Hair Color Dilemma If you use Natural Instncts

[Bella the Ball 360]

I have used Natural Instincts HC for years and it has made my hair soft, shiny and easy to manage. They have now changed the formula and made it a creme which I thought would make it better. Not so! It does not cover and leaves my hair just hanging. I know it is semi-permanent but, I have used the permanent and it leaves my hair like straw with no shine or manageability. Sure it lasts a week longer but the trade off is NOT worth it to me. Just wondering if anyone else has had this very, very disappointing experience. It's like when you find a bra you like and then they change it on you. How do you come back from this (LOL---kind of).

 

[stitch'sgirl]

I like semi-permanent better too! And that is the only I have been able to find. Guess I will just make those every 6-week appts at the salon.

Don't want to hijack the thread, but the hair product I am missing the most is Pantene Age Defy shampoo and conditioner. I haven't been able to find anything close to the conditioning power of that. It was just the perfect blend for me.

 

[Prose]

I've been using Natural Instincts for years and hate the new formula. The color it gave me was bland - they've gone to "all natural" ingredients, and somehow they took out something essential. I have been using Schwartzkopf brand hair color lately - it's permanent but seems to have decent conditioning. I've tried Feria but the color faded quickly, and the cheaper brands did dry out my hair.

 

[Imzadi]

Bella, see if you can find the old formula on eBay. Make sure the Seller has a high feedback number and sells other cosmetic/hair products as well as many boxes of the old Natural Instincts, so you know this is what they do. And are not just selling you a crappy old box in the closet. Pay attention to the feedback & whether people say they are getting the real products of what they bought, not counterfeits.

You may have to really pay for the old formula as the Seller probably knows by now that it works better. But, do what you have to do.

 

[Snowysmom]

I am glad I am not the only one. The new formula does not cover the gray and the color wears off quickly. I even went around to several stores to buy out the older formula while I could. I only got 3 boxes unfortunately. My hair dresser recommended this for me as I have thin, fine hair. I see her at the end of the month and I will be asking her for another recommendation.

 

[lynxstch]

And I thought it was just me. I also agree that it does not cover gray and wears off quickly. I called the company , and they said all they can do is send me a coupon for a free box. I will give it to someone else. I am now going back to John Frieda, at least that still works and I like their foam application better anyhow.

 

[lucas]

Awhile ago I figured something was up when Walgreens stopped carrying it all together. I started stocking up at CVS, so I have several boxes of the old formula.

The poster above mentioned John Frieda. Is that a semi-permanent brand??

Many years ago Garnier Nutrisse had a semi-permanent one, that I really liked. But, they stopped making it (?) and now only have their permanent brand.

 

[Aurora79]

I use the John Frieda foam. It’s permanent, but it colors gray really well. It tends to pull dark though for the brunette colors, so be aware of that.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I am so glad to hear that it is not just me. Can I suggest that those of us who are unhappy with the new Natural Instincts contact Clairol on their website. I sent a letter expressing how much I HATE this new hair color. Of course they are going to say it is just great but considering that there are only 7 posts on here and 4 out of the 7 have the same problem that in my opinion is at least 60% if we are a representation of the NI hair color community. I ran into two customers in CVS at separate times and we had the same discussion. When a consumer writes to a company they usually think count it as 1000 customers. If you e mail them it could not hurt. I am relieved it is not me and I am upset that they did this.

 

[lucas]

I am so glad to hear that it is not just me. Can I suggest that those of us who are unhappy with the new Natural Instincts contact Clairol on their website. I sent a letter expressing how much I HATE this new hair color. Of course they are going to say it is just great but considering that there are only 7 posts on here and 4 out of the 7 have the same problem that in my opinion is at least 60% if we are a representation of the NI hair color community. I ran into two customers in CVS at separate times and we had the same discussion. When a consumer writes to a company they usually think count it as 1000 customers. If you e mail them it could not hurt. I am relieved it is not me and I am upset that they did this.

I will definitely do that. Hope others do, too.

 

[Imzadi]

I wonder if some chemical had to be taken out of the semi-permanent colors as it is toxic. From this thread, more than one company "changed their formula," and now those colors no longer work the way they did.

I talked to a hairdresser a while ago, and she said that generally, across the board, the semi-permanent formulas do not cover gray as well.

 

[lucas]

Just found this article:

https://www.allure.com/story/clairol-natural-instincts-at-home-hair-dye-update
"While it is true that you should head to the salon for a drastic hair transformation, such as platinum blonde or a pastel hue, many people update their hair color at home and it's NBD. In fact, at-home hair dye has come a long way in recent years. It's easier and safer than ever to switch up your shade right in your bathroom.

One of the most popular lines you'll find at the drugstore is Clairol Natural Instincts, which promises DIY color that actually looks like you were born with it. Last year, Clairol updated its Nice 'n Easy hair dye formulas with safer ingredients, adding the ME+ molecule to replace the oft-used PPD or PTD (known allergens and potential cancer-causers) ones. This year, it's going even further by launching its most natural line to date — with eco-friendly packaging, to boot.

The new-and-improved Clairol Natural Instincts is made with 80 percent naturally-derived ingredients. The brand added scalp and hair smoothers (such as aloe and coconut oil) to the formula and removed the icky stuff. What does that mean? Most importantly, it's free from parabens, ammonia, and PPD/PTD. Cosmetic chemist Ni’Kita Wilson tells Allure that these ingredients can be seriously harmful. In addition to possibly causing allergic reactions, they can irritate your scalp, making it red and itchy. "Ammonia also severely damages the hair and weakens the strands," she adds. Plus, they're not really necessary for demi-permanent color like Clairol Natural Instincts.

"Demi-permanent color has no need for ammonia and PPD/PTD because this type of color just deposits pigment on the surface of the hair," she explains. "Ammonia forces the cuticle open to deposit the color into the hair strands. PPD/PTD is responsible for color development. Neither of these steps is needed for dyes that just deposit color on the surface." I don't know about you, but I'm all for getting rid of unnecessary, potentially dangerous ingredients.

And that packaging? It's FSC registered, which means it’s made from responsible sources. Plus, all the plastic bottles are PVC-free.

Now that you know about the new formulation, let's get to the good stuff — the killer new shades. James Corbett, Clairol Color Director, tells Allure that the line has even been extended to look amazing on those with a naturally deeper hair color.

"We’ve added some shades on the darker end of the spectrum that will accommodate darker hair, since we want a wide variety of consumers — with different hair colors and textures — to benefit from this product, " he explains. "Most of the Natural Instincts shades will work on darker hair, however, how they show up will look different on different hair colors (i.e. the lighter the hair, the more dramatic of a change you can make). The deeper shades we’ve added are meant to offer noticeable and natural-looking results for those with darker hair colors."

We're especially into shade 4RR Dark Red. It's gorgeous.

James is also excited about the trendier hues, such as Rose Gold, and "stepped-up" natural shades, like Vanilla Cream Blonde. "It plays off the pastel trend. Cream is the pastel color to yellow, much like pink is to red. Vanilla Cream Blonde is blonde hair with just a hint of yellow," he says.

Clairol Natural Instincts retails for $8 and is available at Walmart, Target, CVS, and Rite Aid today."

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Thanks for the info. I will probably get a letter back from them with the same info but honestly if the product is useless for many of us I used the darkest brown shade and frankly I do not want to use the black because to me it looks like shoe polish even though my hair is dark brown darkest brown should cover the gray.

 

[Snowysmom]

Interesting story. Thanks for finding that. Clairol can hype their new hair color all they want. It doesn't change the fact that it is no where near as good as the original. It does not cover the gray and the color fades very quickly. I will be asking my hair dresser for another recommendation. I need the lighter colors as the darker colors do not work for me. I am thinking about contacting Clairol just to let them know how I feel about the new formula, not that they care.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Interesting story. Thanks for finding that. Clairol can hype their new hair color all they want. It doesn't change the fact that it is no where near as good as the original. It does not cover the gray and the color fades very quickly. I will be asking my hair dresser for another recommendation. I need the lighter colors as the darker colors do not work for me. I am thinking about contacting Clairol just to let them know how I feel about the new formula, not that they care.

YOU are so Right !!! I have spent days looking on line for something that is semi perminent like NI and all that exists is the wild circus colors like orange, purple and green. Maybe when I was younger I would have done the whole Kelly Osborn lavender but not now.

 

[Imzadi]

Here's the problem. They actually SAID it:

"Demi-permanent color has no need for ammonia and PPD/PTD because this type of color just deposits pigment on the surface of the hair," she explains. "Ammonia forces the cuticle open to deposit the color into the hair strands. PPD/PTD is responsible for color development. Neither of these steps is needed for dyes that just deposit color on the surface."

Ever try to paint a slick, shiny, non-porous piece of plastic? Can't be done. The paint peels right off over time. It has no texture to grab onto. However, a scuffed up piece of plastic retains dirt & grime in the grooves that are hard to remove. The dirt is embedded in.

Same with all types of pigment on other surfaces. I've read that gray hair has a different texture than "regular" hair and is not as porous. If the cuticles aren't open, textured & porous to allowing pigment color in to grab onto and attach to the hair strand, then it will come off as easily as paint on slick plastic. The old ammonia formula forced the hair shaft open so that the pigments could find little nooks & crannies to deposit themselves in and GRAB onto the hair. The newer stuff just doesn't do that.

 

[Disneychick75]

OP, I know your pain. Manufacturers change or discontinue hair colors often. I found one that I really like so I bought enough for 2 years!

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

I followed the advice of a poster on this thread and went to e bay. They were charging 27.00 for one box! However I found someone that was selling in lots and it was my color 5 for 44.00 which in my opinion was not far off from the original price. I will check the date of course before I use it and since I know e bay favors the buyer I will send it back if the date is off or if the box is open. It cannot be worse than what I am using I know it coats the hair and that is what I want. Seller was 100% with over 8k reviews. Someone like that seems safe.

 

[Imzadi]

I will check the date of course before I use it and since I know e bay favors the buyer I will send it back if the date is off or if the box is open.

Use the "Ask the Seller a Question" feature. I do that a LOT about an item. Plus, since it's through the eBay system, the conversation is documented. So, if you get a date that is different from the one they told you, it just helps with your return & refund as you can then simply check the box that says: Item not as described.

 

[Bella the Ball 360]

Use the "Ask the Seller a Question" feature. I do that a LOT about an item. Plus, since it's through the eBay system, the conversation is documented. So, if you get a date that is different from the one they told you, it just helps with your return & refund as you can then simply check the box that says: Item not as described.

Thank you! And I am going back to the NI tried a different color not a lot of hope but using Madison Reed last time at 20.00 a box my color did not last more than a week and a half and that is permanent so if that is the case, I might as well use the stuff that does not make my hair look like straw. Six of one half dozen of the other.