Choosing your salon's primary colour brand is one of the most important decisions you'll make. Each of the three major professional brands — L'Oréal Professionnel, Schwarzkopf Professional, and Wella Professionals — has distinct strengths, and the right choice depends on your clientele, colour philosophy, and business model.
L'Oréal Professionnel
L'Oréal's professional colour portfolio is extensive, covering virtually every colour need:
- Majirel: Their flagship permanent colour. Known for rich, true-to-swatch results with excellent grey coverage. The Ionène G and Incell technology conditions during processing.
- Dia Light: An acidic demi-permanent that's gentle on the hair. Ideal for toning, refreshing colour, and clients who want commitment-free colour changes.
- Dia Colour: Ammonia-free demi-permanent with sheer, glossy results. Great for enhancing natural hair colour.
- Dia Richesse: Tone-on-tone colour for rich, multi-dimensional results without lifting.
Best for: Salons that want a single brand to cover all colour services. The breadth of the range means you can handle anything from full grey coverage to subtle glossing without switching brands.
Schwarzkopf Professional
- Igora Royal: Permanent colour with precise, predictable results. Known for its cool tone accuracy — if your clients favour ashy, smoky, or cool-toned colours, Igora Royal delivers consistently.
- Igora Royal SilverWhite: Specialist demi-permanent for creating beautiful silver, grey, and white tones — increasingly popular as silver hair trends continue.
- BlondMe: A dedicated blonde care and colour system with bond-enforcing technology.
Best for: Salons with a strong blonde and cool-tone clientele. Igora Royal's reputation for accurate, reliable cool shades makes it a favourite among colourists who specialise in balayage, highlights, and fashion colours.
Wella Professionals
- Koleston Perfect: Permanent colour with Pure Balance Technology for even results from roots to ends. Excellent shade range with particularly strong natural and warm tones.
- Color Touch: Demi-permanent colour that's easy to apply with a natural, multi-tonal finish. A salon staple for toning and colour refreshing.
Best for: Salons focused on natural-looking, warm-toned results. Koleston Perfect excels at creating dimensional colour that looks like it grew from the scalp.
Don't Forget the Developer
Whichever brand you choose, pairing it with the correct developer is essential. We stock the full range:
- L'Oréal Dia Activateur for the Dia range
- L'Oréal Crème Oxydant for Majirel
- Schwarzkopf BlondMe Developer
- Truzone Cream Peroxide as a reliable, affordable alternative
The Bottom Line
Many successful salons stock colours from multiple brands, using each where it performs best. There's no rule that says you have to choose just one. The important thing is knowing your products inside out so you can deliver consistent, predictable results for every client.
Browse our complete professional hair colour range to stock your salon.