When L’Oréal Professionnel launched Inoa in 2010, the ammonia-free dye was branded as the first big evolution in hair color since, well, professional color services began. And MEA (monoethanolamine)—its ammonia alternative that gently pries apart the hair cuticle rather than busting it wide open, thus minimizing the potential for damage—was only part of the story. Among its thirteen patents was a unique lipid-delivery system by which an oil-based (rather than a water-based) carrier gently but effectively delivered pigment into the hair shaft for richer, less abrasive results. Now, the company is taking its technology to the people with Olia by Garnier. Billed as “the first oil-powered home haircolor” system, the twenty-four-shade range—which includes two blacks, ten browns, five reds, and seven blondes—brings the same ammonia-free experience to the comfort of your own home. Boasting a 60-percent-oil blend made from sunflower, passionflower, camellia, and meadowfoam oils, there is a creamlike consistency to the combination of the developer and the colorant, which also happens to emit a faint floral aroma as it comes out of the incredibly ergonomic tear-shaped applicator. At $9.99 a box, it sure beats a trip to the salon.
Available at drugstores.
Photo: Courtesy of Garnier
