Clairol

I am really confused about a recent change (around Nov/Dec 2019) to Nice 'n Easy and my review, had I written one before, would have been 5 stars hands down. I have been using this hair color in medium brown with beautiful results and no allergies. I'm about 50% white now and I have been dying it for 7 years as a result. My hair is naturally dark brown but hair dye always comes out very dark on me so I find that medium brown is at least sort of natural on me. I was previously using ammonia-free products with terrible results due to a presumed ammonia allergy but the darker brown color quickly faded to a copper-red and my white roots were highlighted and not fully covered. Anyway, I gave the new, creme formula of Nice 'n Easy a try in the spring of 2019, after they redeveloped the old formula and made it "allergy gentle," and I got beautiful, rich, dark brown color, full coverage on my roots, and zero fading although I do have to dye my hair every 3 weeks as it grows so fast. I thought I had finally figured out this hair color debacle after 7 years until last week. I bought a new box a couple weeks ago and didn't notice that there was a blue circle on the front that says "New! Repair Plex--2x Repair." The rest of the box is nearly identical and still has the same look, model, and pink flowers on it but the side of the box further touts less breakage and some of the old description is now worded differently. I thought the Repair Plex was something in the conditioner as it says nothing about a new formula. I dyed my hair and after I dried it, my roots were that copper-red color and the white hairs were more like highlighted once again, just like with the ammonia-free dyes out there. There is definitely ammonia as I could still smell it and the dye itself still looks the same as do all of the bottles and containers. I can't figure this out and there is nothing online reflecting this change aside from some Pinterest images out of Australia (I'm in the US). Even Clairol's website has images of the old package with the pink flowers and it says "New and Improved" and that is now gone from the new box. Has anyone else run into this? I bought as many boxes of the old product as I could the other day but clearly the old formula is now gone. Why mess with such a great product and create what I can only describe as a bad demi-permanent that in no way works on white hair and turns your brown hair red? I have no idea what to do. Clariol has added this Repair Plex to all of its products now, even the Root Touch-Up, and I'm allergic to Loreal and probably the rest of them. The allergy gentle formula they created really did work for me. I'm so sad about having to go back to copper-red hair with highlights on my white hairs or dealing with chronic eczema around my eyes with the other permanent brands.

I've used this twice. It was okay the first time, but my hair frizzed out so badly the second time. It poofed out like it hadn't been blow dried and flat ironed with a heat protectant mind you! It also felt a little sticky after I applied it. Will not buy this again.

I was starting with pinky orange nasty hair that clashed horribly with my tanned nc42 skin tone. I wanted a nice neutral light brown (my childhood color before it darkened) and that’s just what I got! I left in on 25-30 minutes (past the prescribed 20) cuz I REALLY wanted it to cover and didn’t mind if it went slightly darker. It is just like the box, truly neutral. I only want to use this stuff in the future. Its no ammonia and low volume developer make it seem and smell like you have shampoo and not hair dye on. I do not have sensitive skin, but reckon this would be a safe choice for those who do. It actually smells GOOD! Plus it didn’t remove my dark faux tan around the hairline which stronger dyes and bleach do on contact. No stains on hairline either. I covered mine with a cap and hat which I do for every hair color from bleach to permanent to true semis like manic panic. NI is the new dye I’ll stick with instead of wrecking my hair with ammonia and 20-30 vol (in perm dyes). I’m naturally pretty dark brunette with minimal grey (I’m 40), so as my hair grows out (which I’m confident it will with this gentle dye) and I get darker I am comfortable using this. I read something useful once: a “permanent” dye doesn’t mean it is permanently on your head. It means it permanently alters your hair structure (obviously, for the worst). This dye lasts as well if not better than permanent dyes whose ammonia blast open the cuticle and high developers bleach your hair each time underneath the dye - even blacks do this - so over time it’ll be harder to keep your color and it will fade if you keep touching it up - a vicious cycle. This, or a demi and low vol from Sally’s (which natural instincts essentially is just in an easy box), are the safest way to go. PS - they remove easily with color oops. Color oops works on any oxidative dye (dye that requires developer to work). When they say it doesn’t work on semi permanent dye it is referring to a true semi like manic panic and adore.