
The 1st Oil-Powered Ammonia Free Permanent Hair Dye
The Garnier Olia hair colour range is an ammonia-free permanent hair dye enriched with a blend of sunflower, meadowfoam, passion flower, and camellia oils to deliver maximum colour performance and visibly improved hair quality – colour after colour. With this ammonia-free hair dye, you can enjoy radiant, vivid tresses along with a silky-soft feel and pleasant floral fragrance. Discover the difference of oil-powered hair dye below.
How to choose a shade of Olia hair colour
From lustrous blacks and luminous blondes, Garnier Olia hair colour has a large selection of shades and provides 100% grey coverage to suit your permanent colour needs. One of the most fool-proof methods for choosing a hair colour for your skin tone is to identify both your surface tone (from pale to deep) and your skin’s undertone (warm, cool, or neutral). Whether you’re loyal to your favourite shade of brown or are experimenting with red for the first time, try our virtual shade selector to help your find your perfect colour match.
What do the Olia numbers mean?
Olia hair colours include two numbers:
- The first is a ‘base’ shade
- The second is a ‘reflect’ shade
You can follow the below steps to help you choose the right Olia hair colour for you.

1. Pick your base shade: light to dark
The first number of the Olia hair colour is your base shade – this is a scale of how light to dark you colour will be. The higher the number, the lighter the base colour. For example, 1.0 is deep black and 10 is very light blonde.
2. Pick your reflect: warm, cool, or no reflect
The second number of the Olia hair colour is the reflect – the undertone of your shade. This decimal number dictates how cool or warm your shade will be. Low-numbered decimal numbers are cool, high numbers are warm, and a shade that ends in a .0 will have no reflect.

How to apply Garnier Olia hair colour
With Olia's easy application kit and non-drip velvety formula, anyone can achieve a professional-looking hair colour. Proper prep, application techniques, and after-dye hair care are all essential steps to achieve shiny, radiant hair colour. Before applying your Olia hair colour, it’s important to do an allergy test 48 hours prior to usage. You can follow the instructions on the kit.
Read our expert-approved hair dye tips to help you perfect your Olia permanent hair colour at home:
- Prepare your colour: Mix the colourant cream and the developer as per the instructions on the box.
- Apply in sections, starting with your roots: Using the no-drip applicator, apply the dye in even sections, beginning with your roots and working down to your ends. It’s best to dye hair that’s been washed a day or two before – freshly washed hair won’t take to colour as well.
- Let the colour develop: Leave the dye to develop for 30 minutes.
- Rinse and condition: Thoroughly rinse your hair until the water runs clear. Then, apply the included conditioner to your lengths and ends, leaving for several minutes before rinsing.
SHOP OLIA HAIR DYE BY COLOUR
Frequently Asked Questions
What does ammonia-free hair colour mean?
Ammonia-free hair colour is a type of hair dye that’s formulated without ammonia – a common, pungent-smelling chemical that’s used to open the hair cuticle to deliver permanent colour. Ammonia-free hair dye – like Garnier Olia hair colour – is formulated with gentler alternatives to provide lasting, vibrant colour without damaging and dehydrating your hair cuticles.
Is ammonia-free hair dye better?
Ammonia-free hair dye is far less likely to sensitise the scalp and doesn’t deprive your hair of moisture – like ammonia does. In hydrated hair, cuticles lay flat on the hair shaft in a scale-like pattern, but ammonia can cause cuticles to ‘lift’ – which makes them more prone to moisture loss and subsequent damage. Switching out your permanent colour to an ammonia-free formula ensures your locks stay hydrated, smooth, and shiny.
How does ammonia-free hair colour work?
Ammonia-free hair colours work by gently opening the cuticle to deposit oil-based dye into the cortex – the inner part of your hair shaft. Because they don’t tamper with your hair’s pH levels in the same way, this helps minimise damage and dehydration without compromising on the vibrancy of colour.
The result? Healthier looking, silky hair with a lasting, radiant finish.
Does ammonia-free hair dye cover grey?
Grey hair is naturally coarser, which makes it harder to colour. However, Garnier Olia hair colour has been developed to cover even the most stubborn of grey hairs. Olia provides 100% grey coverage in a wide range of shades and delivers vivid, long-lasting colour and beautiful shine for up to four weeks. Plus, the ammonia-free formula is doubly beneficial for grey hair – which tends to be drier than non-grey hair.
Does ammonia-free hair dye fade faster?
While ammonia-based hair dyes deliver long-lasting colour, they can also dry out the hair – which, paradoxically, makes colour fade at a faster rate. The Garnier Olia hair colour range has been developed to provide maximum colour performance and up to three times more shine*. Powered by a blend of flower oils, you can also enjoy visibly healthier hair – along with lasting colour. Explore our tips on how to maintain colour-treated hair for more information around preserving the vibrancy of your locks.
*Instrumental test after application of the whole kit vs uncoloured hair
DISCOVER MORE SHADES
DISCOVER MORE SHADES

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