Creating permanent hair colors is easier thanks to hair dyes with ammonia.
Nevertheless, some of the effects of ammonia in hair dyes are not good at all – it can irritate your skin and cause allergies to hair dyes.
If you have ever experienced the negative effects of ammonia in hair dyes, then you need to ensure that you buy a product that does not contain this chemical, but how do you do it?
Fantasy Hair Lovers will show you how to know if hair dye has ammonia in three easy steps.
Quick Answer
You can tell if hair dye has ammonia by checking the product’s ingredient, smelling the hair dye, or Googling the product name online to see what others say.
What Does Hair Dye With No Ammonia Mean?
Ammonia is a strong alkaline chemical that’s often used in hair dyes to open up the hair cuticle and allow the dye molecules to penetrate deeply. Ammonia is really effective – that’s a fact; but it can also represent a problem to your hair by causing many unbearable side effects.
Hair dye with no ammonia uses alternative ingredients that are more gentle on your hair and scalp. These ingredients work to open up the hair cuticle without the harshness of ammonia, allowing the color to penetrate in a more natural and gentle way.
This results in less damage to your hair, less irritation to your scalp, and a more comfortable and enjoyable dyeing experience overall.
Using hair dye without ammonia is a great solution to people with allergies to hair dyes, although, sometimes, hair dyes with ammonia are way more effective in increasing the pH levels of our hair and permanently dyeing it.
Is Ammonia in Hair Dye Bad?
Ammonia is not always bad in hair dye. If you want to show a fantastic red color permanently, then using a permanent hair dye with ammonia will make the color last longer than usual.
However, since ammonia is a chemical, the downsides of hair dyes with ammonia can be ruthless to your health.
It’s all about finding a balance, and although I don’t believe that ammonia in hair dye is always 100%, I would totally prefer to use hair dyes without ammonia.
Do All Hair Dyes Contain Ammonia?
No, not all hair dyes contain ammonia. Today, there are many different ammonia-free hair dye brands and products that you can use.
It might be true that the lasting factor on products without ammonia is less powerful than some people expect, but I believe that’s fine.
If you like to combine different hair colors over the course of, let’s say, one year, then choosing products without ammonia is the smartest thing that you can do.
3 Side Effects of Ammonia in Hair Dye
The use of ammonia in hair dye has been associated with many annoying side effects. These are three of the most common side effects of ammonia in hair dye:
- Skin irritation: Ammonia can cause skin irritation, redness, and itchiness. This is because it has a high pH level that can disrupt the skin’s natural pH balance. This is not always the case – ammonia might cause just a small itching, which is one of the main ways to know if hair dye is working.
- Allergic reactions: hives, swelling, and difficulty breathing are some of the worst hair dye allergy reactions that someone can experience. These are rare, but can happen nevertheless.
- Eye irritation: Ammonia can also cause eye irritation, tearing, and redness. Follow the hair dye instructions to avoid eye-related issues with chemicals, which can be fatal.
Difference Between Hair Dye With Ammonia and Without Ammonia
Imagine that your hair is like a garden, and you are the gardener. Hair dye is the fertilizer that helps your garden flourish and bloom with vibrant color.
Hair dye with ammonia is like a traditional fertilizer that delivers nutrients quickly and effectively. The ammonia opens up the hair cuticle, allowing the color molecules to penetrate deeply and evenly.
The result is vibrant, long-lasting colors that won’t fade easily.
Nonetheless, just like a strong fertilizer can damage delicate plants, ammonia can be harsh on your hair and scalp, causing dryness, irritation, and even breakage.
Now, let’s creatively describe ammonia-free hair dye. Hair dye without ammonia is like an organic fertilizer that nourishes your garden slowly and gently.
Instead of using ammonia to open up the hair cuticle, ammonia-free hair dye uses other ingredients like MEA (monoethanolamine) or PPD (p-Phenylenediamine) that are less harsh on the hair and scalp.
This results in a more gentle and comfortable dyeing experience, with fewer side effects. However, the color may not be as long-lasting or as vibrant as ammonia-based hair dye.
So, what are your priorities? Do you prefer to experience long-lasting hair color styles, or would you rather use a natural fertilizer with fewer chemical ingredients in your hair?
It is up to you, but that’s why I say that hair dye with ammonia is not always 100% bad – speaking in color terms, it is not black nor white; it’s gray, if you get my point!
How to Know if Hair Dye Has Ammonia: 3 Ways
Now, the moment of truth: how do you know if hair dye has ammonia? There are three flawless ways to tell if hair dye has ammonia easily.
1. Check the Hair Dye Ingredients
If you have the hair dye box or recipient at hand, check out its ingredient list. Look for terms like “ammonium hydroxide” or “ammonia.” If you find these ingredients there, then the product 100% contains ammonia.
2. Smell the Hair Dye
Ammonia smells BAD! It is the price to pay if you want to rock really great fantasy hair colors, but I truly cannot withstand the smell.
If you don’t have the hair dye ingredient list at hand, then smell the hair dye. If you feel that distinct pungent odor of ammonia, then there’s a good chance that the dye contains this chemical.
3. Google the Hair Dye Name and Check Reviews
What if you cannot smell anything and don’t have the dye’s ingredient list at hand? Use Google!
Google is one of the best tools ever created by humanity. I always use Google to check certain information about hair dye products, which is why I decided to create my own platform, but that’s another story.
Google the hair dye product name, and see if it has ammonia.
Fantasy Recap: How to Tell if Hair Dye Has Ammonia
Ammonia in hair dye is not always bad, but I would totally avoid it.
If you want to use fewer chemicals when dyeing your hair, then preventing the use of ammonia-based hair dyes is what you must do. Check out Fantasy Hair Lovers’ social networks and articles to get more awesome magical hair info!
FAQ
Can Ammonia in Hair Dye Cause Hair Loss?
Although ammonia is not directly attributed to causing hair loss, multiple studies show that it contributes to hair damage and breakage, which can make your hair appear thinner and more fragile over time.