Hair Coloring Secrets

Temporary colorings deposit color on the outside of the hair shaft. They are generally removed by washing with soap and water, but some of the temporary types are resistant to one or two shampoos.

Temporary hair colorings are used to darken or to add highlights to normal hair, to impart color to gray hair and to eliminate yellowish shades from white and gray hair.

There are three kinds of temporary hair colorings:

1. Rinses

For women who want only to highlight the color of their hair or add beauty to gray hair, rinses are the most satisfactory answer. Concen­ trated rinses like the Clairol Come Alive series, while they wash out with soap and water, remain color true from shampoo to shampoo. The Come Alive series consists of Come Alive Gray, Come Alive Red, Come Alive Brown and Come Alive Blonde. They highlight mousy hair, and Come Alive Gray makes gray hair look more beautiful without unnatural blue and purple tones. The Come Alive rinses condition as well as color the hair. These rinses are easily and quickly applied and are valuable as an introduction to hair coloring.

2. Highlighting Shampoos

Some shampoos combine the action of a rinse with that of a shampoo to give highlights and slight color tones to hair. These shampoos generally contain certified colors.

Other highlighting shampoos do not contain coloring matter, but do contain a bleaching agent to achieve this effect. Their action is due to solid peroxide compounds present in a soap or detergent base.

3. Powders, Crayons, Mascaras, and Hair color Cremes

Powders are practically extinct today with the exception of the metallic powders which have returned to fashion for use in applying temporary hair streaks.

Hair crayons are used to retouch newly grown gray hair in between tint treatments so that it blends with the tinted hair. The results are not comparable to regular retouching.

Mascaras are used for coloring eyelashes and eyebrows.

Hair color cremes have their greatest use as a theatrical makeup. Because of their greasy base and tendency to rub off easily, they are rarely used for general purposes.