wet it wont absorb into my system. Is this possible? anyone know?
ReplyDeleteI do that but take piece by piece and wrap them in foil so it doesn't touch anywhere and when you're done shampoo piece by piece in the sink then hop in the shower and shampoo your whole head again. I do it works great without problems I use Cosamo on my roots and permanent dye on my length. Good luck !!
DeleteI quit LovingCare before it was D/C'd because I dont like to buy Proctor & Gamble products, which the Clairol line is. So, I discovered I.O.N. Color Brilliance, in the little lavender bottle that is a semi-. It's at Sally Beauty, too. It works well for me, and has BOTH noPPD and no AZO dyes! But, guess what? 1 or 2 months ago, I.O.N. cut their semi- line to only 6, odd colors.
ReplyDeleteI believe the SEMI-permenant colors, which are those in one bottle because there is no mixing to cause a chem-process reaction, are ALL disappearing;--and there were few to begin with.
Maybe this is because today's young girls are enough of a market. They color their hair for extra glamour; (-- WE started much later,...to cover gray)..and they like permenant color. --Their young hair can handle it!
Just-Not-Fair,...right? What can we do??! We can write to the companies that make haircolor. We can make them aware that WE, the middle-aged & older with aging brittle hair,...and the allergic,...Are Real People, a consumer demographic, and wish for OUR needs to be met, too!
Hey @Ginger, We make a product called Love Your Color. An easy to use, PPD/TDS/PTD free line that is also free of ammonia & peroxide.
ReplyDeleteCheck us out at cosamousa.com
Just a heads-up on the Advanced Gray Formula - it does contain, among other things, m-aminophenol, which is a PPD derivative!
ReplyDeleteHi
ReplyDeleteI don't know if I can use Azo dyes. Im allergic to PPD and Toulene-2,5-Diamine Sulfate. Anyone know if they're related?
Thank you so much for your detailed in depth explanation of the hair dyes, it was very helpful! I cannot find a hair dye that doesn't cause my scalp to get dry and break out!
ReplyDeleteI know it is the chemicals that I am allergic to so I tried Hennas but they turn my hair red and then oxidize to orange! I usually prefer, dark blonde or a dark ash blonde and I also have very stubborn grey roots. My daughter was calling me Pumpkin Head! Nice! I will read reviews on other products. Again thank you for taking the time to write it was so helpful!
I used Loving Care for MANY years and was royally ticked at Clairol when it was discontinued. Permanent and semi permanent products are a pain because they grow off instead of fade out, thus leaving the "grow out" glaring. A British version is still available in non-permanent formula Nice 'n Easy from Amazon as is the Cosomo, an attempt to copy the old Loving Care formula. Both are better than anything labeled semi-permanent or permanent, though not quite as good as original. I have always used a color a little lighter than my natural hair color, so it gives highlights. My application method is pretty unorthodox as I mix it with my shampoo at each wash and it never stays on more than 5 minutes or so. One bottle lasts a couple of months. Guess that may not work for all but I've done it for 20 years.
ReplyDeleteALSO, as someone already stated, Nationwide Campus has proven to be the best supplier.
ReplyDeleteWhat a shock to find that Loving Care was discontinued! I'm in the same situation as all of the commentors. I loved it and used it for years from high school on, long before I had any gray. It added a shine and depth to my mousy brown hair and I LOVED THE CONDITIONER. Clairol could have made money selling the conditioner by itself. Fifty years ago, I would use the Loving Care on my hair before any important date! Now that I really have gray hair, I have looked everywhere for this product with no success and just found this site. It is some consolation knowing I am not alone. Maybe if enough of us wrote to beg them to start it up again, we could get them to put it back on the market. In the meantime, i will try one of the alternatives suggested. Thanks to all who have written their experiences!
ReplyDeleteI've been using Cosamo ever since your reply, thank you sooo much! I leave it a bit longer and heat it up with a hair dryer while waiting. It's just as black as my natural color with ZERO reaction. I rave to everyone I know. Thank you❤️
ReplyDeleteThank you for the information in this post and the comments. It's clarified why I was able to use the Beautiful Collection without irritation (I'm highly allergic to PPD) but when I tried the Advanced Grey Solution formula I had a reaction. I didn't see PPD in the ingredients but wasn't aware that AZO and TDS are also irritants with people allergic to PPD. I'm going to try the original line again and hope I haven't become hyper sensitive to any of the other ingredients that make it work so beautifully!
ReplyDeleteThank you for all the above comments. Just wondering if anyone had any alergic reations to Cosamo. I have had severe reactions to PPD and Henna.
ReplyDeleteNot near as good as Loving Care.
ReplyDeleteThank you all for information above. I also have severe reaction n to hair colour apart from the Loving Care level 1 (original name) . It is helpful to know that I am not alone!!!
ReplyDeleteI am desperate to find a product the same as Clairol's 8week colour enhancer (Nice'n'Easy,). Only ones available on Amazon etc. are way over-priced ,& seem only to be light ish shades (I am dark brown/black). So many people like me used that product for years. Whyever did Clairol discontinue it? Feels as if we are being penalised for having allergies!!! (Lynette Boydon).
ReplyDeleteI’m a licensed stylist- one option would be to go to a stylist and let them
ReplyDeleteknow what happens and ask them to apply a half inch from the scalp- you wouldn’t get the same results but it would look better- or you could reverse Frost with a deeper color every 3 months - it does look beautiful if it’s done correctly- there are some dyes that are coming up that are similar as I’ve read above- it seems the older we get the scalp does seem to be abit more delicate-
You can use this. I wrote this article on Light Mountain Natural Hair Color & Conditioner Review
ReplyDeleteLight Mountain Natural Hair Color and Conditioner Review
Very nice article indeed , I have found a handful of clairol loving care replacement hair colors on the internet. These might help someone.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the articles. I also bought Loving Care in England where it is called Nice and Easy. I think Amazon had it.
Delete