If you’re ready for a change, you might be interested in considering dyeing your hair. There are tons of beautiful shades available, now more than ever, with more brands and companies ready to advise and direct you to the perfect dye for the job.
Today, we’re going to take a look at how you can dye your hair at home, as well as how to choose the right hair color. We’re also going to look at a popular hair dye: Clairol Natural Instincts.
Before you get going with dyeing your hair a new color, you should think about a few things that will help you best understand the process and results.
Obviously, you know if you’re naturally a blonde or a brunette. But is your color tone warmer or cooler? The tone of your coloring effects the color options you should choose. If you can’t figure out what your natural tone is, ask your hair stylist.
If you’re dyeing your hair at home, get at least an extra box or two. It’s better to have a little bit too much than a little bit too little. And it’s almost guaranteed you’ll have some mishaps when you’re first learning how to dye your hair.
You may think you’d look amazing as a blonde when you’re naturally a brunette, but you should shift gradually to the drastic color change. If you go too fast, you may end up with brassy, or ashy shades, and wind up super disappointed in the new color.
Stay away from the pool for two weeks before and after a new dye job. The chemicals in the pool will change your hair color in an unpleasant way.
Hair dye always turns out just a shade darker than the box suggests. To make sure you don’t get darker than you bargain for, pick a shade lighter than you really want.
After you dye your hair, you’ll need haircare products designed to help color-treated hair. Clarifying and dandruff shampoos tend to be harsh, and strip away color, so avoid these.
If you’re thinking of a more dramatic change than a couple of shades, try on a wig in the color you’re thinking. Aim for a wig with a similar hairstyle to your own for the most accurate affect. Look at yourself in the mirror, in different lights, if possible, and see how you really feel about your skin tone and face shape with that hair color.
Skip the shower before dyeing your hair. Not only do the natural oils from your scalp prevent irritation from the color treatment, but slightly dirty hair is easier to work with and section, and that means you get better color coverage.
Whenever you dye your hair, your hair will get some damage. It just can’t be helped. Prepare for the damage with proper hair care products. Read the instructions fully before using them, though, to make sure they don’t strip away the new color in the process.
If you also want a haircut, it’s important to do so before getting your hair dyed. For one, it will cut down the amount of hair dye needed, which will save you money.
But the haircut should come first because you’ll actually be able to see the affects of the new hair color with the haircut, which can make all the difference in your satisfaction.
Now that you’ve considered some things, you can prepare to dye your hair at home.
Decide when you’re going to dye your hair and wash your hair twenty-four to forty-eight hours ahead of time.
Before you can dye your hair, you’ve got to decide which color(s) to consider. From there, you can examine potential brands, and then you can decide on the exact shade available.
How to Choose the Right Hair Color
There are a few factors to keep in mind as you choose your new hair color.
- If you’re interested in a non-natural shade, like purple or blue, you’ll need to consider your workplace guidelines. More and more companies are permitting unnatural colors, but some places still expect certain appearances in their employees.
- Decide if you want a single color, or a more dimensional look.
- Think about how willing you are to do touch-ups. Drastic hair color changes require a lot more time and expense than subtle changes.
- Look for shades that work well with your natural skin tones. If you have warmer skin tones, shoot for: Chestnut brown or copper blonde for those with warm skin tones. Ash brown or strawberry blonde for those with cool skin tones. Auburn or chocolate brown for those with neutral skin tones. Lighter hair colors for those with fair skin. Darker hair colors for those with darker skin
- Ultimately, pick a color that you love, and feels right for your personality, and the look you’re going for. If you want to go drastic, you can. If you’d rather stay with subtle changes, do that.
To protect your home from getting damaged by the dye, we highly recommend laying out old towels, blankets, sheets, or tarps in the area where you’ll be doing the coloring.
Cover the floor first, then add in some rags on countertops, sink basins, and anywhere else you anticipate the dye might land if you have a splash or spill.
Gather all of your supplies at this point. You should have everything that comes with the kit, including the hair dye, applicators, and other related tools. You’ll also need:
- Gloves
- A color cape or towel to protect your shoulders
- Vaseline
- Paintbrush
- Salon clips
- Comb
If you’re doing the dye job alone, we first recommend stripping down to nothing, or next to nothing, to avoid accidentally dyeing your clothes. Next, wrap your shoulders with a color cape or towel to protect your skin from the hair dye.
Run that brush through your hair several times. Make sure all the strands are smoothly flowing, and that all knots are gone before you start applying any kind of product to your hair.
Grab some Vaseline and coat your hairline, neck, and ears with it. This will help to protect those parts of your skin from the run off and drips of the hair dye that are inevitable.
Use the gloves provided with your hair dye kit, or use latex gloves, to protect your hands from getting dyed.
Your hair dye box has directions for proper mixing of the dye. Follow these carefully to avoid making a mess or causing damage to your hair dye.
Use a comb to separate your hair into four uniform sections. Use salon clips to keep the sections separated. You can find these at a drugstore or dollar store.
Finally, you’re ready to apply the dye to your hair, one subsection at a time.
- Pull one section out and separate this section into smaller subsections to do a more even dye job. If you have super thick or super curly hair, make the subsections much smaller.
- Use the applicator bottle or paintbrush to put dye onto your hair, about one inch away from the roots.
- Use your fingers to work the dye into your hair. Work the dye in so that you thoroughly cover all the hairs, not just the top layer of strands.
- Set a timer for the recommended amount of time you should leave the dye in your hair.
- Grab a shower cap and wrap your head in a towel. Wipe off the excess dye from your neck, ears, and forehead with a paper towel, but leave the dye in your hair untouched.
- Wait the full amount of time before rinsing your hair, and never leave the color in longer than the maximum recommended time.
Once the full amount of setting time has passed, you’re ready to rinse your hair off. Hop into the shower and use warm water to gently rinse the dye out of your hair. Keep the water running through until no more dye comes out of your hair, and the water hits the drain clear.
Wait at least an hour before you hop in the shower again to wash your hair. This allows the dye to continue penetrating your hair.
Shampoo your hair, and then condition your hair with the conditioner that comes with the hair dye kit.
Your hair dye is all set. So, once you’re done shampooing and conditioning, dry your hair with a blow dryer, or air dry, and style as you usually do.
Be sure to wait about two days before you shampoo your hair again, though.
One of the hair dyes that a lot of people have used has been the Clairol Natural Instincts. Today, we’re going to take a look at this brand, in the hopes of helping you decide whether or not this would be a good option for your own hair dyeing experiences.
Clairol Natural Instincts is a level 2 color that uses aloe, ginseng, and chamomile to soothe and condition hair during the dyeing process, and it’s ammonia free.
The kit you receive with Clairol Natural Instincts should include
- Hair color
- Gloves
- Conditioning treatment
- Developing lotion
- Application instructions
Clairol Natural Instincts has received 4.2 out of 5 stars from Ulta shoppers and 4.2 out of 5 stars from Amazon users, with 58 percent of those users giving it 5 stars.
Users gave great comments about Natural Instincts giving a natural fade effect after a couple of weeks. They also commented that most people can’t even tell they’ve dyed their hair, unlike with other color products they’ve tried.
The shades of red in the Clairol Natural Instincts received significant praise for looking more natural for coloring gray hairs. Others also commented that this shade of red doesn’t give that pink or brown shade to the red that so many other brands do.
Primarily, the praise for Clairol Natural Instincts goes for ease-of-use, natural look, and deep coverage.
Some consumers noted that they felt the color faded after about four weeks. This could be due to the semi-permanent nature of the product .
A few other complaints noted that reviewers commented on the wrong products, and some of the packaging was older and didn’t include everything the new advertisements promised.
Overall, this hair coloring kit seems to work well, with great coverage, leaving behind healthy hair, with beautiful color and shine.
We recommend that you carefully read reviews of each color, and make sure that the comments are associated with the color you’re looking into, though, before making an assessment. Some commenters review the wrong product on sites like Amazon or Target.com.
We think that you’re likely to like the results of using Clairol Natural Instincts, if you follow the instructions thoroughly, and use the various tips for caring for color-treated hair, like not shampooing too soon, or visiting a pool within two days of dyeing your hair.
Look through the color options, choose the right shade for you, and maybe you’ll have the perfect shade on your very first try.