Salon Today
MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Balay Powder Makes Any Color or Lightener Ideal for Balayage

This clay-based additive can be mixed into your favorite color or lightener so you can balayage with ease, with no fear of bleeding or messy application.

Jamie Newman
Jamie NewmanSenior Digital Content Strategist
Read Jamie's Posts
May 5, 2017
Balay Powder Makes Any Color or Lightener Ideal for Balayage

Balay Powder thickens any color or lightening formula to create the ideal consistency for balayage and free-hand painting.

2 min to read



Balay Powder's website poses readers with the question, "What if you could use your favorite lightener and still get the consistency needed for balayage?" Now you can. 

Balay Powder is a clay-based powder that can be added to any hair color, lightener or fantasy shade (yes, from any of your favorite brands) for a thicker consistency, thus less running, making it ideal for creating balayage creations on clients. 

Ad Loading...

James Gartner and AdamSwanlund are the product's founders, co-owners of Bii Natural Salon in West Dundee, Illinois. Since the product's inception, it has been creating a lot of buzz, according to Gartner.

"We have been getting so much attention from large social media color gurus calling this 'game-changing,'" Gartner says.

To use, he suggests to add a little powder at a time until you get the consistency that works best for your application. Start with 1/2oz (1 scoop) Balay Powder to 1/2oz lightener powder or color (unmixed with developer). Gartner stresses to add a little bit of Balay Powder at a time into an already-mixed color or lightener formula until reaching your desired consistency for your application. 

Gartner commonly gets asked if Balay Powder impacts lift or deposit, and the answer is no. 

"Balay Powder will not impact lift or deposit," he says. "No developer adjustment is needed. Any issues with processing time or lift can be solved by using less Balay Powder. As some lighteners provide more than nine levels of lift and others only four, everything may be adjusted based on personal preference."

Ad Loading...

Watch the video above to see Gartner demonstrate how to add Balay Powder to your own formulas. For other video tutorials from Balay Powder, from using it for balayage to free-hand painting and more, click here


Originally posted on Modern Salon

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

More Salon Management

Paul Petrowsky, manager of Impressions

The Constant

Starting at Impressions front desk in 2006 when he was 19 years old, General Manager Paul Petrowsky is a seasoned professional who owner Sarah Taylor says is responsible for much of her own success.

Ad Loading...
Headshot of Sophie Galabru

How Women are Rewriting the Rules of Grey Hair

At a panel discussion hosted by L’Oréal Professionnel in Paris in early July, French Philosopher Sophie Galabru explored the cultural shift where women are increasingly choosing natural, personalized color results over traditional grey coverage. In an exclusive interview with SALON TODAY, Galabru and L’Oréal Professionnel Colorist Pierrick Beringer discuss this shift and how salons and colorists respond.

Ad Loading...
Cover of whitepaper

How AI Is Closing Revenue Gaps for Salons and Spas

The beauty and wellness businesses pulling ahead aren’t just working harder—they’re using AI to capture demand, personalize pricing, and convert more of every guest interaction into revenue. Here’s what the benchmark data reveals about the growing gap between AI adopters and everyone else.

Sponsored by Zenoti

copy of the whitepaper cover

The Premium Talent Magnet: The Modern Salon Playbook for Attracting Six-Figure Stylists

Stop chasing recruitment ghosts on generic job boards and start curating an elite team. Discover the framework that top-tier salons use to bypass phone tag, automate visual portfolio vetting, and attract high-earning, culture-first beauty professionals directly through real-time messaging. Turn your recruitment process into an exclusive brand invitation that keeps your highest-ticket chairs permanently filled.

Sponsored by Beautista

Cover of the whitepaper

Five Revenue Leaks Hiding in Your Salon

Your calendar looks full, but is all of that demand actually converting to revenue? From phantom rebookings to underpriced peak hours, the 2026 Benchmark Report exposes five revenue leaks that most beauty and wellness businesses don’t even know they have.

Sponsored by Zenoti

Nicki Wenz (above) and Allison Stock of Zandi K Salon

The Heartbeat of Zandi K's Success

After moving to Colorado and teaching at a cosmetology school, Allison Stock joined Zandi K as a stylist, eventually becoming part of the Leadership Team, Education Team and Master Bridal Team. Today, as Director of Operation, Stock is Owner Nicki Wenz's right hand, managing human resources and operations, education and career development, and coaching and culture.

Ad Loading...