I have a lot of thick, dark brown almost black hair with some greys, and use this with a 30 volume developer on my roots for about 45-50 mins or until I notice it’s pale blonde. I do it everyone month or two, and a container of this can last me a few months, but it depends on what I’m doing. I also want to mention that I add Hi Pro Pac’s Extremely Damaged Hair Repair Intense Protein Hair Treatment to my conditioner regardless of which bleach I’m using, so I’m sure this has helped my hair overall in some way. Fortunately it’s not as expensive as other brands, and it also lasts me a long time since I mix it half and half with conditioner. I recommend some kind of hair mask / treatment when bleaching, dying, and/or heat styling as they can be damaging over time. — Actual review — I’ve tried many different types of bleach throughout the years, but this one has definitely been the best powder lightener I’ve tried. Others didn’t work as fast, I’d have to go over my roots twice, they’d make my hair feel drier, and would be more gritty. This one works within the time it says it will for my dark hair, I’ve never had to double bleach even when going pale blonde, my hair still feels soft after, and the bleach is smooth when mixed. I’ve also used this bleach on black boxed / permanent black dyed hair a couple of times to get it light blonde, and it never got stretchy, even after a couple bleach baths on top of that. I still use it with 10 or 20 vol for bleach baths to remove temporary / demi-permanent / colorful hair dyes (Adore, Arctic Fox, Manic Panic, etc.) whenever I change my hair color, and it doesn’t damage my hair and make it stretchy like other bleaches can on pre-lightened hair. My favorite bleach is Ion’s Cream Lightener as I find it easier to use, the consistency is better, and it lightens a bit faster. That one’s not always in stock, but this Wella one is a super close second. I think what helps with this powder one though, is using a mini whisk to mix it up. It gives it a very smooth consistency similar to the cream lightener. I used to use other powder lighteners like L’Oreal Quick Blue, Clairol BW 2, Manic Panic, etc., but they left my hair stretchy and dry, especially when removing black boxed / permanent black dye (I’d flip flop between black hair, blonde, and colorful a lot). I’d try all these expensive treatments like Aphogee, Redkin, etc., and it just made it a costly hassle (still recommend the ahi Pro Pac one though!). Wella Color Charm’s Powder Lightener doesn’t leave my hair stretchy, frizzy, or super dry like the others, and I wish I used it instead of the cheaper ones from the start. I’d say try it if it’s within budget. It’s been much more gentle on my hair, has costed me less in the long run, and is a better product overall. Everyone’s hair is different and we might use it differently, so it could be amazing for me but not for someone else. If you can try it, go for it, but be careful regardless since it’s still bleach and can cause damage.
