By Tomás Martín, member of the Montibello Haircare Education Team

The world of hair colour has greatly evolved over the past few years. Now, there are options for every need. Do you want to get the best results? Choose the option that suits you best and enjoy excellent results!

There are three types of hair colour on the market. We’ll explain how each of them works so you can choose the one that suits you best according to its benefits and the results you wish to achieve at any given time.

A hair colour for every need

There are four types of hair colour: permanent, semi-permanent, demi-permanent and direct. We’ll explain how each of them works!

1. Permanent hair colour

This type of hair colour deeply penetrates into hair and is embedded, modifying the hair’s natural pigment. It contains oxidative pigment with a colourless molecule that develops inside hair, creating a colour molecule. In order to get these results, it needs to be an alkaline product to cause the hair cuticle to open, allowing dyes to enter the hair shaft.

It’s essential (and the best option) when you need to lighten your natural hair, you want optimal coverage of grey hair or changes in the natural colour of your hair, as it modifies the natural pigment or replaces the cosmetic pigment in changes in colour and when you need to darken hair.

Within this type of hair colour, there are those that contain ammonia and those that don’t. Montibello has products with ammonia (Cromatone y Cromatone Recover) or without ammonia (Dénuée).

2. Semi-permanent hair colour

This hair colour works by depositing colour onto the surface of hair in the form of small molecules, which do not penetrate into the hair shaft as it is not an alkaline hair dye.

It’s a very good option when you want the colour to fade after several shampoos, if you want vibrant colours with a lot of intense reflects or plenty of shine and signature colours. It’s a type of hair colour that does not compromise the hair’s integrity, particularly in extremely sensitised hair. It can neither be used to lighten hair nor cover grey hair.

Montibello has Inflashy Colours, a range of long-lasting hair colour to create new colour effects featuring vibrant on-trend colours (pink, orange, blue, green, etc.).

3. Direct hair colour

Also known as temporary, this type of hair colour lasts between one and six shampoos as it’s only deposited onto the hair cuticle and does not penetrate into the hair shaft.

Montibello offers different types of direct hair colour, such as Colour Camouflage, an instant root concealer spray perfect for the weekly maintenance of fine or thinning hair and to instantly cover up grey hair. It washes out with one shampoo. Colour resurrection and Colour Correction are also available.

4. Demi-permanent hair colour

This hair colour can have a neutral or acidic pH. Either would be fine as it doesn’t open up the hair as much as a permanent hair colour. This type of hair colour therefore works on the outermost part of hair and partially on the inside. This technology doesn’t change the hair’s natural structure or its natural melanin and, more importantly, it will not lighten natural hair colour due to its pH. Neither does it cover grey hair.

You should go for this type of hair dye when you want to refresh faded hair colour on the mid-lengths and ends, enhance natural hair colour, correct hair colour that has gone off-tone and blend highlights without changing the colour of natural hair such as hair with highlights that are partly in the natural hair colour (roots). It can also be used by people with their natural hair colour who don’t want to commit to a certain colour for several months, as this type of hair colour doesn’t create hot roots.

This technology gives rise to numerous cosmetic benefits: it seals the hair cuticle, provides longer-lasting colour, treats and hydrates hair, leaving it soft and repaired. To get the best results, you should use the same hair colour or one level above it.

If you’re looking to start colouring your hair or cover grey hair, for the most natural-looking results, éclat by Montibello should be your go-to. It’s an acidic demi-permanent hair colour that turns colouring into a treatment, treating and repairing hair and giving it extraordinary shine.