Color Shampoo Guide

Twenty two years ago, Chris and his wife Lisa changed the dog show and grooming industries forever when they came out with White on White. Once the product got in the hands of the top handlers and groomers of the time, the product quickly took off. Because White on White is one of a kind, and the only true color correcting shampoo on the market, it took the dog show world by storm.

Today, White on White remains our biggest selling product, and continues to sell out time and time again at dog shows worldwide. With the success of White on White, Chris and Lisa developed three other formulas – Black on Black, Red on Red, and Gold on Gold.

WHAT THEY DO

White on White removes yellow, brightens all coat colors and whitens whites. White on White can be safely used on all coat colors. White on White does not contain any bleaching agents.

Black on Black removes red tones, and blackens black coats and can be mixed with Gold on Gold and Red on Red to make custom coat colors.

Gold on Gold restores gold tones, and can be mixed with Black on Black and Red on Red to make custom coat colors.

Red on Red restores red tones, and can be mixed with Black on Black and Gold on Gold to make custom coat colors. Do not use Red on Red straight on non-red coats or coats whose color is not as dark as the product! 

HOW THEY WORK

You might be asking yourself, what sets our shampoos apart from the others on the market? One thing – quality. White on White, Black on Black, Red on Red, and Gold on Gold were engineered by professional color experts to restore and enhance color.

Remember our pal the cuticle from our first post? The cuticle protects the cortex, the inner layer in a hair strand that contains color pigment and proteins, from damage. In order to get to the cortex layer, you must first lift the cuticle, which is why White on White is a shampoo treatment. Shampoos raise the cuticle layer, to (in most cases) clean out the dirt, oils and debris from the cortex. Our color shampoos raise the cuticle layer to deposit color pigments into the cortex to restore, or correct color.

MAKING CUSTOM COLORS

As mentioned above, Black on Black, Red on Red and Gold on Gold can be mixed together to make custom colors for different shades of golds and reds.

CUSTOM COLOR RECIPES

FOR MAHOGANY SHADES: Mix 1 part Black on Black, 1 part Red on Red, and 1 part Gold on Gold.

FOR DEEP MAHOGANY SHADES: Mix 2 parts Black on Black, 1 part Red on Red, and 1 part Gold on Gold.

FOR GOLD MAHOGANY SHADES: Mix 2 parts Black on Black, 2 parts Red on Red, and 1 part Gold on Gold.

 

FIRST TIME USE DIRECTIONS

1. START WITH A STRAND TEST: Select an inconspicuous spot on the coat (under the arm, on the leg, etc.) to test the effects of your mixture, or the pigmentation levels. Thoroughly wet the selected area.
2. APPLY THE PRODUCT: Apply the product to the test area. For smooth and drop coated breeds, start by leaving the product on for 3 minutes. For coarse and wire coated breeds, start by leaving the product on for one minute.
3. CHECK THE COLOR: After the allotted amount of time from Step 2 has passed, check the spot area for any color on the ends. For White on White, the ends will look gray when it has been just a little bit too long. If you can see color pigment on the ends, rinse thoroughly and take 30 seconds to a minute off your time. If you can’t see any color pigment and can’t tell a change in the color, leave on for another minute.
4. CHECKING FOR THE MAXIMUM AMOUNT OF TIME: If you want to know the maximum amount of time you can leave the product on your breed, follow steps 1-3 and rinse only when you can see visible color pigment on the ends of the hair. Take 30 seconds off the amount of time it sat on the coat, and that is the maximum amount of time for your dog or cat.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I USE WHITE ON WHITE, BLACK ON BLACK, ETC.?

• White on White, Black on Black, etc. are semi-permanent treatments, meaning the effects will slowly fade over time. Generally, we recommend only applying the color treatment products every 2-3 baths. This number largely depends on how often you bathe your dog or cat. If you bathe weekly/every other week, apply every 3 baths. If you bathe monthly or longer, apply every other bath. If you use the products too often it will cause the pigment to build-up in the cuticle and over-correct. Leaving you with a purple/pink/yellow/or blue-green dog or cat. ​​​​​​​

​​​​​​​HELP! I USED THE PRODUCT TOO LONG AND NOW MY DOG’S COAT IS PURPLE/PINK/BLUE, ETC. WHAT DO I DO TO FIX IT?

• If this happens before you are heading for a show, call us to get step by step instructions for correction, as we have to give directions on a case by case basis (based on how much over-correction was done). If you aren’t, try bathing the dog or cat in Clean Start Clarifying Shampoo for the next few baths, to speed up the color-fading process.

I HAVE A MULTI-COLORED BREED. WHAT RATIOS DO I NEED FOR HIS/HER COAT?

• For custom color mixing, please chat with an expert on our website or contact us here.

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To learn more about the products listed in this guide, visit our website. To find a distributor near you, click here.

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