When aiming for the perfect blonde, whether you’re a professional colorist or a dedicated DIY beauty enthusiast, the right developer is absolutely essential.
In this guide, we reveal which developer to use with for bleach and for going blonde.
Why the Right Developer Matters
Choosing the correct developer is the absolute key to:
- Achieving the lift level you want, safely.
- Protecting hair integrity during intense chemical processes.
- Ensuring vibrant, even blonding and flawless toning.
Meet the Stars: Ugly Duckling Premium Developers
Ugly Duckling 30 Vol Premium Developer being used with Color Gel 10N: level 10 blonde, grey coverage, and Bond Protect all in one.
Ugly Duckling’s new Premium Developers are raising the bar for salon professionals and passionate blonding fans.
Both the 20 Vol Premium Developer and the 30 Vol Premium Developer combine breakthrough Bond Protect technology with luxurious essential oils, making them among the best choices on the market for bleach, blonde colors, and toners.
20 Vol (12%) Premium Developer with Bond Protect
- Protection First: Features advanced Bond Protect plus essential oils for maximum safeguarding during bleach and color lifts.
- Versatility: Ideal for lifting up to 4 levels with color, and up to 5 levels with bleach—perfect for going blonde from deeper shades.
- Best With: Bleach lightening, color build-up removal, color corrections, and toners on level 9/10 hair.
- Professional Size: Generous 33.8oz/1L bottle for salon or home studio use.
- Superior Results: Fully stabilized cream formula delivers uniform results and a pleasant scent for a great experience.
30 Vol (9%) Premium Developer with Bond Protect
- Maximum Lift: Achieves up to 8 levels of lift with bleach—ideal for tackling ultra-dark roots or dramatic blonding.
- Bond & Shine: Packed with Bond Protect and nourishing oils, so hair stays strong and radiant even after intensive lifting.
- Designed For: Taking hair from dark brown/black to lighter, brighter blondes; works well with all major bleach and color brands.
- Salon-Ready: Professional large size and cutting-edge European-made formula.
Premium Developers: Why Bond Protect is such a Game-Changer
Traditional developers expose hair to considerable risk of breaking the internal bonds required for hair strength.
Ugly Duckling’s new range is formulated specifically to protect the hair’s internal structure during even the most intense lifts, featuring:
- Advanced Bond Protect technology: minimizes hair breakage during blonding and lifting.
- Essential oil infusion: adds softness, shine, and nourishment for both scalp and strands.
This means colorists and blonding fans can pursue bold platinum looks with greater confidence and healthier results.
In particular, when bleaching, toning and going blonde, stylists can go ahead with confidence, knowing that the hair integrity is being protected.
It means they can process the hair for longer, and get greater lift, even on difficult areas such as on very stubborn dark roots.
The result on your clients' hair:
- An even, consistent lifts when you use bleach or blonde color or toner.
- Vibrant color and seamless toner results. Consistency can be maintained from roots top ends because the developer can be kept on for longer.
- Visibly thicker, stronger hair after bleaching or toning.
When to Use 20 Vol vs. When to Use 30 Vol
Dark roots? always use 20 Vol Premium Developer on the root. It's virgin hair, plus it's near the scalp.
| Type of lifting | No of levels lift | Developer Choice |
| Using blonding colors | 1-2 levels | 20 Vol Premium Developer |
| 2-3 levels | 30 Vol Premium Developer | |
| Using high lift colors | 1-3 levels | 20 Vol Premium Developer |
| 3-5 levels | 30 Vol Premium Developer | |
| Using bleach | 1-3 levels | 20 Vol Premium Developer |
| More than 3 levels | 30 Vol Premium Developer |
Some Pro Tips for Perfect Blonding Results
- The root area always lifts fast. Even a very dark root such as the one in the picture above. It goes fast at the root because the hair virgin hair, plus it is getting the heat from the scalp.
- So always use 20 Vol developer on the scalp area.
- Respect mixing ratios: For bleach—generally, 1 part bleach to 2 parts developer. For toners—follow the specific toner-to-developer recommendations for best outcome.
- Monitor processing: Keep watching (especially at the root area). Rinse as soon as you reach your desired result.
- Finish with bond-care: Consider post-color bond treatments to further enhance hair strength and shine.
