Hair Developers & Peroxides

Every colour service starts with the right developer. It is the product that makes hair colour and bleach work.

Hair peroxide and developer are two names for one product. It comes in different strengths, and each one does a different job. The skill is picking the right strength for each client, so AMR carries the full range.

Understanding Developer Strengths

The volume number tells you how much the hair will lift. The higher the number, the more lift.

• A zero lift developer or a 3.5 vol developer gives almost no lift, so it works well for toning and matching roots and stays gentle on delicate hair.

• A 5 vol developer or a 10 vol developer gives a gentle lift while adding colour, which suits subtle changes.

• A 20 vol developer is the one most colourists use, since it blends grey and lifts up to two levels.

• A 30 vol developer gives a bigger lift of up to three levels and works with bleach and foils.

• A 40 vol developer is the strongest AMR carries, with the most lift and the most care needed, so it is best left to experienced hands.

Match the developer to the hair colour or hair bleach you use. Most mix across brands, but some lines need their own.

Cream, Oil or Lotion

Developers come in a few textures, and AMR carries all of them. Cream developers are thick and easy to control, which makes them the everyday choice for most colour work. Oil developers, like the L'Oreal Blond Studio range, are thinner and spread easily for lightening. Lotion developers, like the Muk Hybrid line, sit between the two. Pick the one that suits your technique and the colour line you use.

Preventing Damage

Good products protect your client's hair. When you take on a new client, check their colour history first. Ask about any past perms, relaxers or colour, and feel the hair for its condition and any older damage.

Listen to what the client wants and be honest about how long it will take to get there. Many people hope to go blonde in a single sitting, which puts hair at real risk. The stronger the developer, the more you need to explain this before you start.

Pairing the service with a nourishing treatment or a bond reconstructor helps limit and repair the stress that lightening puts on the hair.

Why Choose AMR for Peroxides and Developers?

AMR stocks hair developer and peroxide from Limitless, Matrix, L'Oreal Professionnel, Schwarzkopf and Muk, along with its own AMR Premium line. Limitless runs the full ladder from 3.5 to 40 vol, Matrix Universal mixes across the SoColor lines, and L'Oreal covers oxidant, oil and the Dia activator. Some are made for one colour line, so it is worth checking the product first.

Sizes run from 900ml to 1L, which keeps a busy back bar stocked and makes the larger bottles better value over time. The developer is only part of the service, so once you have chosen a shade, you can pick up the hair toner to finish it and the hair colouring tools to apply it. Salons going through a lot can order bulk shampoo and bulk treatments at the same time. AMR ships Australia-wide.