IGORA is not one product. It is a colour system that Schwarzkopf Professional has been building for over 60 years, and the reason colourists stay with it is that every range inside it speaks the same language: all IGORA products use the same shade numbering system and are intermixable. Pick a number once and it means the same thing in ROYAL, in VIBRANCE and in Zero Ammonia.
That is also what makes it confusing to buy. Ten different cartons on the shelf all say IGORA, and the difference between them is not the shade — it is what the service needs to do. This guide walks through the lines ProHair.ca actually stocks, what each one is for, what it costs today, and which one to reach for when.
What makes IGORA IGORA
Three things carry across the whole system.
One numbering system. The digit before the dash is depth: 1 is black, 10 is the lightest blonde, with 9,5 and the 11/12 series used for ultra-light and super-blonde work. The digits after the dash are tone, primary first and secondary second — 0 natural, 1 cendre, 2 ash, 3 matt, 4 beige, 5 gold, 6 chocolate, 7 copper, 8 red, 9 violet. A doubled digit means that tone is intensified, so 7-77 is a medium blonde with intense copper.
Intermixability. Because the numbering is shared, shades from different IGORA ranges can be mixed in the same bowl, and Schwarzkopf builds dual-system application techniques on exactly that. In practice it means a permanent ROYAL formula translates straight across to VIBRANCE when the client comes back at week three wanting shine rather than another permanent.
Coverage. ROYAL, Absolutes and Zero Ammonia all claim up to 100% white hair coverage. Which of the three you choose is a question about the hair and the client, not about how much grey there is.
Who IGORA suits
Licensed stylists and booth renters who want a full colour wall from one system, salons that need express services alongside full permanents, and experienced home colourists who already know their formula and their developer volume. IGORA arrives as a professional oxidative colour: no developer in the box unless you add one, and no shade chosen for you.
Who might want to look elsewhere
If you have never mixed colour, this is the wrong shelf. A tube plus a litre of developer is a two-part purchase that assumes you can pick a depth, a tone and a volume, and a wrong volume on a colour-treated mid-length is a correction, not a mistake you can wash out.
If you want a low-commitment refresh with no developer at all, a direct-deposit mask is a better fit than any oxidative IGORA line — and we do not stock Schwarzkopf's Chroma ID, so that is a genuine gap here rather than a recommendation.
And if you only need one root touch-up a year, the maths does not favour a professional system: a $19.58 tube plus a $14.99 litre of developer is more than a drugstore box, and most of the developer will still be in the cupboard next year.
Line by line
IGORA ROYAL
The heritage permanent and the biggest range we carry — 100 shades in stock. Schwarzkopf calls it the reference brand for true colour performance and claims true-to-swatch results, up to 100% white hair coverage, and reliable, even, luminous colour. This is the default for a permanent colour change or a full grey coverage service.
Key facts: mixes with IGORA Royal Oil Developer. $12.99 to $17.92 a tube.
Best for: permanent colour change and everyday grey coverage.
IGORA ROYAL Absolutes
Purpose-built for mature hair. It delivers up to 100% white hair coverage plus an intense fashion tone in one step, without adding a natural base — which is the part that matters, because it means the client who wants a warm chestnut does not have to accept a flat natural result to get her greys covered.
Key ingredients and technology: Pro-Age Complex with Collagen and Siliamine for extra care on mature hair, plus Low-Odor Technology. 26 shades in stock.
Best for: mature, resistant white hair that still wants a fashion tone. $19.58.
IGORA Royal Zero Ammonia
Permanent colour creme free from ammonia, for natural true-to-tone results. Schwarzkopf claims up to 100% white coverage and up to 3 levels of lift on the 10-series, with improved colour direction, coverage and neutralisation compared with the previous ESSENSITY formula.
Key facts: ammonia-free, permanent. 37 shades in stock.
Best for: sensitive scalps, low-odour colour bars, clients who ask for "no ammonia" but still want permanent results. $19.58.
IGORA ROYAL Highlifts
Cool, clean high-lift blonde in one step: 5 levels of lift, with Schwarzkopf Bonding Technology integrated so no separate bonding additive is needed. That last detail is the money-saver — it is one bottle you do not have to buy.
Best for: one-step cool blondes on a natural base. $12.99 to $19.59.
IGORA ROYAL Fashion Lights
Lifting and toning in one easy step, up to 5 levels of lift without pre-lightening, for intense contrast even on dark or coloured bases. Seven L-series shades in stock, from Natural Extra through Ash, Matt, Beige, Copper, Red and Red Violet.
Best for: highlighting techniques and contrast work where pre-lightening is not on the plan. $12.99 to $19.58.
IGORA ROYAL Silver Whites
For the client who is keeping her white hair, not covering it. Silver Whites neutralises and optimises natural white and salt-and-pepper hair, with extra caring ingredients for mature hair, and the shades are intermixable with the rest of the ROYAL palette. Four in stock: Silver, Dove Grey, Grey Lilac and Slate Grey.
Best for: deliberate grey, silver and salt-and-pepper services. $19.59.
IGORA ROYAL Opulescence
A small set of six mixed-tone permanent shades inside the ROYAL family — 3-19 Dark Brown Cendre Violet, 5-67 Light Brown Chocolate Copper, 6-78 Dark Blonde Copper Red, 7-48 Medium Blonde Beige Red, 8-19 Light Blonde Cendre Violet and 9-57 Extra Light Blonde Gold Copper. Useful when a single-tone shade will not carry the depth you want.
Best for: multi-tonal permanent results without custom mixing. $12.99 to $19.58.
IGORA VIBRANCE
The demi-permanent, and the busiest part of our IGORA shelf at 94 shades in stock. Ammonia-free, available in gel or cream consistency, it deposits tone without lifting and fades out gradually. It won Best Demi-Permanent Hair Colour in the Salon Magazine Reader's Choice Awards in Canada.
Key facts: takes its own mixing partner — Vibrance Activator Gel 1.9% ($14.99) or Activator Lotion 1.9% / 4% in 1 L ($20.00), not the Oil Developer.
Best for: gloss, refresh, toning after lightening, grey blending, first-time colour. From $10.99.
IGORA COLOR10 and COLOR10 SpeedLift
Permanent colour in as little as 10 minutes development time, with optimal white hair coverage, long-lasting vibrancy and even results. Schwarzkopf positions it for root and touch-up services and for global application on short to medium length hair. SpeedLift adds two super-blonde shades, 11-0 Natural and 11-2 Ash, for express high-lift work.
Best for: root touch-ups, express services and tightly booked columns. $19.58.
Vario Blond lighteners
The IGORA lightening range, upgraded with Fibre Bond Technology for up to 8 levels of lift with minimised breakage. We stock Vario Blond Plus (blue, dust-free) in 450 g and 800 g, Vario Blond Super Plus (white, dust-free) in 450 g, and the Vario Blond Cool Lift additive ($17.50) for cooler results.
Best for: balayage, foils and free-hand lightening. $34.99 to $92.08 depending on powder and size.
IGORA Royal Oil Developer
The mixing partner for the IGORA permanents, in 1 L bottles at $14.99 in every volume. As a rule of thumb: 10 volume (3%) deposits with little to no lift, 20 volume (6%) is the standard for grey coverage and about one level of lift, 30 volume (9%) gives roughly two levels, and 40 volume (12%) is for maximum lift and high-lift work. Always follow the mixing ratio and development time printed on the carton.
Quick decision guide
- Permanent colour change, everyday grey → IGORA ROYAL + Oil Developer 20 vol
- Mature, resistant white hair that still wants a fashion tone → ROYAL Absolutes
- Sensitive scalp or a low-odour colour bar → Royal Zero Ammonia
- Cool blonde in one step → ROYAL Highlifts (bonding already in it)
- Highlights and contrast without pre-lightening → ROYAL Fashion Lights
- Keeping the grey, not covering it → ROYAL Silver Whites
- Multi-tonal permanent shade → ROYAL Opulescence
- Gloss, refresh, toning, no lift → IGORA VIBRANCE + Activator Gel or Lotion
- Root touch-up in ten minutes → IGORA COLOR10
- Balayage and free-hand lightening → Vario Blond Plus or Super Plus
If you only buy one thing
A tube of IGORA ROYAL in the client's depth and tone, plus a litre of IGORA Royal Oil Developer 20 volume. That is roughly $28 to $33 for a service that covers grey, changes depth, and leaves you most of a litre of developer for the next four or five applications. Everything else in the system is a specialisation on top of that pair.
Buying smart
Buy the developer once, the tubes often. A 1 L Oil Developer at $14.99 outlasts a lot of 60 ml tubes. Pick the one volume your services actually use before adding a second.
Use the stock-up discount. Any six or more IGORA items — mix and match shades, lines, lighteners and developers — take 10% off automatically at checkout, no code needed. Six tubes at $19.58 plus a developer clears the free-shipping threshold and takes the discount at the same time.
Do not buy the developer for VIBRANCE by accident. VIBRANCE does not use the Oil Developer. It takes the Vibrance Activator Gel or Activator Lotion. This is the single most common mis-order on this shelf.
Match the shade to the range, not the other way round. Because the numbering is shared, it is easy to order 7-77 and end up with the wrong line. Decide permanent versus demi first, then pick the number.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a salon licence to buy IGORA?
No. ProHair.ca sells to licensed stylists, booth renters, salons and experienced home colourists. IGORA is professional oxidative colour, so read the enclosed leaflet, mix to the printed ratio, and carry out the skin allergy test 48 hours before every application.
What is the difference between ROYAL and VIBRANCE?
ROYAL is permanent — it lifts and deposits, with up to 100% white hair coverage. VIBRANCE is demi-permanent and ammonia-free — it deposits tone with no lift and fades gradually. Same shade numbers, different mixing partner.
Which IGORA covers grey best?
ROYAL for most clients, Absolutes for mature resistant hair that also wants a fashion tone, Zero Ammonia when ammonia is the objection. All three claim up to 100% white hair coverage.
Is the IGORA you sell genuine?
Yes. Every item is genuine Schwarzkopf Professional stock in sealed manufacturer packaging, bought on the current Canadian Schwarzkopf professional order form and carrying the manufacturer's own barcodes. We are an independent professional beauty retailer rather than one of the regional distributors Schwarzkopf lists on its own site, and we do not claim otherwise.
What does shipping cost?
Shipping is calculated at checkout. Orders over $120 CAD before taxes ship free by standard service within Canada and to the USA — 5 to 10 business days in Canada, 2 to 5 business days to the USA. Orders are processed in 1 to 3 business days and every shipment is tracked.
The bottom line
- Best all-round permanent: IGORA ROYAL
- Best for mature hair: ROYAL Absolutes
- Best ammonia-free permanent: Royal Zero Ammonia
- Best one-step cool blonde: ROYAL Highlifts
- Best demi-permanent: IGORA VIBRANCE
- Best for a tight column: IGORA COLOR10
- Best lightener: Vario Blond Super Plus
Prices and stock quoted here were live on ProHair.ca on 22 August 2026 and can move; the product pages are the current source.
Shop the full IGORA range at ProHair.ca → — ROYAL, Absolutes, Zero Ammonia, Highlifts, Fashion Lights, Silver Whites, Opulescence, VIBRANCE, COLOR10 and Vario Blond, with 10% off any six or more IGORA items.