Took me 3 years to realize I was overmixing my color formulas

I always wondered why my blonde highlights would turn out brassy after like 2 weeks, no matter what toner I used. Last month I was prepping a formula for a regular client at Ulta in Savannah and the sales person asked if I was stirring that aggressively on purpose. I had no idea that vigorously mixing the color and developer was actually breaking down the molecules or whatever and making the color fade faster. Turns out I was supposed to be folding it gently like you would pancake batter, not whisking it like scrambled eggs. My formulas have been lasting way longer since I switched to slow mixing and my clients have actually started complimenting the shine more. Has anyone else had a basic technique they just never questioned for years?

2 comments

2 Comments

val_wilson4d ago

Gosh, I was totally guilty of this too. I used to think the more you mixed, the more "activated" the color would be (I don't even know where I got that idea honestly). But seeing it explained like pancake batter finally clicked for me, and now I'm way more gentle with the mixing too. The shine difference is real - I noticed it on my own roots first and was shocked.

noah_rivera574d ago

The "activating" thing you mentioned @val_wilson is exactly what I thought for years too. It reminds me of how we over-complicate simple things in everyday life - like how people think you have to stir iced tea until the sugar is completely gone from sight, when really just a few gentle turns does the same thing without bruising the leaves. I've noticed the same pattern with bread dough where people think kneading harder makes it rise better, but it's actually the opposite. There's something about feeling like if we're not working hard at something, it must not be working right. Learning to slow down and do less has honestly improved a lot of my home projects, not just hair color.