If You’ve Considered Coloring Your Curls, You Need This Vegan Formula

Hair color has always been a great low-stakes outlet for expressing creativity, whether it’s the subtle highlights that made you feel like you were adulting as an undergrad, or the hot-pink streaks that made you feel brand new after a breakup. But even though playing with hair color can be a fun and relatively easy way to spice up your look, it does come with a few drawbacks. For starters, it can be hard to get at-home formulas to show up on dark hair without bleaching it first, and hair dye isn’t exactly known for being eco-friendly — nor kind to strands. That’s where hair care brand As I Am is changing the game with its Curl Color collection, the ultimate at-home hair color product for curls.

It’s not a total shock: even a certain pro tennis player swears by the brand, which specifically caters to those with curly, naturally textured hair types. While it’s well-known for its extensive lineup of shampoos, co-washes, conditioners, and stylers, the Curl Color line is breaking ground by offering a curl-friendly, sustainably-minded temporary color formula — no bleach needed. Ahead, find everything you need to know about the innovative line and how it works.

It Has Sustainability Street Cred

As I Am is rooted in sustainability, with a goal to be net-zero in carbon emissions by 2030 and a commitment to being both vegan and cruelty-free. Obviously, being environmentally friendly takes a little bit of legwork, which is why you can find the brand conducting a deep dive on their packaging and raw materials, as well as researching ways to reduce and reuse plastic, all with the mission of eventually reaching net-zero carbon emissions. In other words: You can get the cobalt-blue hair of your dreams with As I Am Curl Color Cool Blue and rest easy knowing that you’re not contributing to the climate crisis.

It’s Formulated Sans Bleach

Bleach is notoriously hard on hair, as anyone who’s ever lightened their tresses could tell you. (We can sum it up in one word: breakage.) And on darker hair colors, it wouldn’t be possible to go blonde without the help of bleach — but As I Am Curl Color in Bold Gold is pulling! It! Off! That’s right: No bleach or lightener is involved in the process, and the shades always look vibrant and rich, even on brunettes. The same goes for other shades, too. Case in point: Their Curl Color in Hot Red actually looks red, rather than a muted orange or brick color.

It Helps Define Curls (!)

Curls need a little extra T.L.C. since they naturally tend to be drier and more coarse. You can thank its shape for that, since the moisturizing oils from your scalp have a harder time sliding down the hair shaft when it’s curved. Whether you’re going for a gray moment with Sassy Silver or going for the bold with Passion Purple, trust that your curls will look and feel defined, hydrated, and healthy. That’s because the formula is actually a colored curl gel, meaning it offers medium hold as well as ceramides and Jamaican black castor oil to keep spirals moisturized. It’s truly the best of both worlds.

It’s Actually Good For Your Hair

For real: Hair color is known for causing damage, but that’s not the case with this unique formula. In fact, the Curl Color collection actually increases the moisture of hair by nearly 84%, while your strands gets a 5% boost in strength after a single use. Again, it’s that blend of ceramides and Jamaican black castor oil at work, nourishing hair from root to tip while giving you the vibrant green color (courtesy of shade Emerald Green) that you’re after.

It’s Super Easy To Use And Temporary

Since the Curl Color formula rinses out after one wash, it’s hard to actually mess this up — and also incredibly easy to apply. Start by sectioning your hair (either dry or damp) and then, while wearing gloves, apply from the roots to your ends. Layer it on until the color looks bright and saturated on your hair. Have somewhere to be? Use a diffuser or a hooded dryer to dry it quickly, which will minimize color transfer, or carefully air-dry your hair. If you want your color to last between washes, try sleeping with a bonnet to minimize color-fading friction. It puts the 10-step instructions of other at-home color products to shame.

Ready to try for yourself? Visit asiamnaturally.com to shop the full lineup.