Hair Color Formulations

Hair Color Formulations

Actress Halle Berry Los Angeles Premiere of "Things We Lost In The Fire" 10-15-07

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As attitudes about color changed, so did hair color formulations. Egyptian henna (now experiencing a resurgence in popularity because of its natural appeal) and mixtures made from plants and insects were the first hair colors. Natural ingredients, limited as they were, remained the essence of hair color until the 19th century.

In the 1800s, men began using silver nitrate to darken their mustaches and in 1825, the first real hair color formulation was developed.

Grecian Water—a mixture of distilled water, silver nitrate and gum water—was highly popular until it was discovered that after repeated usage it turned hair purple. As history is inclined to repeat itself, hair now turns slightly green when "gray coverage" products that contain metallic salts, continue to oxidize on hair.

In 1859, a German student, working with coal tar, diluted it with alcohol and the result was a purple dye. This lead to the first synthetic dye to be used on fabrics and hair, and later, to 20th century dyes, which were compounded from petroleum products.

Modern formulations, which can look natural and leave hair in beautiful condition, were fast to follow, rapidly changing attitudes about hair color and the women who use it.