Question

What does ammonia have which makes our hair black?

Answer 1

Ammonia’s role is two-fold: It opens up the hair cuticle to facilitate the oxidation process that lightens the natural colour of the hair and it helps develop the added colour. Because hair has an acidic pH by nature, ammonia also helps it become alkaline, to create a permanent change in colour, particularly when creating high lift shades. All permanent hair colour needs a chemical alkalizer, such as ammonia or MEA (monoethanolamine), to open up the cuticle so that the ingredients in the colour formula can penetrate the hair shaft and create the desired shade.