Does Your Hair Color Age You? I Tried Clairol Haircolor

Does Your Hair Color Age You? I Tried Clairol Haircolor From a Box at James Corbett Salon

Before anyone gets up in arms and writes hate mail me to me, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with aging gracefully but grey hair doesn’t just make most people look older, it is not flattering to a lot of skin tones.  Grey hair may look amazing on  Daphne Selfe, the 83 year-old British model with amazing cheekbones and a dramatic halo of long hair, but it can really make someone look “wan” and even unhealthy, even if you add a lot of makeup and flattering colors next to the skin. Hair color is one of those “easy” things that both men and women can do not just to look “younger” but to just look, better. I Tried Clairol Hair Color at James Corbett Salon, Here’s How it Went

Hair Color Doesn’t Last Forever

Whether you and your hair are young or not, like all good things, hair color doesn’t last forever.  Hair grows out, color fades, and sun, products, and other saboteurs can alter the shade you initially selected making it less than beautiful.  When it comes to hair that is aging and going grey, the issues become more significant. That’s because it is more difficult to color grey hair.  Aging hair has complex needs. It is more unruly than younger hair and can also be coarse, frizzy, and harder to color. Whether you go to a salon and get color from a professional, or you do it at home, these issues are going to be things you need to deal with.

Clairol Hair Color AgeDefy

 

When you were a kid your mom might have teased “you’re giving me grey hairs!”  But in reality, that’s not possible. Hair turns gray as a result of a chemical chain reaction that causes hair to bleach itself from the inside out. The process starts when there is a dip in levels of an enzyme called catalase. That catalase shortfall means that the hydrogen peroxide that naturally occurs in hair can’t be broken down. So hydrogen peroxide builds up in the hair, and because other enzymes that would repair hydrogen peroxide’s damage are also in short supply, the hair goes gray.

 Clairol hair color has a new Expert Age Defy Collection that specifically addresses the concerns of grey hair and aging hair. The three-step color system softens the texture of hair and changes the surface of the hair fibers, making it easier to get the colorant through hair. “Age Defy is Clairol’s most advanced color formula that goes beyond 100 percent gray coverage, providing long-lasting, brilliant color that will make your hair look 10 years younger compared to untreated hair,” says Clairol Color Director James Corbett.

James Corbett to the Rescue!

 One afternoon a couple of months ago, I found myself doing something I thought I’d never, ever do — I found myself at the James Corbett Studio, 25 W 19th Street in NYC, watching James apply box color to my hair.  I am not very grey, but I do have enough so that when the greys get growing,  you can see those strands shining like a beacon from my part, and around my hairline.  I was going to be filmed for a television show in a couple of days, and my hair color had faded from too much travel, foreign shampoos, and sun in Cancun. My regular colorist wasn’t available, and I was desperate, so when the folks at Clairol invited me to have James, a master at color and also the new Artistic Director for Clairol, to apply the new Age Defy color to my hair, I couldn’t refuse.

Not Your Moms’

I remember my mother back in the “old days” applying some sort of messy and unpleasant-looking potion to her hair to color it, while she labored over the bathroom sink.  I vowed I’d never do that! But many people can’t afford a visit to a salon on a regular basis for color, or they simply don’t have the time, or they really do have the knowledge, skill, and patience to do their own color at home.  “Box color” is a lot more sophisticated now.

Clairol’s  Age Defy line is brand new.  I was hesitant to try it, but I knew that I was in excellent hands with James Corbett and my Public Relations contacts.  No harm was going to come to me!  But alas, at this point in time Clairol had just one red tone and it was a lot more “Lucille Ball” than “Alison Blackman.”  James had to mix up a variety of things to make a color that would work.  To be more specific (I don’t think James or Clairol would mind if I shared), James   mixed 5G, 8G, and 5R for my unique color.

Clairol Natural Instincts

While I wouldn’t suggest mixing colors quite like James did (after all, he is the Creative Director for Clairol so he know much more than any of us ever will),  there are plenty of things you can do with at-home color to personalize it.  As a hair color brand,Clairol wants women to have a great experience and if you have questions,  reach out to Clairol’s expert hotline 1-800-CLAIROL.  In addition, James did something everyone can do easily, and I never thought about doing it myself.  He used a Natural Instincts  hair color as a gloss over the top of the color with a new shade that wasn’t like on the market when he initially used it (NEW 15 RG- Golden Sienna — a light golden red),  but it is available now.   He suggested renewing the color in about four weeks with the same product.  Honestly, my hair still looks pretty great, but I’d definitely do this glossing trick at home to keep the color and shine glowing, longer.

My contacts informed me that James is working on a bunch of new videos and other informational tips and “how-tos” for the Clairol Web site that you can use to get creative with at home hair color . Whether you choose to get creative or not, the Age Defy and Natural Instincts color has really impressed me.  My final result thanks to James, was hair color that was a slightly deeper red/brown/ginger than usual, and very soft and super shiny. I have gotten lots of compliments on it since then.

The bottom line:  

Thanks to the  Pretreatment Texturizing Cream in the Age Defy product, it is easier to get the colorant through hair and the Crème Color Formulation is tailored for gray hair coverage, going deep into hair fiber for optimal gray coverage. The Pro-V™ ColorSeal Conditioning Therapy powered with Pro-V Colorseal™ conditioner  helps lock in color and keep hair soft and shiny.  The Age Defy color is holding up better than the fancy color I normally sport on my hair, with no fading, and I can’t see any grey peeking through. In addition, my hair is soft and shiny.  The claims are that Clairol Expert Age Defy fights 7 signs of aging hair:  Frizz; coarseness; stubborn grays; unruly hair; lackluster hair; dryness; breakage.  Based on my personal experience (yours may differ), I’d say it’s true!

All this from a box? 

What I learned is not to be snobby about at home hair color products. Choose the rights ones and use the right techniques, and you can make DIY  box color look extraordinary. You might not be a master like James Corbett, but you can still make your hair look great, and defy your age or just look better at any age. Why not?!

Clairol and James, who has only been creative director since October are working on new educational tools for everyone and there are already tons of tips and resources on the  Clairol Web site.

Age Defy is available in 12 shades wherever health and beauty products are sold.