Added value. Those two words have been pinging around in my head since yesterday’s press preview of some new stuff coming from Clairol Natural Instincts in February.
If you colour your hair regularly, you know from colour fade and how quickly it hits. To help you with that, starting next week, each box of Clairol Natural Instincts ($9.99 to $12.49) will include a “Week 2 Color Refresher” sachet along with the usual colour components.
Like the name suggests, Week 2 Color Refresher is designed to refresh your colour two weeks after you initially coloured, before the usual fade can get you down. Use gloves to apply it in the shower post-shampoo, let it sit for five minutes, then rinse.
This isn’t just another dose of the same hair dye, though. Instead, it’s a semi-permanent toner that replenishes the tones that fade first from your chosen shade. For instance, if you’re using an auburn Natural Instincts home colour, the copper tones fade first, so the sachet in your box will augment those. If you’re using red, the sachet in that box will restore the red; if you’re light blonde, the included sachet turns the yellow back up to beat the brassies.
Sounds a bit like John Frieda Luminous Colour Glaze in Brilliant Brunette ($14.99), an in-shower colour-and-shine booster, right? But it isn’t quite the same. Colour Glaze (which also comes in Clear Shine to crank up the glossy) is a temporary tint for use on coloured or virgin hair; several uses intensify the hue, and it washes out within a couple of shampoos once you stop using it. Color Refresher, however, is a semi-permanent dye formula, which should last through six to 12 shampoos.
Best part about Clairol Natural Intincts Week 2 Color Refresher? The sachet in each box hasn’t changed the price.
* * * * *
Also new for Clairol is Natural Instincts Vibrant, for Natural Instincts fans who want slightly bolder shades, 10-minute permanent colour that promises 100% grey coverage and grows out rather than washes out. (Regular Natural Instincts is a demi-permanent formula that generally washes out in about 28 shampoos). Also unlike regular Natural Instincts, Natural Instincts Vibrant can lighten hair up to two levels. More info on clairol.ca soon; pop over to clairol.com if you can’t wait.
Clairol and John Frieda are available at drugstores and mass retailers.
UPDATE: If you have any questions or unexpected results from any home colour, whether it’s Clairol or L’Oréal, definitely call the 1-800 helpline listed on the side of the box. The staff is well prepped on the technical side of things and give really good professional advice. When my former editor-in-chief had an issue, one actually suggested she see a salon pro as the easiest route to a solution; the other gave sound DIY fix-it advice and a quick, valuable lesson in hair-colour theory. For easy reference: 1-800-Clairol; 1-888-Garnier; 1-888-4-LOREAL
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Pretty cool idea. It’d be nice if they just sold the toners on their own.
You never know — they might, Tracy. At least this way they’re free, and you never have to worry whether you chose the right one for your hair colour because the right one is already in the box.
Agreed. This a really great idea especially if you dye your hair red, like my daughter does. It fades so fast.
Redheads in particular will be happy about this, true!
Genius! Every now and then, I get major red hair envy. So just in case I get into that situation again, I’ll know that Clairol has my back. :)
Exactly! Hmmm. I have red-hair envy too.
I’m a red hair lover so this to me is a great idea, I might have to check it out next time I’m looking :)
Something tells me the red shades are going to be popular! *grin*
I hate this stuff! I used the Numeg color refresher after two weeks, and it stained my scalp bright orange for a few days! It was horrible. I will keep using the hair dye but going forward the refresher pack will be going straight in the garbage.
Oh dear, Gillian! Did you let Clairol know?? That is NOT supposed to happen!
Hi Gillian,
It turns out calling 1-800-Clairol is the best way to deal with any Clairol home-colour issues. The help-line staff bends over backwards to assist callers, and also have the inside track on the technical know-how. There was a recall recently on those colour sachets because some were mismatched; I wonder if you were affected by that?
Still, scalp staining shouldn’t happen. It’s a semi-permanent dye, which isn’t a new concept. Do give the 1-800-Clairol number a try just to see what they can offer by way of advice and any other possible help. Back in my Canadian Living Magazine days, my editor-in-chief, a home-hair colourist, goofed with the shade she’d chosen. We called the Clairol hotline and the L’Oréal hotlines to see what they’d say; they offered excellent advice (even if my editor didn’t follow their directions exactly afterward!).
The same happened to me. Bright orange the first time. I thought maybe I’d done something wrong. I reread the directions and yes I did everything right. I thought maybe it was the color I used so I got another color the next time. Well this time my scalp and hair was neon yellow. So I’m also going to ditch the nasty refresher pack. Talk about brassy. The glare from my hair could have caused an accident.
I like the old formula of Natural Instincts better. The new formula seems to fade faster and the color refresher stained my skin and left red tones in my light brown hair. I will be looking for a new brand to buy. I used Natural Instincts for so many years and was very happy with it. I think that Clairol will lose a lot of customers.
Hi Terry,
I actually don’t know whether the formula itself has changed; I understood the difference is only the inclusion of the sachets. But if you’re a longtime user, you’d know the difference better than I would.
There was a sachet recall recently because some boxes got the wrong refresh shades; I hope you weren’t affected by that. The best way to deal with issues is to call the 1-800-Clairol number. The folks at the other end of that line are immensely helpful and up on their technical knowledge. I put a link in the answer to Gillian, above, to a story I did re: my Canadian Living Magazine editor-in-chief and her 1-800 hair-colour fix.
Agree, long time user here, used to love it but the new formula is terrible. Does not last as long for sure…im looking for something else. Tne refresher turns my scalp red…
I agree. I cannot even find the old formula anymore. I used it for years also and the new formula is horrible! I tried to buy the old formula online but cannot find it. I will also now have to find a different brand to use. I do not understand why they had to change the formula. It reminds me when coke changed its formula and lost millions and had to change it back. We can only hope.
I have used Natural Instincts #20 for many years and love it! My last box came with the refresher color, and when I tried it…I HATED it! It is messy to use, and did nothing for my color (which is always fine for 1 month anyway). I don’t want to switch to another product, but I will, if I can’t find any boxes of the old packaging without the refresher packet. This time when I opened my Natural Instincts, I threw the refresher right in the trash! Why change a product that is already a winner?
That’s disconcerting, Jan. Did you find any difference in the colour itself?
At least ditching the colour sachet doesn’t cost you any cash; it doesn’t add anything to the price of the dye.
No, no difference in the color itself. Can you tell me where I may be able to buy or order Natural Instincts WITHOUT
the color enhancer? And as far as the color enhancer not adding anything to the cost of the product…..how long will that last? Clairol will certainly not “give” it away! Sorry,
but I think I’ll be looking for a different product without any
“gimmicks”!
I doubt you’ll be able to find boxes now without the sachets, Jan, unless you hit little-frequented retailers. Really, I’d stick with your fave shade until you notice a price increase. Or until Clairol stops including the sachets — could happen.
My color (16) Natural Instincts was supposed to be back on shelves in Canada in May after a recall. It still is not back as of today – June 16. Love the color but hate the Refresher – it doesn’t “Refresh” and leaves a sticky residue. Great idea, especially for auburn tones that fade so fast….but doesn’t work.
Just realized that for you, Maxine, 1-800-Clairol is also probably your best route right now. They need that feedback, and should be able to find out what’s happening re: getting your colour back on the shelves.
Ok what the heck is going on. My natural instincts has been changed. No big dealio…..but yes it is………i cannot find my 02 anywhere…why the hell not..
Whats happening….grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Michele
Sounds like a good time to call 1-800-Clairol to find out what’s happening, Michele!
***THE NEW FORMULA IS HORRIBLE***
I’ve been using Clairol Natural Instincts Midnight Black for about 2 years and absolutely loved it. BUT the last box I bought had a different packaging with the new 2-Week Colorfresh and I HATE it. They’ve ruined this product. When coloring my hair, the product was watery, and a couple of days later my hair seemed dried out. The color also faded faster than ever. This has NEVER happened to me before with the older packaging. WHY DID CLAIROL RUIN THIS PRODUCT???!
Wow, I’m shocked at the reviews this stuff is getting. It’s really unusual for P&G to put a foot wrong with formulation — their testing facilities and R&D is so thorough. Have you called the 1-800-Clairol help line to provide feedback? Your thoughts would help create change, I bet.
I have also been using Natural Instincts #13 for about 5 years and I really, really hate the new product. I am not sure that they kept the same formula… the new one started burning my scalp just before I rinsed it out at 10 min. That had never happened before. I was due to use the refresher tonight and also hated it… it stained my skin and the shower floor. I also used to love the conditioner that came with it and would use it for weeks… now the tube is half the size. I think P&G messed up a good product.
I also have been using the Natural Instincts for years and years. I think they did change the formula as well. The color refresher is horrible. My hair is not even dry yet and I’m a bit afraid…My scalp is BRIGHT orange. The suede color I buy is a medium neutral brown. The color refresher is very hard to rinse out, I thought I had finally gotten it all out, but found that I stained the towel. So I got back in and rinsed again and again; yet there was still a bit of staining. This time I looked in the mirror and was horrified. My scalp was clearly ORANGE! I got back in and tried to shampoo the color off my scalp. It helped some.
I now have to go to church and 2 or 3 parties in the next two days with orange roots (grey new growth) and scalp….
I’m also a bit itchy, hoping it doesn’t get worse.
YIKES!….Bad choice P & G!…..
Try rinsing your hair with warm water mixed with baking soda.The baking soda will act as a “clarifying shampoo” without the expense or any other side affects on your hair.The baking soda water will rinse any product residue out of your hair.Im a swim instructor and ive been dyeing my hair over 13 years.This seems to work best for me when trying to get those stupid packs out of my hair.If you have thick or super long hair you may want to rinse a couple time with baking soda water and then wash normally with a shampoo and conditioner that is sulfate and parabin free.I use olive oil shampoo.My hair is now the healthiest its been in years.
Great tips, thanks so much Kat!
I agree – the new formula is not good. I’ve used #36 Midnight Black for years – I liked it because its a neutral black. The new formula is not neutral – it has a red tint and it fades very quickly and leaves my hair very dry. I’ll have to look for the original formula online. If i can’t find it, i’ll have to find another brand :-(
Wow, this all sounds like a Clairol fail. I hope you’re all letting the company know via the 1-800-Clairol line!
I have never had a color that was so strong before in my life…not even bleach I had to open my bathroom door ..my eyes where burning my throat was sore and my nose dripping it was the worst hair dying experiance I have ever had in my life….got a free coupon for it so I was not out of money but wow…then my hair was so dry it was crazy…the condition cream seemed to help some tho but I dont know what was wrong maybe cause it was so hot I have no idea…jus did the color refreshner seems ok so far..glad I did not spend money on this product and probably never will…i hate to give bad review but somethinv went horribly wrong!
I too have used Natural Instincts for years, once a month, the Light Ash Brown color (#14 Tweed). When the new boxes came out, there was no Light Ash Brown, so I chose Light Cool Brown. Instead of two bottles to mix together, it comes with one bottle. I colored as usual, and found it left a bit of a red tint. Not something desirable with ash hair. I noticed the color fading sooner than usual, like at 2 weeks. At 3 weeks I applied the color refresher, and like others, it turned my scalp orange, and left a pronounced red and somewhat brassy tint. I hate it!! When looking for Clairol’s customer service number, I discovered that many colors had been recalled and there were lots of complaints of hair turning red. My color was not included. Clairol took down a lot of information, and suggested using an oil treatment at room temperature for 30 minutes, that would lift the red out. They also said they would send a coupon for a new box. The oil helped, but now over a week and many washings later, the red tint remains, though not quite as obnoxious. The gray roots are starting to reappear, but I am afraid to use the new Natural Instincts again. I don’t trust it, and I cannot find the old stuff. I may need to find another brand.
Hi Lisa, that’s so disappointing! Have you also added a comment to the Clairol Facebook page?
I had the horrible experience with the refresher also. My hair was blotchy in the back and turned red also. I originally used the #24 and that was fine but when I used the refresher, what a change. It was terrible. I had tried to wash it out again but it didn’t help. I certainly will not use that product again. Now my hair is red which I do not want. I will try to color it with another product.
I bought the #14 Tweed and found it to be a bit dark, but I did not get upset until I used the 2 week enhancer yesterday morning. I was shocked to see the red hair. I had to go to a funeral with this ridicilous red hair. I washed my hair 2 more times after returning home and it looked worse each time. I have used Clairol Natural Instincts for a long time and was shocked that Clairol would put out such a bad product. So much for trusting that brand of product. I called the Clairol hot line but they are not available on Sunday. I WILL be calling Monday morning. I need a remedy for this red mess. I also will be looking at other brands before I buy anything else. I wish I had checked this website before I made this horrible mistake.
NEW formula s terrible. Im a guy but use natural instincts because male color is terrible.
Loved the black for years but the new formula with the dumb refresh is a joke. I can tell the difference for sure. My greys start showing much much faster than before. I hate the new 10 min formula….
Very upset!!!!!!!
Thanks for the comment, CF. Did you and Chris call the hot line to register your complaints??
I too have used Natural Instincts for years, Light Brown (Suede 13). I do not like the new colour formulation; they smell, they burn the scalp and the refresher is terrible. I experienced the dying of the scalp reddish – orange. Light Brown, or its equivalent, is supposed to be neutral, no gold, no red, why would the refresher have any red at all? The price of the new version has gone up and it is definitely not value added. The product is inferior and the bonus Refresher is terrible.
Used the color fresh packet 1st time this morning. (Suede/Light Brown/#13). Horrid orange scalp, orange-y hair tint, and a nasty mess getting the goo out of the packet. 1) Why would I want to go to the extra trouble of a refresher in two weeks? – The 4-6 week original was a perfect time-saver and have loved NI for years – it’s provided fabulous gray coverage. 2)In the shower- are you kidding? Where I can’t see what I’m doing? And wait 5-10 minutes while standing in the shower? (I did apply after leaving the shower, waited 5 minutes – not 10 – then rinsed.) Awful. Oh, did I mention Orange?
I assume they spent a fortune on tv commercials so I guess were all screwed. Before I never noticed ammonia but in the new formula the smell of ammonia is strong. Tne refesher is USELESS. I tried it to refresh and it didnt cover the greys so I just went out amd picked up another brand. I am shocked and saddened how they could mess up. It was easily the best home product and now it might be one of the worst. I hate paying extra for that useless refresher.
I hate the new Clairol Natural Instincts, too! It doesn’t last but 2 weeks and using the Color Fresh turned my hair, scalp and skin around my face orange. I use #13 Suede and have loved and used it for years. I guess I, too, will have to go to another brand. Can someone recommend a different brand that is equivalent to Clairol’s NI’s old formula? Boy, Clairol really messed up a good product. ( I also liked the original conditioner instead of the one that smells like coconut which I don’t like.)
I’ve used Natural Instincts #28 Nutmeg and loved it for years; probably since it came out maybe 10 years ago. My shade was always so popular it was hard to find at times. I used the new package the time before last, and it was just called #28 — color came out a very dull/flat dark brown (that was too dark) and later the refresher — was harsh and I got some brassiness/orange on the roots. I called Clairol 800 and the rep insisted that the formula was the same, but I later found an old box, and could see that there are 3 extra ingredients at the end of the new one!
So, this month I tried shade #28B which was a lighter shade of dark brown, but still not as pretty a color as “nutmeg”, and my scalp turned a bright ORANGE!!! That was on 7/22/11. I hate this!! I’m 58, so I need the gray coverage; not just coloring for fun. This is so distressing. The old formula was so gentle; so pleasant smelling, and the shade was so NATURAL, but not the new formula!!! I’m thinking of trying L’Oreal (have liked some of their other products).
I wish Clairol would just go back to what they had, and stop trying to fix what wasn’t broken. Raising the price if they had to would have been better.
As I think back, the very first packaging was the best. The 2nd one was OK, but the scent wasn’t as nice. I think that I may have called Clairol back then, too. I think that I’ve seen 3 or 4 changes, but this one is totally horrible! I have dreaded calling them again, because the rep (Brady) was so insistent that nothing had changed.
Please change my last posting to show me me as Mary Kay if not too late, please. And, in case it wasn’t clear — my scalp and roots are still not right — mostly brassy orange on the roots with gray coming not covered very well. I shampoo once a day. It’s embarrassingly bad.
Longtime user of NI. The refresher is absolute crap. I am experimenting with Garnier. Sorry but Natural Instincts is terrible now, it does not last as long as before. The refresher turned my scalp orange. I also found as another poster said that I now smell ammonia where before I did not. Something is different and worse. Long time loyal user now switching to something else, how sad.. If the Garnier works out I think I will buy a crate of the product before they do the same stupid thing as Clairol did with NI and the aweful refresher :(
Thanks. My scalp looks normal as of the last day or so, but the roots are still somewhat brassy with the gray coming through a lot even though it’s only been about a week since I colored with the #28G.
I called Clairol back today. I learned a few things. The rep told me that there is a typo in the directions — all NI is supposed to be applied to damp hair! That is what makes it cover better. I think that may make it cover better on the ends, but I doubt that is what makes it cover the gray roots better. On my first application of the new packaging, I had applied it to damp hair because that’s how NI has always instructed. But, the second time, I noticed that it said apply to dry hair.
The rep recommended that I get #24 medium cool brown (which is an ash) and mix 1 part developer, 1 part color, and 1 part regular shampoo then apply it to the roots mostly and wait 20 minutes, check every 5 minutes to correct the current situation.
I questioned why the new NI is being sold with the typo, and didn’t get the greatest answer — company is taking care of that. As for the difference in ingredients, the reps don’t have any info on the ingredients. This rep was nicer, and didn’t insist that there wasn’t a formula change, but I let her know how very disappointed and skeptical I am with this Clairol product now. Once again I asked if they would go back to the old formula, telling her how excellent it was, but that went nowhere. I do believe she will let the company know of my dissatisfaction and concerns. I feel sorry for other women who are surely going through this as I write.
If anyone finds another semi-permanent coloring product that they like as much as the old Natural Instincts, please post. From now on , I will refer to this one as Un-Natural Instincts!
Thank you so much for this follow-up comment MK. Fantastic information, very helpful.
You’re welcome! I hope you noticed that I meant #28B above (not G).
I went to the store to buy the new #24 medium cool brown and found the original formula #24 clove medium ash brown (also a cool). Since I’m still scared by the new formula, I decided to try the old one with the rep’s mixing instructions. I probably should have mixed up the entire box, but I was skittish that the color would be too light on my dark brown hair, so I only mixed about two tablespoons of ea. It made my hair soft and shiny again (pulled it through the ends the last 5 minutes), and toned down the brassy roots while mostly, but not totally, covering the gray. I think that if I had used the entire box I would have gotten better coverage. It’s not as pretty or as close to my natural color, but at least I’m a brunette again, and my hair looks healthy.
I’m not going back to the new formula, because of the problems I had in my two previous attempts — with and without the 2-week refresher. NO way. I’ll continue to shop for a new company for semi permanent coloring.
A couple more notes…The old nutmeg #28 worked so well for me; it was a neutral shade. While at the store, I confirmed that the new #28 does say on the box top that it is to replace the #28 nutmeg dark brown; “same great shade” — DON’T believe that!! It made brassy roots besides not lasting or giving the same quality results. To make matters worse, #28B is a dark WARM brown (which apparently is even more trouble if you have any red tones in your hair at all).
I might have bagged the Clairol brand all together at this point, but my closest store didn’t have any other non- permanent dyes in any brand.
I urge anyone who is having problems with the new formula to call Clairol and let them know!
Thanks for making this site available. You have really helped me.
I have been using Natural Instints for 10+ years. I never have to worry about my hair color because it always turned out the same and I get so many compliments on the color. I use the suede/toasted almond, half of each color and it gives my hair pretty highlights without being too red. Well, not anymore!!!! I colored my hair tonight and my hair is a flat, medium brown, that color no one wants to end up with because it looks like you color your hair at home. And my hair is so coarse! I will not use this product again. I’m just praying this color fades fast like others have said. I can’t stand looking at this for too long. If I can’t find the old boxes, I am switching to another product. I can’t believe Clariol did this. It’s like when Coca-Cola brought out the “New Coke” and everybody hated it. At least the company figured it out fast and put Coke Classic back on the shelves. Let’s see if Clairol can can take a cue from Coke and get our old product back to us before we all switch.
I have been pleased with Natural Instincts Tweed, #14, for a long time. I used the new formula a few weeks ago, and the color turned out darker than usual, then faded fast. Today I made the big mistake of using the ColorFresh pack. As soon as I squeezed some onto my crown, I saw that the color was very, very wrong. Bright orange! I stopped right then and immediately rinsed it out, and it didn’t color my hair orange, but my scalp is bright orange, right in the front where everyone can see it. I immediately called Clairol and was given the same advice to use a hot oil treatment without heating it. I can’t see how this will remove dye from my scalp. (I’ve just read the other comments, and it seems this remedy doesn’t help much if at all.) The rep did not offer to send me a refund (I bought two boxes) so I had to ask. She’s sending a refund and a coupon for one box. As if I would ever use this product again! I will go with another brand now, as I have lost confidence in Clairol.
It fades much much faster. Terrible. I tried Garnier to replace the new Clairol crap and so far is has lasted as long as the old formula. If they claim the formula did not change, thats a blatant lie. Been using the old formula 5 yrs + so I would know.. I have many negative reviews on ther sites. Does this ever get forwarded to Clairol? Im so sad but I think the Garnier product is my new color. After 5 yrs bye bye Natural Instincts. You suck!!
I am SO relieved to have found this site and have read all the postings. I was about to go to my doctor’s thinking I had a medical issue. I have used Natural Instincts for 15 years and never, ever had a problem until the new product came out. I even prefer NI over a professional salon. However, after giving it 2 trys I will NEVER use it again. My hair is SO coarse and is falling out by the handfulls. I took everyone’s recommendation to contact Clairol and the customer service rep was less than friendly and not understanding at all. She told me the formula has NOT changed and I should go to the doctor’s because I obviously have a medical issue. She never offered me any other advice and made me feel like I was crazy. She did say, after I asked her, there indded is a typo and the product should be applied to damp hair. The color refresher did the same thing to me ~ made my hair orange and was a horrible mess!! Why, oh, why did they change what was working wonderfully!! I too will look for another manufacturer. Anyone have any suggestions, as I need something gentle…thanks!
BE CAREFUL ABOUT THE REVITALIZER!!!!!
I have used Clairol Natural Instincts Brass Free Brunettes for awhile and bought a box which now contained a 2-week color revitalizer. After 2 weeks I used it and it turned by hair carrot orange and fried it—literally. AND THE COLOR I USE IS “BRASS FREE” SO NOT AT ALL WHAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN! I called their customer service and the first operator told me there had been some issues with them going in wrong boxes. She put me through to another rep aand she told me to go to a salon and she sent me forms to send the receipt (which was only $47 I might add). Since then, I’ve accrued over $100 additional charges just having deep conditioning treatments to try to restore my hair. Well, here it is 3+ months later and I’ve yet to receive my $47 check. I called and they claim to have mailed it in June, however I’ve received nothing and when I told them that, they said it would take 4-6 weeks to reissue. I am at the point where a lawsuit is in order.
I have used Clairol’s Natural Instincts for over 15 years- always loved it! Never had a reason to even experiment with other products.
The new formula is awful! When the new instructions are followed.
it doesn’t color the gray at the roots well, and it makes the older (previously colored hair) too dark. the “refresher” turns hair brassy—-
BRING BACK THE OLD FORMULA!!
Try Garnier HerbaShine. It is almost like the original Natural Instincts version.
I’m back to report that I’ve been buying up old batches of NI in colors close to what I had been using for so long. My hair is nice again. I, too was told that I’d receive a refund for the two boxes of the Un-Natural Instincts I tried. I received a letter from Clairol on 8/9 confirming that it would arrive in 4-6 weeks (it’s been 4).
It’s interesting to me that the brand others are now recommending, Garnier’s HerbaShine, as that is what I figured I’d try once I can’t get any of the old NI formula. One reason I didn’t switch immediately is that I’m not fond of the idea of having to squeeze a tube of cream into the liquid, but I appreciate knowing that it works well. Thanks!
I hope that everyone here is calling the 800 number or writing to make Clairol aware of the problems. I had mentioned the online comments when I spoke to the last rep, and I got the distinct impression that they don’t normally read these.
It baffles me to think that this new formula made it through testing/focus groups. I’m also going to let my favorite store know how unhappy I am with the new formula.
I totally agree, that colour refresh is horrible. I thought so the first time I tried it, didn’t use it for months, then stupidly gave it another try. I went online now because I’m looking for something to get rid of the smell, which one shampoo hasn’t eliminated – having to wash my hair multiple times in a day to banish this product seems to defeat the purpose of using it. I have switched to Garnier Herbashine and it’s almost as good as the old Natural Instincts, though a little more irritating to a sensitive scalp. And I miss Nutmeg 28!
I found the old formula!! I just went to my neighborhood Rite Aid after searching everywhere for the old formula without the refresher and found Rite Aid has a bunch of boxes left. I loved my hair the last time I dyed it the nutmeg (dark brown) and was too afraid of using the new stuff after reading horrible reviews on a number of sites. Good luck!
The other thing that’s a problem is that Clairol Natural Instincts, or Un-natural Instincts is no longer a non-permanent hair color product. It’s also probably not obvious to new users and for sure not to their old customers. That switch probably explains why it’s now so hash, but it doesn’t excuse the orange roots or Clairol one bit!
I don’t care to use Facebook, but if anyone else does please post a link from there to here.
Eight weeks and still no refund for me.
Bring back the product that worked so well for all of us in the past. Have been using NI for years and always satisfied till this past year.
I wish I had read this thread before I tried the “refresher” product.
I have used Natural Instincts for years and loved it. Now the bottle is smaller, there is less conditioner, and the worst…the refresher turned my roots and scalp orange. Sound familiar?
This new product formula is a nothing short of a complete disappointment. I’ll be looking elsewhere for light ash brown “tweed”.
ORANGE HAIR from REFRESHER PACK
Natural Instincts Shade 13 – Suede – was not a part of the recent Natural Instincts Recall but it should be. The refresher pack turned my hair bright orange. I called customer service to seek advice and they told me to wash hair and apply hot oil treatments. Parts of hair are still orange after about 16 washings and treatments. Customer service blamed it on my porous hair and said it is not their fault since I chose to use the refresher pack. BEWARE
Has anyone used the two week color refresher with good results? I’m using 23r raspberry cream…which is already red. i was wondering if it would create an unwanted color for me because mine is actually supposed to be red.
It’s been very helpful to read everyone’s comments here about Natural Instincts not lasting as long. I’ve been suspecting this and was just about to try this week 2 color refresh — I have several stocked up but haven’t tried it yet, because I haven’t needed to “refresh” my color after two weeks. It’s more like, at three weeks I need to recolor my hair! The color is just not lasting as long as it used to and I’ve been having to purchase the hair color more frequently and use it more frequently. I’m using the hair color more than I’d like and my scalp is getting itchy from it. I thought this time I’d just go ahead and try that refresher, even though it’s more than 2 weeks since I colored but reading here about the orange scalp problem (thanks for letting us know about that!), I won’t bother. By the way, I had GREAT results with the Natural Instincts Creme product (I think the color was coffee) but I haven’t been able to find the stuff since the one time I tried it. CVS told me Clairol stopped making it. Anyone know why? So I guess it’s back to the drawing board and I’m going to have to start looking for a new hair color product.
I just got out of the shower and saw that my hair was RED:,( I had red hair a few years back and hated it and I’ve stayed away from orange and red tones in hair dyes. This is just horrible! i hate red hair on me. let’s just hope it washes out soon!
I just used Clairol Natural Instincts 9N Dark Blonde. My hair used to be light brown…It added a nice shiny and golden feel but didn’t change my look much. After reading all this bad reviews about the refresher pack I’m afraid to use it! Anyone that bought blonde colors had this problem???
thanks
I have used both the 30 and the 30r in the past couple of years to dye my hair. I really like the dark auburn color because its not so fake red looking like other dyes. I did use the color refresher and it turned out fine for me, no problems at all. I was just careful to not scrub it into my scalp too much and to not leave it in for more than 5 minutes. As for the color fading fast, i don’t generally notice because red always doesfade quicker, but I have had my color in for 5 weeks, use a sulfate-free color shampoo, and ALWAYS wash my hair in cold water. I would be recoloring less if it weren’t for my fast growing hair and ugly roots. still looks good for 5 weeks!
I’ve always liked Natural Instincts also. My hair is light brown and I used a dark blonde color on it this summer to emphasize highlights. The dark blonde color had a refresher packet that was yellowish. I had no problem with it. Today, however I used the light brown hair color and was shocked to see that the refresher packet stained my scalp orange and also my hair to an orangish, reddish hue. I got some refresher on my hand and it looked orange also, but it has since washed out.
I liked the color I put on my hair a few weeks ago, but this looks fake like what you get from a cheap indoor tanning lotion. I will throw the packet away in the future also. Is it ok to just use the color and let it last for a month without this packet?
I have a feeling you and many of the other ladies here have been dealing with boxes of Clairol Natural Instincts that were part of P&G’s voluntary recall due to wrong refresher shades having been put into the wrong boxes.
Yes, it’s definitely okay to use the colour as usual and ditch the refresher.
Kind of glad I wasn’t the only one… Loved the color out of the box but the refresher turned my scalp and roots bright orange. Took me 3 more applications to get rid of the nastiness. Very disappointed!
I too hate the new Natural Instincts 10 min haircolor with refresher (which I have not used yet). I used Natural Instincts Tweed or Suede since it was invented. This new version did not cover the gray (I’m only gray at temples and forehead) and it lasted less than one week (3 shampoos). I called Clairol hoping to find out where I could get the older excellent version. No longer available anywhere. I wonder why they changed it? This must be cheaper to manufacture. Bad decision since I suspect many people won’t buy it at all soon enough. I hope they listen to us and rethink the decision.
Well, my color is NOT one of those recalled. But I have had the same problem with the orange scalp that so many others have been mentioning. So clearly Clairol has a bigger problem with the Refresher than just a mix-up. Time for a new brand.
I eventually got my refund.
When I can’t find the old NI, I use the Garnier HerbaShine Brown. It’s decent color-wise, but smelly, and it made my hair kind of greasy for for about a week afterward.
I now see that Clairol has a new “flavor”, a semi-permanent version of NiceNEasy. It looks to be the same formula as the old Natural Instincts we all loved, but I haven’t finished comparing the ingredients. Will let you know, but if anyone has tried it, please post your experience.
I’m still irked at Clairol though, and feeling leery of their products.
For the record… my disastrous shade also isn’t included in the recall.http://clairol.ca/en-ca/alert/?gclid=CPik2YGA_qgCFcW5KgodoyewUA
The refresher smells HORRIBLE and didn’t leave my hair the same color that the coloring from the same box did 2 weeks prior. It also stained the tile in my shower! I had loved Natural Instincts for YEARS. This “new & improved” version is NOT better. I will not use the refresher again.
I had the horrible experience with the refresher also. My hair was blotchy in the back and turned red also. I originally used the #24 and that was fine but when I used the refresher, what a change. It was terrible. I had tried to wash it out again but it didn’t help. I certainly will not use that product again. Now my hair is red which I do not want. I will try to color it with another product.
I, too, wish I had seen this site before I used the color refresher. It turned my (brown) hair and scalp orange. A lot of the color came off my scalp when I rubbed a cotton ball with astringent on it, and I’ll try that again in a few hours. Just in case that helps anyone else.