Dyeing your hair is one of the surest ways to achieve a brighter, modern, and healthy look. Using dyes on your hair often results in not-so-good results such as hair breakage, dullness, and other skin conditions. This is why it’s essential to mix a conditioner with your said dye to help lessen the adverse effects of this product.
The truth is not all conditioners are mixable with the different hair dyes on the market today. Overtone conditioners are a favorite among most beauty enthusiasts due to their effective working power and ease of use. Among many people, one of the significant questions is whether you can mix overtone conditioners with developers.
If you have been thinking of this idea, keep reading to find out whether it’s possible and how to go about it.
Can You Mix Overtone with Developer?
Yes, it’s possible to mix overtone conditioners with the developer. However, note that not all overtone shades can be combined with a developer. The only recommended shade to mix with the developer is the semi-permanent hair dye.
Mixing any other dye with overtone conditioner will result in uneven color application. Such an action may also interfere with the developer required for permanent dye. Mixing overtone conditioners with permanent hair dye may also dull hair color. This is because the overtone conditioner works as a barrier and may make your result matte or muted.
Therefore, if you combine overtone conditioners with a developer, ensure to only work with semi-permanent hair dye.
How to Mix and Use Overtone with developer
As stated above, mixing and using an overtone conditioner with semi-permanent dye is possible. To gain the best results, ensure to follow the following steps when doing the mixing and application of the mixture;
Choose the Right Overtone Conditioner
Overtone conditioners are available in a wide range of shades. The right shade for you depends on your desired end results and the situation you are trying to address. If you, for instance, need to dye color-treated hair, it’s advisable to use an overtone conditioner shade for treated hair. If you are working with damaged hair, consider using a leave-in conditioner with extra hydration.
Mix Your Chosen Overtone Conditioner with Semi-Permanent Developer
After settling on your preferred overtone conditioner shade, the next step is to mix it with the semi-permanent developer. To do the mixing, get a plastic container and an application brush and pour a third of the conditioner into the jar to mix it with the semi-permanent developer. To avoid staining your hands during this process, wear protective gloves and thoroughly clean your hands after that.
How much of the conditioner you use in the mixture depends on the end result you desire.
Do the Application
After mixing your chosen overtone conditioner shade and semi-permanent developer, it’s time to do the application. Before embarking on this process, it’s essential that you first protect your skin and clothing by covering yourself up. From here, conduct a patch test to determine how the product will look on you, and if satisfied with the results, proceed to the next stage.
Do a Patch Test
A patch test is vital when using a hair care product for the first time. Conducting a patch test beforehand helps identify whether the said product is the right one for your needs and whether it will give you the desired results.
If you are satisfied with the patch test results, you can apply the overtone conditioner mixture to your entire hair, following these tips.
Divide Your Hair into Four Sections and Pin Each Up
After dividing your hair into four sections, comb it thoroughly and apply Vaseline around your hairline to protect it against staining caused by the dye. Working with divided hair sections makes it easy and possible to achieve even color. This is because the areas give enough room for the mixture/products to absorb into your hair cuticles, giving you the desired results.
Apply the Overtone Conditioner mixture to Clean Wet/Dry Hair
The overtone conditioner and semi-permanent developer mixture can be applied to wet or dry hair. The critical thing is to ensure the hair is thoroughly clean before doing the application. Working with clean hair ensures the mixture applies evenly and gets to every needed corner.
If you decide to work with wet hair, ensure to give the conditioner 3-15 minutes to sit in before rinsing thoroughly with warm water. Using warm water on your hair will help open up the hair cuticles resulting in even color application.
When working with dry hair, apply the mixture and give it 3-15 minutes to absorb before rinsing with warm water. Be careful on the amount of overtone conditioner mixture you use on your dry hair, as lack of water on the hair means the cuticles will absorb more pigment. As such, you may end up over-coloring your hair if you don’t watch out for the amount of the mixture you apply to your dry hair.
When rinsing the mixture off your hair, ensure to use lukewarm water. Using boiling water may end up stripping the hair of its color, rendering your mixing efforts useless.
Primary Things to Consider Before Deciding To Mix Overtone Conditioner with Developer
When done right, mixing overtone conditioner with developer results in immense benefits such as a better shade, smoother texture, and healthy hair. This is, however, a critical process that requires your due diligence lest it results in regrettable results, which may include hair breakage, dullness, and brittleness.
There are a few factors that determine whether or not you should mix overtone conditioner with a developer, as highlighted below;
The Condition of Your Hair
Your hair’s condition dramatically determines whether you should use the overtone and developer mixture or not. Experts recommend adding your chosen overtone conditioner shade to a semi-permanent developer when dealing with damaged hair, as this will help strengthen and rejuvenate it.
How Often You Dye Your Hair
How often you dye your hair is another critical determinant of whether you should use an overtone and developer mixture or not. The truth is dyeing your hair often weakens it making it brittle and loose. Therefore, if you are fond of dyeing your hair, mixing the conditioner in your dye is recommended to help strengthen and rejuvenate the hair.
Final Thoughts on Whether You Can Mix Overtone with Developer
Dyeing your hair is one of the recommendable ways to achieve your desired look and maintain its brightness, growth, and color. The truth is using dyes often on your hair weakens it and may make it brittle if you are not careful. You must be cautious when using such products and mix them with conditioners such as the overtone shades whenever possible.
Mixing developer with overtone conditioners results in more good than harm. It, for instance, helps achieve better and even color, brightness, and healthy hair. However, this depends on the type of overtone conditioner you use and whether or not you work with a semi-permanent developer. For best results, ensure to only work with semi-permanent developers and follow the manufacturer’s guidelines.
