Billed as one of the biggest innovations in the permanent hair color category in more than 60 years, Clairol is breaking down the barriers that tend to keep women from coloring at home by remaking its iconic coloring product, Nice’n Easy. This new product features a groundbreaking Allergy Gentle formula that delivers damage-blocking technology featuring a fresh lily scent and a drip-free crème formula. It’s launching in 47 shades this month.

The product features a breakthrough formula featuring ME+, will Clairol calls a revolutionary hair dye molecule that better protects people without hair dye allergy by reducing the chance of developing one. ME+ replaces the traditional ingredients found in almost every permanent color (PPD and PTD).

Anna Vorrias, vice president global and US marketing of Clairol, took time to correspond with Happi about this milestone.
 
Happi: Why did you feel the formulation needed a makeover after 60 years of success?
 
AV: Now more than ever, consumers are expecting more from at-home hair color and they want the products they use to address their top wants, needs and concerns. True innovation in this category has been long overdue and Clairol’s R&D scientists have been working on this new formulation for more than 20 years in order to address the biggest concerns women tend to voice about at-home color—damage, color results, smell and mess. These concerns have never been fully addressed with a single product, until now.
 
The new Nice’n Easy is formulated for a diverse range of hair colors and textures, enabling every woman to color with confidence. This innovative formula is specifically created to address her wants and needs without sacrificing the color quality—a first for at-home color. From the color experience, to color result, to safer and healthier way to color, it is not a makeover, but a breakthrough that transforms at-home hair coloring into a true beauty, sensorial experience.
 
Happi: What feedback were you getting from consumers before and then after the switch?
 
AV: As our society continues to be increasingly health-conscious, many consumers are questioning the ingredients and chemicals in their hair and beauty products. Not only are they focused on using products that are healthy for their overall wellbeing, they’re concerned that the product is damaging to their hair. After we tested the new Nice’n Easy, consumers raved about the high-quality color result, conditioning benefits and fresh floral scent—a first for at-home hair color. They were wowed by the difference in texture in their hair, and commented that they felt they were putting moisture back into their hair while coloring. They also loved that it was “allergy gentle.”
 
Happi: What is your most popular shade?
 
AV: According to the Ipsos Global Habits and Practices study in 2012, Natural Medium Brown is the top selling permanent shade in the Clairol product lineup.
 
Happi: What are the key ingredients that fuel the formulation?
 
AV: Our innovative technologies are at the forefront of this new formulation. The first key innovation is the EDDS damage-blocking technology which acts as a chelant to block copper-induced damage that occurs while coloring hair. The EDDS technology not only helps block damage but also helps maintain color, longer. This is because the micro-particles of the free radicals, like copper, scratch the surface of the cuticle during the chemical reaction (such as during coloring). EDDS encapsulates copper before it comes into the chemical reaction and allows copper to be washed out, blocking the damage before it occurs. 
 
Another key innovation is ME+, a revolutionary hair dye molecule that significantly reduces the risk of allergy in those without preexisting allergies to hair dye. These allergies are caused by either PPD or PTD. These molecules are present in most at-home hair color products, and while they provide high quality color, they are the main cause of allergic reactions in hair dye users. The search for an alternative molecule that wouldn’t compromise the color result has been ongoing for decades, and Clairol is the first to succeed. Thanks to ME+, the new Nice’n Easy is the first at-home hair color of its kind to provide the same high quality color benefits in an allergy gentle formula.