The Formula

Wooly Hair Colour Shampoo is built on a simple idea — that covering grey should not require a chemistry degree, a mixing bowl, or 45 minutes in a bathroom. What it is not is a plant dye, and this page is where we set out exactly what is in the bottle.

What actually colours your hair

Wooly Hair Colour Shampoo is an oxidative colourant. The ingredients doing the colouring are p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) and Resorcinol, and they are the third and fourth names on the ingredient list — which is where the working chemistry of a colour product normally sits. PPD is the dye intermediate used in most permanent and semi-permanent hair colour, and it is also the ingredient behind most hair-colour allergies. That is why the patch test below is mandatory rather than advisory.

The conditioning botanicals

Three botanicals are in the formula — Noni Fruit (Morinda citrifolia), Aloe Vera (Aloe barbadensis) and Olive Oil (Olea europaea). They are real and they are on the label, at positions ten, eleven and twelve of thirteen, which is where conditioning ingredients sit.

They are there for conditioning, not for colour. They soften the wash and help the hair feel better afterwards. They do not carry the pigment, and we are not going to suggest otherwise.

No ammonia

Ammonia is the alkaline agent traditional permanent dye uses to force the hair cuticle open, and it is what gives a salon colour service its sharp smell. Wooly uses none of it, which makes the process gentler on hair and scalp and removes the smell.

Being ammonia-free is one ingredient out of the formula. It does not make the product a plant dye, and it does not make it suitable for everyone — the colourant actives above are unaffected by it.

How it works

You use it in place of a normal shampoo. Lather it into damp hair, leave it for five minutes, then rinse until the water runs clear. No mixing bowl, no separate developer, no heat. Colour holds for about two to three weeks before you repeat it, fading gradually rather than growing out as a hard root line. A 180 ml bottle gives up to 20 washes and costs ₹899.

Manufactured in India

Manufactured by Connoisseur Beauty Pvt Ltd, Prithvi Complex, Kalher, Bhiwandi, Maharashtra. Marketed by Conceptive Brains Private Limited, B-5, 201-206, Prithvi Complex, Kalher, Bhiwandi - 421302, Maharashtra. License No. 2021/49.

Important safety information

Contains PPD (the colouring agent). Ammonia-free. Do a patch test 48 hours before use.

Wooly Hair Colour Shampoo contains colourant actives including p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) and Resorcinol. These are the ingredients that deliver the grey coverage.

Patch test required — 48 hours before first use. Apply a small amount behind your ear or on your inner elbow. Leave for five minutes, then rinse. Wait the full 48 hours. Do not use the product if you experience irritation, redness, itching or swelling.

  • Not recommended if you have sensitive or allergy-prone skin, or a known hair-dye allergy
  • Sensitivity can develop after months or years of uneventful use, so patch test again if your routine changes
  • Use every two to three weeks as maintenance, not daily
  • Keep out of reach of children
  • Avoid contact with eyes — rinse immediately with water if contact occurs
  • Not recommended for use on eyebrows or eyelashes
  • Consult a doctor before use if you have an existing scalp condition

The full ingredient list is published on the product page. For what the ammonia-free claim does and does not cover, see our guide to ammonia-free hair colour.