Majirel Development Time & Mixing Ratio

August 03, 2024

Mastering L’Oréal Hair Colour: A Guide to Vibrant, Lasting Results - Hairdressing Supplies

Welcome to your ultimate guide to L'Oréal Professionnel hair colour. This guide breaks down L'Oréal's most popular colour lines, Majirel, Dia Light and Dia Color, with mixing ratios, development times, developers, application tips and how to read the colour charts.

For professional use. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions for your colour and developer.

Dia Light vs Dia Color: What's the Difference?

Dia Light is L'Oréal Professionnel's acidic demi-permanent gloss colour, used for glossing, toning after lightening and refreshing faded lengths. It doesn't lift, and L'Oréal says it isn't designed for grey coverage. Dia Color is the alkaline demi-permanent: it lifts up to 1 level and gives up to 70% grey coverage (L'Oréal). Both mix 1:1.5 with Diactivateur.

	Dia Light	Dia Color
Type	Acidic demi-permanent gloss colour, ammonia-free	Alkaline demi-permanent gloss colour, no ammonia
Lift	Zero lift (L'Oréal)	Up to 1 level (L'Oréal)
Developer	Diactivateur 6 vol (1.8%) or 9 vol (2.7%)	Diactivateur 6 vol (1.8%), 9 vol (2.7%) or 15 vol (4.5%) maximum
Mixing ratio	1:1.5 (60 ml tube to 90 ml developer)	1:1.5 (60 ml tube to 90 ml developer)
Development time	20 minutes on dry hair; toning on shampooed, towel-dried hair 5 - 20 minutes	20 minutes on dry, unwashed hair; regrowth: roots 15 minutes, then lengths and ends 5 minutes
Grey coverage	Not designed for grey coverage (L'Oréal)	Up to 70% (L'Oréal)
Best use	Glossing, toning after lightening, refreshing faded lengths after a root colour	Grey blending and tone-on-tone colour for clients who want low-maintenance colour

Is Dia Light a toner? It's a demi-permanent gloss colour, and toning after lightening is one of the three services L'Oréal lists for it.

Is Dia Light permanent? No. L'Oréal classes it as demi-permanent.

Is Dia Light acidic or alkaline? Acidic. Dia Color is the alkaline one.

Does Dia Light cover grey? L'Oréal says it isn't designed for grey coverage and points you to Dia Color.

Used to work with Dia Richesse? It has been replaced by Dia Color (see below).

Before You Colour: Skin and Strand Test

Majirel, Dia Light and Dia Color all mix with a developer, and permanent and demi-permanent colours can cause allergic reactions. Before each colour service:

Skin test. Do the skin test exactly as the instructions in the pack describe, far enough ahead of the appointment to allow the time they give.
Check before you start. Don't colour if your client has a rash on the face or a sensitive, irritated or damaged scalp, has ever reacted after colouring, or has reacted to a temporary "black henna" tattoo. Ask them to speak to a pharmacist or GP first.
Strand test. Apply the mixed colour to a small section from underneath to check the result and timing before the full application. It's especially useful on previously coloured or lightened lengths.
Timing. Rinse at the development time given for the product. Don't leave it on longer, and don't add heat unless the instructions say you can.

L'Oréal Professionnel Majirel Permanent Hair Colour

Gloved stylist applying colour to a hair section on foil, with foils already placed through the crown

Majirel is L'Oréal Professionnel's permanent hair colour, mixed with L'Oréal's Oxydant developer. It's an oxidative colour: once mixed, the colour forms inside the hair, so it stands up well to shampooing.

Up to 100% white hair coverage, according to L'Oréal's instrumental tests
Lifts up to 3 levels with 30 vol Oxydant (see the developer guide below)
Vegan formula: no animal-derived ingredients or by-products, as defined by L'Oréal

Ideal for

Clients seeking rich, permanent colour, including white hair coverage

Majirel Mixing Ratio and Development Time

Majirel mixes 1:1.5 with L'Oréal Oxydant (one 60 ml tube to 90 ml, or 50 ml to 75 ml) and develops for 35 minutes. Majirel High Lift mixes 1:2 and develops for 50 minutes.

Majirel, Majirouge: 1:1.5 with Oxydant 12.5 vol (3.75%), 20 vol (6%) or 30 vol (9%). Development time 35 minutes
Majirel Cool Cover: 1:1.5 with Oxydant 20 vol (6%) or 30 vol (9%) only. Development time 35 minutes
Majirel High Lift: 1:2 (one 50 ml tube to 100 ml) with Oxydant 30 vol (9%) or 40 vol (12%). Development time 50 minutes; leave for the full time for maximum lift

Choice of Developers

12.5 vol (3.75%): 1 to 1.5 levels of lift; refreshes coloured lengths and ends
20 vol (6%): 2 levels of lift; use it for white hair coverage, darkening and colouring on the same level
30 vol (9%): 3 levels of lift
30 or 40 vol (9% or 12%): Majirel High Lift only, up to 4½ levels of lift. On lighter bases, or when you don't need maximum lift, L'Oréal recommends 30 vol

Application tips

Up to 50% white hair: use your target shade alone, 1 tube (60 ml) with 90 ml 20 vol Oxydant.
50–100% white hair: mix half (30 ml) target shade with half (30 ml) natural base shade for cool reflects, or golden base shade for warm reflects, then add 90 ml Oxydant.
To refresh previously coloured lengths and ends, use 12.5 vol.

Majirel's Core range

Majirel Cool Cover for cool shades with deep coverage
Majirel High Lift for lighter blondes, up to 4½ levels of lift with 30 or 40 vol Oxydant
Majirel Glow for extra reflect
Majirouge for all-over reds and high flashes of red

How to Read the Majirel Colour Chart

Every L'Oréal Professionnel shade number reads the same way. The number before the point is the level (depth), from 1 (black) to 10 (lightest blonde): 1 black, 2 darkest brown, 3 dark brown, 4 brown, 5 light brown, 6 dark blonde, 7 blonde, 8 light blonde, 9 very light blonde, 10 lightest blonde. The digits after the point are the reflects. The first is the main reflect and the second is a secondary reflect.

.1 ash, .2 iridescent, .3 gold, .4 copper
.5 mahogany, .6 red, .7 matte (green), .8 mocha
A 0 straight after the point (for example 9.01) means a natural base with a touch of that reflect

Example: what does 6.73 mean? 6 is dark blonde, 7 is a matte main reflect and 3 is a gold secondary reflect. 6.73 isn't in the current Majirel palette, so pick the nearest listed shade from the chart.

Majirel's core families:

Warm: Gold, Copper, Red and Warm Brown
Cool: Ash, Iridescent, Cool Brown and Mocha
Fundamentals: the natural shades at each level

See every shade on the Majirel shade range.

Shop: Majirel · Majirel Cool Cover · Oxydant developer

L'Oréal Professionnel Dia Light Demi-Permanent

L'Oréal Professionnel's acidic, ammonia-free demi-permanent gloss colour for toning, glossing and refreshing colour-treated and pre-lightened hair. Stylist in black gloves applying colour to the roots of a client's sectioned brown hair

A milky crème texture for controlled brush application
Zero lift: it adds tone without lightening your client's natural base. L'Oréal doesn't design it for grey coverage; use Dia Color for that
Three services: tone after lightening, refresh faded lengths and ends after a root colour, or gloss natural hair with Dia Light Clear
L'Oréal says results typically last 4–6 weeks, depending on porosity, aftercare and how often the hair is washed

Ideal for

Coloured and lightened hair: toning, glossing and refreshing faded colour between permanent colour services.

Dia Light Mixing Ratio and Processing Time

Dia Light mixes 1:1.5 with Diactivateur 6 vol (1.8%) or 9 vol (2.7%), one 60 ml tube to 90 ml, and processes for 5 to 20 minutes. Put the colour cream in the bowl first, then add the Diactivateur.

On dry hair: 20 minutes
Toning on shampooed, towel-dried hair: 5 to 20 minutes, depending on the result you want. Apply with a bottle or a bowl and brush
With Clear: Clear counts as part of the colour, so keep the 1:1.5. For example, 15 ml Clear + 35 ml Dia Light shade + 75 ml Diactivateur 6 vol. The more Clear you add, the sheerer the result

Lengths and ends techniques	Time
Refreshing coloured lengths and ends	5 - 20 minutes
Colour matching on lengths and ends	20 minutes
Going darker up to 2 levels	20 minutes
Glossing on natural hair	Up to 20 minutes
Toning	5 - 10 minutes (visual development)
Colour refreshing service	5 - 10 minutes (visual development)

Dia Light Colour Chart

Dia Light shade numbers read the same way as Majirel's: level before the point, reflects after it. Its families:

Blues and Greens, Violets, Cool Browns and Blondes, Mochas
Naturals
Warm Browns and Blondes, Golds, Coppers, Reds

The level 9 and 10 toning shades, such as 10.01 and 9.12, carry the "Milkshake" names.

Shop: Dia Light · Diactivateur developer

L'Oréal Professionnel Dia Richesse Is Now Dia Color

Client in a black salon cape while a gloved stylist applies colour along the hairline with a tint brush

Dia Richesse, L'Oréal Professionnel's ammonia-free tone-on-tone colour, has been discontinued and replaced by Dia Color. If your clients had Dia Richesse for tone-on-tone colour, grey blending or a refresh, Dia Color is the range to move them to.

Like Dia Richesse, Dia Color is ammonia-free and alkaline. It mixes 1:1.5 with Diactivateur
Dia Color takes Diactivateur 6, 9 or 15 vol and develops for 20 minutes; its mixing ratio, timings and colour chart are below
Shade numbers read the same way across both ranges, so match your client's shade by level and reflect on the Dia Color chart, and strand test the new shade first

L'Oréal Professionnel Dia Color Demi Permanent

Dia Color is L'Oréal Professionnel's no-ammonia demi-permanent colour, which L'Oréal describes as giving "high gloss shine". L'Oréal states it gives up to 70% grey coverage.

39 shades that can be intermixed for a custom result
"100% true-to-tone natural reflects" (L'Oréal's description)
3x shinier hair than the previous Dia Color formula, according to L'Oréal's instrumental test
A first reflect-and-shine service for clients new to colour, or a gloss for naturally dull hair

Ideal for

Clients who want added shine, tone or a refresh, and clients with their first greys who want them blended rather than fully covered.

Dia Color Mixing Ratio and Development Time

Stylist squeezing colour from a nozzle bottle into a black tint bowl on salon scales

Dia Color mixes 1:1.5 with Diactivateur 6 vol (1.8%), 9 vol (2.7%) or 15 vol (4.5%) maximum, one 60 ml tube to 90 ml, and develops for 20 minutes.

First application: on dry, unwashed hair, roots to tips, 20 minutes from the end of application
Regrowth: roots for 15 minutes, then lengths and ends for 5 minutes

Application tips

Choose the Diactivateur by result. L'Oréal recommends 6 vol for soft tone-on-tone deposit, 9 vol for standard tone-on-tone and maintenance, and 15 vol (4.5%) for stronger deposit and grey blending. 15 vol is the maximum: never use a stronger developer with Dia Color.
Apply with a bowl and brush for precision, or an applicator bottle for speed; if you use a bottle, open it straight after mixing. Wear single-use gloves, and don't use metal clips or combs.

Dia Color Colour Chart

Warm: Golds, Coppers, Reds, Warm Browns and Blondes
Cool: Blues, Greens, Violets, Cool Browns and Blondes, Mochas
Naturals

Shop: Dia Color · Diactivateur developer

Which L'Oréal Developer Goes With Each Colour?

Majirel ranges take Oxydant, and the Dia ranges take Diactivateur. L'Oréal's instructions say to mix each colour only with its own developer, so Diactivateur isn't used with Majirel.

Range	Developer	Volumes	Ratio
Majirel, Majirouge	Oxydant	12.5, 20, 30 vol	1:1.5
Majirel Cool Cover	Oxydant	20, 30 vol	1:1.5
Majirel High Lift	Oxydant	30, 40 vol	1:2
Dia Light	Diactivateur	6, 9 vol	1:1.5
Dia Color	Diactivateur	6, 9, 15 vol	1:1.5