Should I Use Wella Color Touch 1.9% or 4% Developer?
Color Touch Creme Lotion, which Wella calls Color Touch Emulsion, is the developer for Wella Professionals Color Touch demi-permanent colour, and this guide is for hairdressers choosing between its two strengths, 1.9% (6 vol) and 4% (13 vol).
Shop it here: Wella Color Touch Creme Lotion 1.9% and 4%.
What is Color Touch Creme Lotion?
Color Touch is Wella's demi-permanent colour, and the creme lotion is its dedicated developer. Wella's UK label says the colour is "for use with Color Touch Emulsion".
The creme lotion supplies the hydrogen peroxide that develops the colour. Inside the hair, peroxide oxidises small dye precursors, which join with couplers to build the colour molecules. Demi-permanent colours typically pair a low peroxide level with a mild alkaliser rather than ammonia. That's why they have little lightening power compared with permanent colour.
Because the creme lotion makes up two-thirds of the bowl, the 1.9% gives roughly 1.3% peroxide in the mix and the 4% roughly 2.7%. That's about twice the oxidant, which is why the strength you choose matters.
When should you use 1.9% or 4%?
Wella's starting point is the 1.9%. Use the 4% when you want more intensity. Their guidance, in short:
| Color Touch Creme Lotion 1.9% (6 vol) | Color Touch Creme Lotion 4% (13 vol) |
|---|---|
| Same depth or darker Toning, including toning blondes Deposit, glazes and colour correction Colour after a perm or straightening treatment Soft grey blending |
More colour vibrancy Coarse hair types Intense grey blending A touch of brightening (Wella calls it "low lift") Color Touch Plus shades |
Wella's advice is to choose by the end result you want. It doesn't give a number of levels for the 4%'s lift, so treat Color Touch as a deposit colour that can brighten slightly.
How do you mix Color Touch with developer?
Mix 1 part Wella Color Touch to 2 parts Color Touch Creme Lotion. For example, 30g of colour to 60g of creme lotion.
- Development time: up to 20 minutes without heat, or up to 15 minutes with heat (Climazon).
- Pre-lightened hair: 5–20 minutes, watched closely until you reach the result you want.
- Application: apply to towel-dried hair, or to dry hair for more intensity. For grey coverage and Color Touch Plus, Wella says to apply to dry hair.
- Regrowth: for a root touch-up, apply to the roots first, then the ends.
Wella has a couple of specialist recipes, such as its gloss mix of 1 part shade, 1 part 1.9% creme lotion and 1 part Color Service Post Color Treatment. For everyday services, 1:2 is the rule.
Pro Tip: weigh both parts on digital scales rather than judging by eye. An exact 1:2 bowl, every time, gives you a result you can repeat at the client's next visit.
What's a simple Color Touch routine?
- Consult and test. Run through the warnings on the pack with your client, and do Wella's allergy alert test 48 hours before the service.
- Choose your creme lotion. Pick 1.9% or 4% using the table above.
- Put on gloves and weigh your bowl. Mix 1 part colour to 2 parts creme lotion.
- Apply. Use towel-dried hair, or dry hair for more intensity. For regrowth, start at the roots.
- Develop. Follow the timings above, watching pre-lightened hair from 5 minutes.
- Finish. Rinse, shampoo and follow with a post-colour treatment.
What safety steps does Color Touch need?
- Allergy alert test: Wella asks for one 48 hours before use, carried out as the pack instructions describe. Wella notes that a reaction can still happen after a clear test, so treat it as one part of your consultation.
- Consultation checklist: the colour's label says not to colour anyone with a rash on the face or a sensitive, irritated or damaged scalp, anyone who has reacted to hair colour before, or anyone who has reacted to a temporary "black henna" tattoo. It isn't intended for clients under 16.
- Gloves: wear suitable gloves to mix, apply and rinse. Use fresh disposable gloves and never reuse them.
- Eyes: the developer contains hydrogen peroxide, so avoid contact with the eyes and rinse immediately if any gets in. Color Touch isn't for dyeing eyelashes or eyebrows.
Wella Color Touch developer FAQs
What developer do you use with Wella Color Touch?
Color Touch Creme Lotion, in 1.9% or 4%. Wella makes it for Color Touch, and the colour's label says not to mix the colour with any other product.
Does Wella Colour Touch need developer?
Yes. Every Wella method mixes the shade with Color Touch Creme Lotion: 1:2 for everyday services, and even Wella's gloss recipe includes the 1.9% creme lotion. The creme lotion is what develops the colour.
Is Color Touch 1.9% 6 vol?
Yes. Wella's US labels call the 1.9% 6 volume and the 4% 13 volume. Choose between them by the result you want, using the table above.
How long does Wella Color Touch process?
Up to 20 minutes without heat, or up to 15 minutes with heat. On pre-lightened hair, Wella suggests 5–20 minutes, checking visually until you reach the result you want.
Does Wella Color Touch cover grey?
It blends grey rather than fully covering it. Wella says the standard shades give up to 50% grey coverage, and Color Touch Plus mixed with the 4% creme lotion gives up to 70%. For the most coverage, Wella says to apply to dry hair.
How long does Colour Touch last?
Wella says Color Touch fades over 28 washes, so how long it lasts depends mostly on how often your client washes their hair.
What is Colour Touch Plus?
Color Touch Plus is the low-ammonia part of Wella's Color Touch range, which Wella makes for stronger grey blending. It's mixed 1:2 with 4% creme lotion. Older Wella guides name a dedicated Color Touch Plus 4% developer, while Wella's current US and German guides use the standard 4%.
Can I use Colour Touch developer with Koleston Perfect?
Use each colour line's own developer. Color Touch Creme Lotion is made for Color Touch, and Wella sells its Welloxon Perfect developers as a separate range, so follow the instructions for the line you're using.
Recommended products
Wella Color Touch Creme Lotion 1.9% & 4%Color Touch Creme Lotion in 1.9% and 4%, made to mix 1:2 with Color Touch shades.
Wella Color Touch 60mlDemi-permanent Color Touch shades for toning, glossing, darkening and colour correction.
Wella Invigo Color Service Post Color Treatment 1000mlAn after-colour treatment, applied to towel-dried hair once the colour is rinsed, that finishes the colour service and removes colour stains from the skin.
The short version
Start with the 1.9%, move to the 4% when you need more from the colour, weigh a 1:2 bowl and begin with the allergy alert test. For more on Wella's colour ranges, read our guide to Wella hair colour.
Written by Amy-Louise Russell, Content Writer at Hairdressing Supplies.
