Product Review - Loreal Excellence Creme

The worse part of aging, for me is my graying hair. My hair began turning gray in my late twenties but it was not that prominent. Now, as I grow closer to 50, coloring and covering that gray hair is getting more difficult. There are many do it yourself hair colorings on the market and I must have tried 75% of them. Still, I have yet to find one that covers the gray in my hair. On my last trip to the store, I picked up another at home, permanent hair color kit to try, Loreal Excellence Creme. The claims on the box that read "100% Long Lasting Gray Coverage" and "Superior Gray Coverage" were what caught my eye and convinced me to part with my hard earned cash.

As always, I began by reading the label at the store, paying close attention to precautions the manufacturer feels necessary to alert us to. When I returned home and time grew closer to needing to cover that gray, I opened the box and began reading the instructions provided. Upon opening the package, I discovered this product contained one item I had never seen come with any other hair coloring I have previously used. A small tube labeled Protective Pre-color Serum. According to the manufacturer, this "Protective Serum", treats fragile areas of the hair, particularly the dry ends. I knew I wanted to color my hair on Saturday, so I completed the allergy test on the prior Thursday, a full 48 hours before coloring my hair.

Making sure I followed the directions completely, I massaged the Pre-Color Serum into the ends of my hair and waited for 2 minutes. I put on the rubber gloves, included in the package, and mixed the Creme Developer with the Color Creme. One thing I liked about this product is that it also comes complete with a full coverage comb that attaches to the bottle of the coloring. The comb, in my opinion, makes it easier to apply the hair coloring.

Since I already know my gray hair is hard to cover, I first colored all the new growth and gray. I waited the maximum 30 minutes after applying the hair coloring to these areas before applying the remaining hair coloring to the rest of my hair. The color was left on for an additional 10 minutes and then rinsed out until the water ran clear. This Loreal product, also comes with an after coloring conditioner to apply once a week for the 4-6 weeks that the manufacturer suggests between applications.

Finally, the moment of truth, did it cover my gray hair? I let my hair dry naturally, it was shiny and felt silky. I looked in the mirror, to discover most of the gray hair had been covered but not all. I was disappointed by yet another Permanent Home Hair Coloring Product. Two weeks after coloring, 50% of the gray was again showing. I wash my hair every other day and use one of the new shampoos made to protect colored hair. Even with following the directions completely, I experienced the same type of result from this product as I have with others.

Things I liked about this product were the included full coverage application comb and the clear, concise and easy to follow instructions. But, sorry to say, the likes I have of the product can't cover the main drawback, it just doesn't work for covering my gray hair.

My quest continues for a Permanent Home Hair Coloring with 100% gray covering capabilities that really works.