CUSTOM & CREATIVE COLORS

Ammonia-Free Hair Color

At Apotheca, we believe beautiful hair color should never come at the expense of your hair’s health or the environment. As a premier Aveda salon, we proudly use 100% Vegan Treatment Hair Color, crafted with up to 96% naturally derived, plant-based ingredients like sunflower, castor, and jojoba oils. For guests seeking a gentle approach, two of our signature color lines are completely ammonia-free. Our Enlightenment Blonding system delivers maximum, luminous lift while protecting the hair cuticle, making it the perfect choice for brilliant highlights and balayage. Meanwhile, our ammonia-free Demi-Permanent line provides flawless grey coverage, radiant tonal shifts, and superior, long-lasting shine. Because we prioritize the integrity of your hair, every single color service includes a complimentary Aveda Botanical Repair Bond-Building Treatment, clinically proven to strengthen hair up to 5x and double its natural shine from the inside out.

Unleash your hair's full potential with our Custom and Creative Color services. This highly specialized category is dedicated to major color corrections, dramatic platinum card blonding, and vibrant, artistic fashion shades (like vivid pinks, deep blues, or pastel lavenders). Because these transformations require advanced chemistry, precise application, and significant time, they are booked as an hourly-based service. This ensures your stylist has the creative freedom and time necessary to safely achieve your dream hair without compromising its integrity. If you are looking for a dramatic before-and-after or need to fix a previous color mishap, this is the service for you.

Custom Color & Transformations

Whether you are dreaming of an icy platinum blonde, vibrant fashion shades, or require a complex color correction, our expert colorists will bring your vision to life safely and beautifully. This hourly-based service begins with a thorough, personalized consultation to map out your color journey. It includes advanced color application techniques, a custom tone-refining gloss, and luxurious aftercare featuring a Botanical Repair bond-building treatment to protect your hair's integrity. You will leave with a stunning, head-turning transformation and a personalized blow-dry lesson to maintain your creative color at home.

FAQ

What is considered a Custom Color service?

Custom Color includes major color corrections, platinum card blonding, going from box-dye black to blonde, or applying vivid fashion colors.

Why are Custom Colors priced by the hour?

These services are highly unpredictable and require advanced chemistry, multiple steps, and significant time, so hourly pricing ensures fairness and allows the stylist to focus entirely on your hair's needs.

Do I need a consultation before booking a Custom Color?

Yes, a thorough consultation is required so we can assess your hair's history, perform a strand test if necessary, and give you an accurate time and cost estimate.

What are fashion colors?

Fashion colors (or vivids) are bright, non-traditional hair colors like pink, blue, purple, or pastel shades.

How long do vivid fashion colors last?

Vivids are typically semi-permanent and can last anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks, depending on how often you wash your hair and the products you use.

What is a color correction?

A color correction is required when fixing uneven color, removing dark box dye, or fixing a previous lightening service that resulted in banding or severe brassiness.

What is a platinum card?

A platinum card is an advanced blonding technique where every single hair is placed in a foil to achieve a solid, maximum-lift platinum blonde from root to end.

Can you fix my hair if I used drugstore box dye?

Yes, but removing metallic salts and permanent box dye is a delicate process that requires a Custom Color correction to safely lift the pigment.

Will my hair need to be bleached to get a bright fashion color?

Yes, to achieve vibrant or pastel vivids, the hair must first be pre-lightened to a pale blonde canvas.

How do I prevent my vivid color from fading?

Wash your hair as infrequently as possible in cold water, avoid heat styling, and use Aveda’s Color Control sulfate-free shampoo.

Is Aveda color used for fashion shades?

Yes, Aveda’s Vibrants line offers a beautiful spectrum of vegan, cruelty-free fashion colors that condition the hair as they deposit pigment.

How should I prepare my hair for a major color transformation?

Use a deep conditioning mask like Botanical Repair at home for a few weeks prior, and be completely honest with your stylist about your past 5 years of hair history.

Will a major color correction damage my hair?

Our priority is your hair's health. We work slowly and safely, utilizing bond-building treatments, and we will not push your hair past what it can safely handle in one session.

Can I swim with fashion colors?

We strongly advise against swimming with vivid colors, as chlorine and salt water will strip the semi-permanent pigment almost immediately.

What happens if my hair goal cannot be achieved in one session?

If your goal requires multiple sessions to maintain hair health, your stylist will create a customized "color journey" plan for you to reach your goal over a few months.

Ammonia-Free Hair Color