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Demystifying hair developers and bleaches: a guide for hairdressers.

In this guide, we'll explore what hair developers and bleaches are, their functions, how to use them safely, and essential tips for a successful hair-coloring journey.

Understanding Hair Developers

Hair developers, also known as oxidizing agents or peroxides, are an essential component of hair coloring products. They come in various volumes, usually measured in percentages. Their role is to activate the hair color or bleach and lift the natural pigment from the hair shaft.

The Different Volumes (Strengths) of Hair Developers are as follows:

10 Volume (3%)

Use this for level-on-level coloringa and when going darker. 

20 Volume (6%)

Lifts the hair up to two levels lighter when mixed with color and by around 3 levels when mixed with bleach.

Use this developer for gray hair coverage and for most types of lifting, coloring and toning.

30 Volume (9%)

Lifts the hair up to three levels when mixed with color and by up to 5-6 levels when mixed with bleach.

Use this when heavy lifting is required - for example when you are seeing a lot of orange and red and you need to take the hair blonde.

40 Volume (12%)

Lifts the hair up to four levels.

Use this for maximum lift, especially for lightening dark box-colored hair, stubborn, resistant hair, and for color correction situations.

Understanding Hair Bleaches

Hair bleach, also known as lightener, is a chemical agent that removes the natural pigment from the hair shaft, making it significantly lighter.

It is used in the process of highlights, balayage, and full head bleaching to achieve blonde or pastel hair colors.

If you need to lift hair by more than 3 levels, you will need to use bleach first and then color or tone after.

Ugly Duckling has 2 bleaches on the market.

Brilliant Blonde Bleach

Blue based dust-free bleach will lift hair by up to 8 levels.

This is one of the most powerful bleaches on the market.

It can take very dark hair up to blonde in 1 session.

Brilliant Blonde has been especially formulated for dark bases (Asian hair, hispanic hair, African hair etc).

Use this bleach when you have heavy lifting to do and when you are working with dark hair which needs to go blonde.Recommended to be used as an off-scalp bleach.

Brilliant Blondexx Bleach

This is a white bleach made with the latest Plex technology. It gives a great balance of hair protection and lift.

This is a white bleach which produces and exceptionally creamy mix which you will find is comfortable on the scalp.

It lifts by up to 7 levels and can also be used at the root area thanks to the Plex technology.

This bleach produces a very comfortable, creamy mix and is one of the most comfortable bleaches on the scalp.

Use this bleach for most situations where you need to lift and protect at the same time.

Safety Precautions and Best Practices when using developers and bleaches:

Strand Test

Before applying any developer or bleach to your entire head, perform a strand test. This helps you gauge how your hair will react to the product and determine the processing time needed.

Gloves and Ventilation

Always wear protective gloves during the application process to avoid skin irritation. Additionally, ensure proper ventilation in the area to minimize inhalation of fumes.

Patch Test

We recommend that you always conduct a patch test 48 hours before coloring your hair to check for any adverse reactions.

Application Technique

Follow the instructions on the bleach or hair color product carefully. Section your hair and apply the product evenly, starting from the ends and working your way up.

Timing

Never exceed the recommended processing time mentioned on the product's packaging. Leaving bleach or color on for too long can cause damage to your hair.

Aftercare

Once the processing time is up, rinse your hair thoroughly with cool water, followed by a deep-conditioning treatment to restore moisture and prevent damage.

Storage

Store developers and bleaches in a cool place away from direct sunlight. 

Hair bleach: a first timer's guide to getting it right

What level is my hair?

How to use bleach like a professional

Should I use a 20 or 30 Vol developer?

Developer Choice

How hair bleaches work. And how to choose your bleach.

The Ultimate Guide to Hair Bleaching

Our Customers Keep Talking

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This stuff is amazing!

hi there! Just wanted to tell you all that this stuff is amazing! I've been trying products after product and nothing works like this. I purchased the 20 developer and powder bleach. Not only did it do a great job. It left my hair soft and strong. I also purchased two different toners based on your recommendation and fantastic instructions in the tutorials. I purchased the gel in very light blonde 9N and the natural violet blonde 10 N in the regular toner. I mixed the two together with the developer and my hair is a perfect shade of blonde! my gray hair comes in is white and is very difficult to color. The gel toner did an amazing job and it not only colored the white completely, but colored throughout my hair very evenly. My hair and skin color have a natural red to it, which is very difficult with blonde hair. Often, my hair turns an orangey blonde which makes the red in my skin even more noticeable. I have tried other toners with more of an ash color, which made me look like my skin was gray and I was half dead! The combination of these two toners has lasted and has completely eliminated any orange or yellow from my blonde hair and has made my skin tone look even without any red. You have a customer for life! I can't thank you enough for giving me the perfect shade of blonde while maintaining the health of my hair. It costs me $300 to get my hair bleached and toned in Miami and you're saving me not only that money, but my hair has never looked better! Thank you, thank you, thank you! please feel free to repost this anywhere you like and edit as you seem fit.
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Silver Blonde Toner

10/10 for color quality and price. You get way more than if you just buy the $7-$8 wella toner at Sally’s (not knocking the product but they are no Ugly Duckling). The toners are SUPER STRONG, you have to work FAST, but don’t panic and miss strands. Just work quick cause if go over 5-10 it will deposit a ton of gray and silver on the hair, which happened to me thus leaving me to rinse my hair 2x but by doing so it gave me the platinum look I was going for. It’s not a total downside as atleast you know you’re working with a high quality toner that actually gets into the hair cuticle where as a lot of others just put color on the hair that quickly washes out. Definitely found a new brand I’m sticking with.
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Great product, counters orange tones and covers grays

I have naturally ashy dark blonde hair (highlighted), about 15 % grey. I started dying my roots to cover the grey 7-8 years ago and have been annoyed that every dye I’ve tried pulls orange (I’ve probably tried every 6 and 7 level ash or neutral dye I could get my hands on every way I could get professional dyes as a non professional). This is literally the ONLY one I have found that counters the orange and gives me the dark blonde shade closest to my roots that I’ve been looking for. I have tried to find a blue based dark ash blonde dye for literally YEARS (it’s amazing how hard it is to find a dye where the maker tells you what the base color is! Many ash dyes have a green base, which does NOT counteract orange tones effectively). I’ve tried using blue additives and basically creating my own dyes (I would NOT recommend this to people not familiar with hair dye chemistry or color theory), to varying degrees of success, but always with more brass/orange than I wanted. This product Dark Cold Ash Blonde 6.1b is seriously a holy grail product for me.
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Fixed my orange hair completely

I stripped 10 years worth of level 4 brown dye out of my hair and it was literally pumpkin orange and around a level 7, a level 8 on top and a 6 on the ends. I didn't want to just go back dark so I tried a level 7 blue based ash blonde from Sally's which gave me orangey brown ends and greenish brown roots. Lovely. So I ordered this (6.1B) along with the ash blue additive after doing the color consultation on Ugly Ducklings website. This stuff is great. It left such a pretty neutral brown. The ash blue additive perfectly "toned" out any of the brass. Also it made my hair SO soft and bouncy and volumized. The Sally's stuff made my hair feel super dry and crunchy so that alone is reason for me to switch. This stuff is just vastly superior. I used to think hair dye is all the same but I guess not.
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Love your 100v toner

Love your 100v toner. I have ash blonde hair that gets very brassy. This toner is excellent at keeping it a beautiful ash. I also use it on my tape in extensions.
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Best toning hair mask I've tried so far

If your blonde is a level 9 or up this mask does a fantastic job of toning out yellowish tones, however, it will only very slightly lesson orange tones which is to be expected. I felt like the hair mask aspect was very effective too, incredibly moisturizing and helped prevent breakage. Big tub, and not a lot of product needed. Worth the price if you can't afford to get your hair toned in the salon every 3 weeks.
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Perfect Bombshell Color

I had tried for months to achieve the platinum blonde bombshell hair of my dreams, only to end up with damaged, rough lengths with crispy purple ends! Until I came across Ugly Duckling Color's offer of a free tube. I tried the intense pearl toner. My hair is now soft, silky and looks like-you guessed it-a pearl! After such outstanding success, I bought the bond protect shampoo and masque to care for my Jean Harlowesque locks, and I'm not disappointed. Thank you for making these amazing products! I'm on my third order, and I'm a customer for life! I tell everyone who asks about the products. Thank you!
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Great product even for dark blonde hair

I use this 10A on dark blonde hair that has highlights as it creates a fantastic neutral ash tone
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Highly impressed with it.

I am highly impressed with it. It colors blonde beautifully without any damage. It's very easy to apply and I have had shiny and healthy hair afterwards.
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Rich & Professional Look.

Rich & Professional Look. Ugly Duckling Your'e the BEST!
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Wow! This stuff is absolutely amazing!

I have used it after coloring my hair blonde and then I also use it once a week as a mask. It keeps my hair SO incredibly soft! After coloring my hair for the first time by myself, I used this immediately after and I have no breakage and my hair isn't limp! It feels healthy and strong. I love this product and will definitely buy more! This was my first time doing my hair myself, and after much deliberation and research I chose Brilliant Blonde. I cannot express how nervous I was, as I have had my hair fried in the past by other hairstylists, and I was worried with my inexperience that I would do the same. I used this in conjunction with a 30 volume developer. I am medium-dark brown, for reference. It lifted me about 3-4 levels and then I got nervous after 40 minutes, so rinsed it out. I used the purple shampoo/conditioner to even out the tone and then used Ugly Duckling Intense Pearl hair color with a 20V developer for about 15 minutes. After everything, I used the Brilliant Blondexx Mask with Bond Protect. Honestly, it was the best decision to do this myself! I have no breakage and it looks amazing!
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The BEST Cool/White Toner

As a wig hobbyist, I'm always trying out new formulas/toners for achieving the colors I want. This one is the best for cool, high-level toners, no questions asked. There is SO much product in the tube so it's well worth the price. This will turn a standard yellow-blonde 16x3 lacefront WHITE. Be advised though, I mixed it with a few different 20 developer formulas and different developers will vary in resulting tone. The Clairol Pure White 20 developer I think worked the best. But it moves FAST, so watch it carefully because it can overtone. White toning is typically not beginner friendly, so be sure to do your research before diving in. Anyway, love the product and I’ll never buy another brand of toner again!


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