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The fantasy of golden beach spray wicks sells itself. Some luminous, summery shines, with a surfer point, the exact type of hair you have Gisele Bundchen Then a week of vacation bathed in the sun. And for about 30 euros: you can do it yourself without leaving your home. Who can resist that?
This illusion seems to be an attractive sales pitch if we take into account the series of ads and brands that advertise on social networks, especially on Instagram, sprays that lighten hair instantly and that promise blonder locks without the need to go through a hairdressing salon. Most of these videos are presented with the before and after effect, a hook that works very well because it makes us feel identified with the first and creates emotional and desire connections towards the second. These clarifying bottles have a careful design that is reminiscent of very photogenic cosmetic brands, such as Rhode, Kinship or Topicals, and among the labels that are displayed you can read important values for the current beauty industry: “clean ingredients”, “vegan ”, “cruelty free”, “without parabens or alcohol”… At first glance they have little or nothing to do with those hydrogen peroxide solutions (or worse, bleach) that were successful in the 80s and 90s, and that ended up leaving the fried hair to a whole generation of adolescent women (and not so young), seeking to emulate the oxygenated hair of Virgin, pamela anderson, Brad Pitt, RiverPhoenix oh included Kurt Cobain back in 1992. However, every good hairdresser will tell you that to know the quality of a product, the label that matters is the one with the small print, also called INCI, which is the complete list of ingredients that the formula contains, placed in order, starting with the one that is most present and ending with the most anecdotal. Cosmetic companies are not required to specify the percentage or quantity of each ingredient, but they must respect this order.
Let’s see. One of the sprays that appears with great regularity in the Instagram feed is called touched by the sun. Founded by the Canadian charlotte st germain in December 2020 after a vacation in Greece, defends that its formula is “effective, clean and sustainable for all types of hair and tones” (it markets a bottle for light hair and another for dark hair), promises to lighten three tones and complies with all the requirements of millennial and post-millennial cosmetics, from the design of its bottle to the claims of vegan ingredients, highly valued active ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and vitamin C, or self-care rituals. However, a look at his INCI reveals that in second position, just after water, is H2O2, or hydrogen peroxide. Or what is the same, hydrogen peroxide. The latter is the case with other very popular spray lighteners, such as John Frieda Hair Lightening Spray EITHER Camomila Intea Blond Reflections Lotion Blond Hair Lightener, which among ingredients such as chamomile incorporate the lightening effects of hydrogen peroxide. Is it possible that the most reviled homemade blonde in recent years is coming back with a facelift? Is it really that bad? We spoke to two expert colorist hairstylists to answer the questions that matter before trying these types of products.
Suntouched has become a reference brand for hair lightening sprays.
How does hydrogen peroxide work on hair?
Inaki Ferrofounder and creative director of Acontrapelo in San Sebastián, explains to s fashion that indeed, clarifying, clarifies: “Hydrogen peroxide acts on the hair, opening the cuticle and penetrating to the cortex, it produces an oxidation of the melanin, eliminating its coldest pigments, hence the tones that appear in the lightening be warm. If we add heat to the hydrogen peroxide with an iron, it decomposes into oxygen, in this way the oxidation is immediate and the hair is also lightened”.
Once applied, can the effect be reversed?
One of the shared fears regarding the use of hydrogen peroxide as a lightener is whether we can go back if we regret the result: “You can reverse the manifestation of color by applying cold pigments similar to the natural color of the person, even if it will only be a optical effect, the production of oxidation in the hair is irreversible”, advised Iñaki Ferro.
Gisele Bundchen has also sported her golden highlights with straight hair. Photo: Getty
What is the worst that can happen?
One of the things that does not quite convince colorists about this type of product is the unpredictability of the result: “The consequences or results of this type of product at home are quite uncertain and unpredictable, since there are factors that affect the final result. such as the type of hair, if it is previously colored or lightened, the amount of product used and how it is applied.
depending on the sensitivity or the state of the hair to this product, it can lead to frizz, more difficultly to hair breakage, although this also resulted from the previous state of health of the hair”, explains Iñaki Ferro. On the scalp, he warns him, “this type of product always tends to dry the skin, and can cause irritation or in some cases, even allergy, I always recommend carrying out a sensitivity test beforehand”.
quique sanchez, creative director of Espacio Q and the new Q-01 salon in Madrid, points out another consequence: “The problem with applying any type of coloring product from home is that it is not supervised by a professional: the times, the method of application, the quality of the hair…”. Additionally, continued use of hydrogen peroxide and other chemicals commonly used with it, such as ammonium persulfate and ethyl alcohol, can strip moisture from hair follicles, leaving hair and scalp dehydrated: “it can Produce drought, irritation in reproduction and flaking”, confirms this specialist.
Pamela Anderson in a photo from 1993. Photo: Getty
Is the color that we can get with hydrogen peroxide reliable?
“No, hydrogen peroxide does not have a reliable result on the result we want to obtain. It is true that in virgin hair, without any type of pigment applied, lightening will occur, but the result can be highly variable, depending on the natural pigments that the hair in question has”, says Iñaki Ferro. “We cannot affirm that the result of applying hydrogen peroxide directly to the hair of the reliable, without controlling the amounts that are applied, the exposure times, the method of application…”, adds Quique Sánchez. And he points out: “There may be chemical reactions in the hair that alter the color or affect the health of the hair. This can happen with coloring and also with any other type of treatment such as straighteners”.
What happens if I use it on already dyed hair?
It doesn’t seem like the best idea: “If the hair has color applied previously, and it is a medium or dark tone, it is difficult to lighten it, and if you do, it is most likely that the tones obtained will be between reddish and copper, never blondes”, comments Iñaki Ferro.
What if I’m blonde or have gray hair? Is it also a bad idea?
Also. “If you are blonde, and you have gray hair, it is most likely that the tones obtained will be golden, if you lighten hair that is not gray, and the gray hair will not be covered since it does not have melanin, you cannot lighten something that has no color , although it can produce a yellowing of it ”, advises Iñaki Ferro. According to the colorists, the idea that being blonde the result will be better hides a certain trap: “It’s a bad idea in any situation but being blonde more so, since hydrogen peroxide tends to oxidize the hair, so the result obtained is more a orange tone than typical of a blonde. We would not recommend doing it in any case, anything that is applying color from home is recommended ”, advised Quique Sánchez.
The influencer and creative director Janette Madsen has one of the most envied blonde hair of the moment. Photo: Getty
If later I notice poor and brittle hair, what can I do?
“Hair that is damaged is not easy to recover, even less immediately. We can gradually recover the hair fibers by applying a treatment that is suitable for our hair, from the salon and also propose a care routine at home”, reflects Quique Sánchez.
The good news is that you can always improve the quality of your hair and both expert colorists agree on the same treatment to restructure the hair fiber: Aveda’s Botanical line. “it is the best to repair damaged hair”, says Quique Sánchez; “It’s spectacular in these cases,” confirms Iñaki Ferro, who recommends using the entire line of treatment, that is, shampoo, post-wash treatment with clearing, and a leave-in treatment. As alternatives, he also recommends “Oway’s Rebuilding line. There is also a lot of talk about a peptide called k18, it promises better results than Olaplex”.
Are there alternatives to your type of sprays to achieve an easy and domestic rinse?
“There are alternatives such as products derived from chamomile in shampoo, spray lotions, etc… although they also dry (and a lot) the hair and scalp, and it must be taken into account that the tone that will appear is intrinsic to the pigments that we have in our hair, so the darker the hair, the warmer the color obtained, resulting in coppery and reddish tones for brunettes and chestnuts, and more honey and golden tones the lighter the hair. In short, the lighter the base color, the more golden or pale the result we will obtain will be”, analyzes Iñaki Ferro. Of course, it seems that it is not possible to achieve a professional result: “Nothing that is domestic, done by ourselves or similar, can achieve a lightening effect like the one we can achieve in a salon”, summarizes Quique Sánchez.
Those who are still determined to try this effect at home but want to do without hydrogen peroxide can resort to sprays such as Oribe Bright Blonde Sun Lightening Mist, Chamomile Clearé Spray Phergal Institute and Okara Blonde Expresses Care Lightening Spray by René Furterer. Or wait for that beach vacation.
Photo: @Courtesy of the brands
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