Organic Salon Systems

In March of 2010 L’Oreal Professional launched their “revolutionary” new professional hair color product known as INOA with great hype and fan-fair.  The very name INOA, L’Oreal claims, stands for Innovative No ammonia.  As with many new products launched by “Big Beauty”, L’Oreal marketed to thousands upon thousands of hairdressers from around the country and many of them jumped on board by paying extraordinarily high prices, attending countless education seminars, and beginning to use the new product on their client’s scalps with the excitement that you would only expect to see in a young child on Christmas morning.  This excitement is well expected for such a revolutionary concept; a professional permanent color range that performs well and is free of all ammonia is certainly significant and definitely an innovation worth celebrating.  Unfortunately, there are two problems for L’Oreal: (1) INOA’s line is not free of ammonia and the product is far from new; and (2)  The actual revolutionary professional permanent hair color line that is really ammonia-free has been available for over 15 years and is known as Organic Color Systems.

Now, just a few months later, INOA salons are coming to a rude awakening – the INOA line is not ammonia free and is clearly labeled as containing ammonia hydroxide.  Imagine seeing a new client who is a cancer survivor, a chemotherapy patient, or simply allergic to ammonia and then assuring them that the professional hair color product you use is ammonia free.  What could you possibly tell them after their treatment in which you unknowingly applied ammonia hydroxide to their scalp?  Would they sympathize with you if you told them that you bought the marketing hype but failed to read the ingredients label?  Salon professionals are licensed professionals and as such have an obligation and duty of care when dealing with the trust a client places in their hands to provide them with a safe and positive treatment.  It stands to reason that a minimum level of care begins with knowing the chemicals being applied to their scalp.

What is exceptional is that salon professionals everywhere are using this product without reading the ingredient labels of the products in the line.  The ingredients label for INOA Post shampoo, recommended for post-color shampoo with INOA’s “no ammonia” line clearly contains ammonia hydroxide as indicated in their ingredients list on the left (simply click the photo for a close-up view).  While one side of the bottle indicates its contents as “Innovative No Ammonia” the other sides lists ammonia hydroxide on its legally required and government regulated ingredients label.

Related Articles

• Organic Salon Systems Announces New Improved Shipping Options
• L’Oréal Inoa Available Through Drugstores Everywhere?
• Organic Salon Industry Update
• Dangerous Toxins In Your Salon
• New Research Links Ammonia to Asthma