Use formula data as an operating cost record
Hair-color revenue can look healthy while product leakage stays invisible. A service may use several products with different package sizes and prices, and the amount mixed is not always the amount that reaches the client. This tracker turns those physical quantities into a repeatable cost record without trying to tell a professional how to formulate color.
Enter package economics, not retail guesses
For each product, enter the price you actually pay and the usable package quantity. The tracker converts that into cost per gram, millilitre, ounce or other unit. Keep the unit consistent within the row. If a tube contains 60 g and costs 14.50, the row cost is based on 14.50 divided by 60, not on a generic industry average.
Record mixed and used separately
Product cost should follow what leaves inventory. If 32 g is mixed but only 28 g is used, the full 32 g still left the package. The four unused grams are therefore identified as waste rather than silently disappearing into the service margin. This makes repeated over-mixing visible.
Compare formula cost with the service price
The product-cost percentage is formula product cost divided by the service price. It is a direct-product metric, not full service profit. Stylist labor, commission, card fees, rent, utilities and fixed overhead remain separate. Use the Salon Service Menu Profitability Heatmap when the decision needs the complete variable contribution per chair-hour.
Use monthly volume to expose small leaks
A small waste amount can become material when the same service is performed dozens of times each month. The monthly waste estimate simply multiplies measured waste cost per service by the similar-service volume entered. It is most useful when the formula and service volume are based on recent real records.
What this tool deliberately does not do
It does not recommend color brands, developer strength, mixing ratios, processing times, allergy procedures or technical application. Those are professional and manufacturer-controlled decisions. This workspace is only for business cost, inventory consumption and waste tracking.
Frequently asked questions
Should unused mixed color count as cost?
If the product has already left usable inventory and cannot be returned to stock, include it in the formula cost and track the unused amount as waste.
Can I mix grams and millilitres?
Yes across different rows, because each row is costed independently. Keep the package size, mixed quantity and used quantity for a single row in the same unit.
Is product cost percentage the same as salon profit margin?
No. It excludes labor, commission, payment fees and fixed overhead.