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The coloring dictionary #2

Basic

It is the chemical molecule that makes it possible to produce the tone. There are 11, numbered from 1 (black, which does not exist in nature) to 11 (platinum, also created by the colorist).

Clear. On a colo pack, the base is the first number that is indicated. The smaller it is, the darker the color.

Reflection

Two people with the same tone can have quite different colors:they don't have the same reflections.

Clear. It is the adjective that qualifies the color, for example golden chestnut.

Shades

These are the different types of reflections. The colorist combines them or plays on their dosage to create different colors. On home hair colors, the shade is indicated after the first number (eg 7.2 for ash blonde).

Clear. There are two families:cold shades (which tend towards blue) and warm shades (towards red).

Oxidation coloring

This is the most common type of coloring. It has 2 simultaneous actions:producing the color (thanks to ammonia or oil) and oxidizing the melanin of the hair by opening the scales (to turn the natural pigments and fix the color in the fiber). Clear. As soon as you want to obtain a permanent change (more than 2 tones), you must use an oxidation colon.

Thanks to Frédéric Mennetrier, L’Oréal Professional color consultant.