I did a little research into history, when people first started dyeing their hair and how. I found out that even in ancient times, the Egyptians and Romans had “magic” recipes for dyeing and bleaching hair. They applied various powders to the hair, for example mixtures of various dried natural dyes, which then directly caused color effects on the hair. However, these magic powders acted more like makeup, because they did not disrupt the hair structure, they only covered the hair.
For a more permanent result, they used plant products as well as various materials of animal origin, such as henna for coloring, chamomile for lightening, chestnut or walnut for darkening the hair.
A milestone was the discovery of the first oxidation dye, phenylenediamine, in 1863. Hydrogen peroxide was also used to lighten hair from 1872. However, these chemicals often caused severe allergies and gave hair dye a rather bad reputation.
In 1909, a young French chemist, Eugène Schueller, developed the first synthetic hair dye. It was a harmless substance that he began mass-producing for Parisian hairdressers. Thus was born the French company L’Oréal, of which Schueller was the founder.
Schueller constantly improved colors, for example, the discovery of Imedia – a tincture of organic dyes that gave hair colors various natural shades, was another step forward.
Schueller was also the father of “Platinum Blonde,” the color that turned many brunettes into blondes.
Immediately after the war, in 1947, the German cosmetics company Schwarzkopf produced the first home hair dye called Poly Color. This allowed women to dye their hair at home without having to go to the hairdresser.
Until the mid-20th century, dye was only used to cover gray hair.
Hair color is now a common fashion accessory. Women and men alike are no longer ashamed of dyeing their hair.
Color has become a way of expression, a socio-cultural code belonging to a chosen community or even religion.
The color palette is constantly changing, expanding, and requiring increasingly sophisticated cosmetic techniques. Fortunately, more emphasis has been placed on minimizing the damage to the hair structure.
The color palette is constantly changing, expanding, and requiring increasingly sophisticated cosmetic techniques. Fortunately, more emphasis has been placed on minimizing the damage to the hair structure.
