L’Oreal Paris is one of the most popular and widely-used hair dye brands on the market. But is it actually a quality product that lives up to the hype? In this comprehensive guide, we’ll take an in-depth look at L’Oreal hair dye, including the pros, cons, effectiveness, and how it compares to competitors.
Overview of L’Oreal Hair Dye
L’Oreal Paris has been around since the early 1900s and has grown to become the largest cosmetics brand in the world. They offer a wide range of hair dye products including permanent, semi-permanent, temporary, and root touch-up formulas.
Some of the key features of L’Oreal hair dye include:
- Uses advanced technologies like pro-keratin, ceramides, and glycerin
- Claims to cover 100% of grays
- Comes in over 30 different shades
- Offers easy at-home application
- Relatively affordable compared to salon coloring
The brand markets itself as a salon-quality hair dye you can use in the comfort of your home. But does it really deliver those kinds of results? Let’s take a deeper look.
The Pros of L’Oreal Hair Dye
There are certainly some advantages to using an at-home hair dye from L’Oreal:
It’s inexpensive: L’Oreal hair dye costs around $8-12 per application, which is much cheaper than getting your hair colored at a salon. If you color your hair frequently, the cost savings really add up.
Easy to apply: The formula is thick and creamy, making application simple. The kits come with everything you need including gloves, a brush, and conditioner. There’s no mixing required.
Good color payoff: The reviews indicate that L’Oreal delivers vibrant, rich color with shine. Many users say it covers grays extremely well.
Less damage: The nourishing ingredients like keratin, ceramides, and glycerin condition hair and help minimize dryness. Many users say L’Oreal leaves hair feeling soft and healthy.
Lasts 6-8 weeks: While no permanent dye lasts forever, L’Oreal hair color lasts a decent amount of time before fading or growing out. Touch-ups are needed every 6-8 weeks for most users.
Wide range of shades: With over 30 shades to choose from, you can find a color to create virtually any look. Options include natural browns/blondes to bold fashion shades.
Salon-inspired kits: The inclusion of items like treatment creams and toning shampoos make the application experience feel like you just left the salon.
No harsh chemicals: L’Oreal does not use irritating ingredients like ammonia or bleach, making it gentler than many drugstore dyes.
The Cons of L’Oreal Hair Dye
However, L’Oreal hair color isn’t perfect. There are a few downsides to consider:
Can be messy: According to reviews, the formula is thin and can drip/splatter during application if you aren’t extremely careful. Protect surfaces well.
Risk of uneven results: If you don’t thoroughly saturate every strand, you may end up with a splotchy or uneven color. Section hair carefully.
Contains alcohol: Alcohol can dry out hair. Those with already dry or damaged hair may want to avoid alcoholic formulas like L’Oreal.
Doesn’t lift hair light enough: If you want to go platinum blonde, you’ll likely need to bleach first as L’Oreal won’t lighten hair extremely light.
Doesn’t cover 100% of grays: Although it claims “100% gray coverage”, reviews indicate it doesn’t get every single stubborn gray. Expect 90-95% coverage.
Fades faster on porous hair: The longevity depends heavily on your hair’s condition. Color fades quicker on over-processed or porous strands.
Can cause allergic reaction: L’Oreal hair dye contains PPD, which is a common hair dye allergen. Always patch test before use.
Limited for bright fashion shades: The color selection leans natural, so colors like neon pink or purple must be achieved by bleaching first.
While L’Oreal is relatively gentle and simple to use, it does have some formula limitations to be aware of. Doing a patch test first is always smart when using any permanent dye.
Effectiveness of L’Oreal Hair Dye
When it comes to effectiveness, L’Oreal hair color seems to deliver medium results. Here’s an overview of how it performs:
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Coverage: Provides rich, opaque coverage on most shades. Grays are covered extremely well, around 90-95%.
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Color payoff: Reviews indicate the shades turn out very vibrant and luminous for the first few washes.
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Longevity: Lasts through 5-6 shampoos before fading. Touch-ups needed every 6-8 weeks for most users.
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Damage: Leaves hair feeling soft and conditioned due to nourishing ingredients. Causes minimal dryness for most.
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Lift: Won’t lighten hair past a medium blonde. Bleaching is required to reach platinum tones.
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Uniformity: Can apply unevenly if hair isn’t sectioned properly. Saturate every strand for best coverage.
While L’Oreal delivers beautiful color with decent longevity and won’t utterly destroy your hair, the results aren’t as dramatic or consistent as what you’d get from professional highlighting at a salon. But for an easy, damage-controlled dye you do yourself, it performs respectably well.
L’Oreal vs. Revlon Hair Dye
Revlon is another hugely popular drugstore hair color brand. How does it compare to L’Oreal? Here’s a quick breakdown:
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Gray coverage: Revlon covers 100% of grays; L’Oreal covers around 90-95%
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Color selection: Revlon offers 41 shades; L’Oreal has 30+ shade options
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Longevity: Both last 6-8 weeks before fading
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Ingredients: Revlon uses keratin, silk amino acids; L’Oreal uses pro-keratin, ceramides
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Cost: Revlon is slightly cheaper at around $7 per box
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Texture: L’Oreal has a thicker cream formula; Revlon makes liquid gel formulas too
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Damage: Both brands condition hair well during processing
While the performance is reasonably equal, Revlon does seem to have an edge when it comes to gray coverage, color selection, price, and product forms. But L’Oreal still remains a top contender among at-home permanent dyes.
Tips for Using L’Oreal Hair Dye
To get the most out of your L’Oreal hair color and minimize mistakes, follow these tips:
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Do an allergy test by dabbing a small amount of dye on your arm and waiting 24-48 hours to check for reaction before coloring hair
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Section clean, dry hair into four quadrants and use clips to keep hair taut during application
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Wear gloves to avoid staining hands
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Apply petroleum jelly to hairline and ears to prevent drips staining skin
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Mix the color in a plastic bowl following the instructions precisely
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Work quickly and saturate every strand thoroughly, keeping sections neat and even
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Process for the full time listed in the instructions – never leave on for less or results will be uneven
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Rinse with lukewarm water until the water runs clear
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Shampoo and condition a few days after coloring; use sulfate-free products to make the color last
Following the directions precisely and taking your time leads to the best results. Have another set of hands help if you have long or thick hair.
The Bottom Line
L’Oreal Paris hair dye is a solid option for an easy at-home color that won’t break the bank. The nourishing formula keeps hair strong and covers most greys beautifully. Just don’t expect dramatic lifts or flawless uniformity. Going into it knowing the limitations will help set realistic expectations.
While not the most advanced or high-end product, L’Oreal hair color is a win for those seeking subtle, natural-looking results through a damage-controlled application. Take proper precautions, thoroughly saturate hair, and you should be pleased with the vibrant, conditioning color.
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FAQ
Is Loreal good for hair color?
Is Loreal a good box dye brand?
For eight weeks of color and 100 percent gray coverage, L’Oreal’s Superior Preference line is another top-rated dye. It’s available in a variety of shades that deliver shine and deep color for just over $10.
What hair dye brands are best?
Which hair color is better Garnier or Loreal?