How to choose a professional hair dye for toning at home

Want to update your appearance without going to the salon with a new hair color? Selecting the appropriate hair color for toning at home can mean the difference between a beautiful new shade and a disastrous color mishap. Choosing the right dye can be a little intimidating because there are so many options available, regardless of whether you’re going for a subtle or dramatic change.

Prioritize your choices for the type of dye you wish to use. If you’re looking for a more natural look that fades with time or a temporary change, semi-permanent dyes are fantastic. However, if you’re set on a new color for the long term, permanent dyes provide a color that lasts. Making the best decision can be aided by being aware of your needs and the frequency at which you are willing to reapply.

Next, consider the color and state of your hair right now. Your options may be more flexible if you’re starting with a lighter base. It might take a little more work to prepare darker hair, like lightening it before applying your desired tone. Make sure the dye is appropriate for your current hair color at all times to prevent unpleasant surprises.

Remember to take a look at the dye’s ingredients. Select products that contain nourishing ingredients to maintain the health and vibrancy of your hair. Selecting a dye that has additional conditioning agents can help preserve the softness and shine of your hair because some dyes can be harsh.

Finally, always perform a patch test before using a dye universally. This lets you see how the color looks on a tiny section of your hair and helps ensure you won’t have an allergic reaction. You can create a gorgeous new look at home with a little planning and research.

Tip	Details
Choose Your Shade	Pick a color that complements your natural hair color and skin tone.
Consider Your Hair Type	Different hair types absorb dye differently, so choose a product suitable for your hair type.
Check Ingredients	Look for dyes that are gentle and have nourishing ingredients to avoid damage.
Patch Test	Always do a patch test to ensure you’re not allergic to the dye.
Follow Instructions	Carefully follow the instructions for best results and to avoid mistakes.

What is

Tinting is frequently referred to as temporary, mild, or delicate coloring. You can slightly and temporarily change the original color of your hair with the aid of special preparations.

The dye in these products is mainly fixed on the hair’s surface and does not penetrate the hair, so almost all of them do not contain ammonia. The way your hair is structured, the color you choose, and how often you wash it all affect how long the look lasts. After all, the new color is gradually washed out with each shampoo application, unless it is a tint.

Furthermore. In addition to mild ammonia-free mixtures, natural coloring agents such as coffee, oak bark, chamomile, and various berry juices can also be used for toning. A small amount of oxide is present in semi-permanent dyes used by some hairdressers. Something in between tonics and long-term chemicals is this.

These types of temporary coloring vary depending on the hair toning product selected:

• light – the shade lasts no longer than a week, usually it lasts until the first hair wash;
• gentle – the color lasts for about a month, for this they take ammonia-free preparations;
• intensive — the effect is noticeable for up to 8 weeks, because professional paint with ammonia is used during the procedure. It is not tinting in the literal sense, because the pigments of the composition provide a long-lasting result, penetrating into the hair shafts.

Pros and cons

Benefits of the process:

• ease of implementation at home;
• affordable cost of hair tinting products;
• giving shine to hair;
• a large palette of shades for dark, light, red and gray locks;
• the ability to look at yourself in a new color, to assess how suitable it is for permanent coloring;
• cumulative effect – the longer you use the same composition, the brighter the color becomes;
• versatility – suitable for changing the natural shade, masking gray hair, unsuccessful coloring or highlighting;
• minimal damage to hair. Exception – compositions that are used for intensive tinting;
• correction of appearance – a good shade will make the natural color of the hair deeper and richer, visually refresh the face, emphasize the beauty of the eyes, cheekbones or lips;
• correction can be done twice a month – more often than with chemical paint.

Additionally, there are unfavorable reviews of tinting that contribute to the formation of an unbiased viewpoint on the process:

• the result on the hair does not last long;
• to prolong the effect, you need to regularly use a tint product;
• owners of dark strands need to do bleaching if you want to become a little lighter;
• it will not be possible to radically change the color – only by a few tones;
• tinting of dyed hair sometimes gives an unexpected result;
• traces of temporary paint can be visible on a towel, pillow;
• an unsuccessfully chosen shade can spoil the appearance and require urgent rinsing.

Who is this coloring suitable for

In many situations, using tonics and balms is appropriate:

• With their help, you can make the natural color of the hair more saturated, add shine to the hair. To do this, you need to choose a shade similar to your natural one.
• A bright palette of tinting products allows you to completely change your image.
• Such products are suitable if the previous hair color has faded in the sun or washed out.
• It is used after unsuccessful highlighting or shade correction after a perm.
• Often tinting products are used to color the ends or individual curls, perform ombre, shatush, balayage techniques.
• Optimal for girls whose scalp does not accept the oxidizer from professional formulations.
• Ammonia-free toning agents can be applied to hair during pregnancy, while breastfeeding.
• They are suitable for redheads, gray-haired people, blondes and brunettes. But for the best effect, you should choose a specific palette recommended for each color type of appearance, and not strive for radical changes. The absence of oxide in the tonic is the reason why a brunette cannot become an ash blonde without proper preparation.

Take note! Make sure to test products before dying them because some people may experience allergic reactions or intolerances.

Choosing tint products for hair

Shampoo. literally "renews" the color of curls, whether they are synthetic or natural, while also taking care of them. These products frequently have nutritional ingredients. The color gets richer the more often you use the product. Swap the tint shampoo out for a regular one to get your hair back to normal. Maybe not enough to hide a lot of gray hair.

Balm. more deeply colors hair than shampoo does. Cosmetic manufacturers frequently create specialty balms for hydration, repair, and gorgeous sheen. Therefore, you will receive extra attention in addition to dyeing. If you don’t use the product often, the color will gradually fade.

A tonic. This term is frequently used interchangeably with tint balm. Because of the well-known coloring product "Tonica," which its makers market as a balm, it has become well-known. Tonics can be concentrated and used right away. In the latter scenario, they must be diluted. Go over the directions and suggestions on the bottles carefully.

Apply. belongs to the group of products that shampoo can easily remove from hair. It’s easy to create ombre or shatush, as well as to tone individual strands, with a spray. Another benefit of using well-known cosmetic companies’ products is that they frequently include a rich vitamin set.

Mousse-like substance. The effects of these products are long-lasting, often lasting up to a month. They must be removed from the hair after a specific amount of time after application. Certain manufacturers provide bottles with handy dispensers that do away with the need for an applicator, brush, or sponge.

Furthermore. Other toning products include gel, varnish, customized masks, crayons, and mascara.

Overview of popular brands

Supermarket shelves are stocked with a wide variety of cosmetic products designed to tone curls. It varies in a number of ways, including price, brand name, length of time for the desired outcome, method and principle of action, and color scheme.

Amidst this diverse range, there exist multiple highly favored brands of tinting products that are in high demand among consumers.

Take note! Manufacturers are arranged alphabetically rather than according to popularity.

CONCEPT

Provides affordable cosmetics made in the United States. Products for toning hair:

1. Fresh up — a series of balms for maintaining shades. Contains flaxseed oil, lecithin, beeswax. There are separate products for red, copper, brown, light brown, black curls. Any bottle with a volume of 300 milliliters costs about 400 rubles.
2. Anti-yellow effect — a category of cosmetic products in purple bottles that help maintain a beautiful blonde shade on light and bleached strands. Special pigments neutralize yellowness, make hair soft and silky. This series includes:

• tint balm with an arctic blonde effect, which gives the hair a silver tone. The cost of a 300-milliliter bottle is from 250 rubles, 1 liter – about 500 rubles;
• balm for coloring light strands in a light pearl blonde. The price for 0.3 liters is 250-300 rubles;
• special balm for gray curls, which ennobles the "silver" in the hair, cares for the hair. It costs about the same as similar CONCEPT products of the same volume: about 300 rubles;
• silver shampoo for blondes is available in a large bottle (1 liter) and costs about 450 rubles, as well as in a small one (0.3 liters), the price of which is half that.

Kapous Professional

The company created the Life Color series, which consists of shampoos and balms with six colors each, for temporary hair coloring.

Products from Kapous are appropriate for curls that are naturally colored or not. Since they don’t contain hydrogen peroxide or ammonia, they only slightly alter the hairs’ structural integrity. They firmly cover the curls with a film, shielding the hair from UV rays without penetrating inside. The hues gradually disappear.

The color scheme of Kapous’s Life Color line of products:

• sand;
• violet;
• dark eggplant;
• copper;
• garnet red;
• brown.

Each 0.2-liter bottle of hair toning product costs between 400 and 450 rubles.

Londa Professional

The German business provides up to 42 intense tinting shades.

• brown-pipe;
• copper-red;
• pearl-pepper;
• red-violet;
• brown-golden and others.

Vitaflection microspheres, which reflect light, are present in the products. Every product comes packaged in eye-catching orange boxes. This sets them apart from the permanent Londa paint, which comes in a series with a purple design. Volume of tube: sixty milliliters. Cost: between 320 and 330 rubles.

Take note! Londa Professional’s Intensive Toning dye is a semi-permanent product rather than a tint balm. It must be combined in a 1:2 ratio with an oxidizer made by the same company, either 1.9% or 4%. The color holds up after roughly 20 hair washings.

L"Oreal Paris

Additionally, a well-known company has created an ammonia-free paint that is less damaging to hair strands than permanent paint but still isn’t a tint tonic:

1. Series of alkaline productsDiaRichessefor natural hair. Allows you to paint over up to 70% of gray hair. Palette – 50 shades, from icy blonde and pearl milkshake to chocolate truffle and velvet chestnut. The cost of one package fluctuates between 560–800 rubles for 50 milliliters. In addition, you need to use a developer from the same series.
2. Dia Lightwith an acidic pH makes hair smooth and shiny. Suitable for girls with sensitive curls due to frequent coloring. The palette is presented in 29 shades. Unlike Richesse, the DiaLight series from L"Oreal is not designed to lighten strands. One package of the product costs 500–650 rubles.
3. Casting Creme Gloss is another product from L"Oreal Professionnel that does not contain ammonia. You can choose any shade you like from 28 tones. The post-coloring balm, which is included, additionally cares for the hair. Price is about 350 rubles.

The L’Oreal company provides a wide range of L’Oreal hair dyes and keeps a close eye on customer preferences. Our website has a range of hues as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each series.

Matrix

A professional dye manufacturer offers a complete system called ColorGraphics Lift& Tone that allows you to tone and lighten your hair. Although the majority of the products have already been discontinued, some are occasionally still in stock. Bottles containing 118 milliliters cost 360 rubles.

The Matrix line of dyes also includes ammonia-free dyes called Color Sync that can be used for glazing, or adding shine, as well as for toning, restoring, enhancing, or correcting color. There are twelve shades in the palette. Up to 20 hair washings can preserve the color. The price range for a 90-milliliter bottle is 450–600 rubles. An activator must be used to dilute the dye.

The WATERCOLORS series of watercolor shades is also produced by the Matrix company. Pastel colors result from diluting them with a transparent tone. Blue, pink, peach, green, and mother-of-pearl are among the color options. Any will set you back roughly 500 rubles.

Take note! It is advised to use all Matrix products in salons.

Schwarzkopf Professional

• Bonacure Color Freeze Silver Tinted Silver Shampoo. Removes yellowness, red tint. According to reviews, it is effective even on dark blond hair (gives it a cool tint). A 250-milliliter bottle costs about 450 rubles, a liter bottle will cost 1800-2000 rubles. Previously, you could also find a series of Palette tinted shampoos from Schwarzkopf on sale.
• Direct dyes for toningIgoraColorWorx (CONCENTRATES and INTENSE series) are used on light or bleached hair. Do not require the use of an oxidizer. Color range – lilac, turquoise, orange, coral and other bright shades. A 100-milliliter bottle costs about 750 rubles.

• Tinted mousseIgora Expert — 16 natural shades: ash, golden, brown and others. They stay on the head for up to 8 washing procedures, are easy to mix with each other, are convenient to apply and hide gray hair up to 20%. Cost — from 600 rubles for 100 milliliters.
• Tint sprayBlondMe, presented in four shades: ice, jade, strawberry, steel blue. Makes hair matte, strengthens it thanks to the vitamin complex. The color completely disappears after the 3rd hair wash. Price for 250 milliliters — 700–800 rubles.

Suggestions. Examine Tonika, Estel, and other companies’ products in greater detail as well.

Rules and features, application tips

1. When choosing a tint product, focus not only on the “big name” of the manufacturer, but also on consumer reviews of its products.
2. Buy tonics and balms that best suit your color type. To determine it, conduct a simple home test or contact a professional stylist.
3. Pay attention to the manufacturers" recommendations to choose the optimal shade for your curls.
4. Do not strive to become lighter with the help of a tint product. Choose a color that matches the shade of your hair or is darker than it. An exception is preliminary bleaching, but then it is difficult to talk about gentle toning.
5. An unsuitable color will visually make you look older, emphasize the flaws of your appearance, or simply look out of place. This is especially true for ultra-fashionable ash, silver, pink tones.
6. Blondes can experiment with a wider palette than brown-haired women and especially brunettes. Owners of dark curls should choose red, red, brown, burgundy, eggplant and black colors.
7. Taboo for light brown hair – purple and deep chocolate-chestnut colors. You can get an unexpected result.
8. The optimal choice for curls of any shade is a product that differs from the original hair by 1-2 tones.
9. Girls with light hair can easily remove the unsightly yellowness with a tonic, shampoo or balm with a purple pigment. According to reviews, on dark blond strands, this product will create a slight ash effect.
10. To see what color you will get after toning with a particular product, first test it on a thin strand of hair at the back of your head. This advice is especially relevant if you have recently dyed your hair with a permanent, henna or basma, or had a perm.
11. Tinting agents should be distributed over your hair fairly quickly to get a uniform shade.
12. You can apply the tonic/balm directly from the bottle or squeeze a small amount into a non-metal container.
13. About a month before the procedure, start taking a course of restorative masks. Use styling products less often, use a hair dryer, curling iron, or straightening iron less often to treat your hair.
14. If you have split ends, trim them in advance.

Knowing your hair’s specific requirements and the desired outcomes will help you select the best professional hair dye for toning at home. To ensure the dye complements and enhances your hair without damaging it, get the right shade by taking into account your natural hair color, the tone you’re going for, and the ingredients of the dye. You can create a salon-quality look in your own bathroom with the correct product and a little bit of skill.

Dyeing technique

Apply to damp hair, lather, and rinse, just like you would with a regular shampoo, is how to use tinted shampoo. You should wait a few more minutes before doing this because the tone will get a little brighter.

There are recommendations that state you should use a toning shampoo after washing your hair with regular shampoo. This is rarely carried out in real life. With the added benefit of mild toning, the products are made expressly to remove sebum from the hair.

Both mousse and spray are applied to damp hair; the only distinction is that the first product is not removed with water.

Take note! Examine the product’s instructions after purchasing it. It might also include extra, detailed advice on how to get the best outcome.

Use a tint balm or tonic as follows to get a new color:

1. Test to make sure that the product suits you. Apply a little of the product to the skin of your wrist or elbow. Check after half an hour: is there any redness, itching.
2. Wash and dry your hair a little.
3. Put on old clothes or a cape made of waterproof fabric to avoid getting dirty.
4. Comb slightly damp curls.
5. Divide into 4 parts and fix at the back of the head, temples, crown with a crab/clip.
6. Put on gloves.
7. Untie the hair from the back of the head, divide into strands about 2 centimeters wide.
8. Dye them one by one, moving from the roots to the edges.
9. Using the same technology, distribute the product along the strands on the temples, then on the crown.
10. Wait for the time recommended by the manufacturer. Usually this is no longer than 30 minutes.
11. Rinse your head with warm, and at the end – with cool water (it should become transparent).

Take note! The technology works on all hair types, however if the tonic or balm is lighter than the hair’s natural color, dark curls will need to be pre-bleached.

Prepare a special lightening composition according to the instructions for the initial bleaching of dark hair. Lubricate the skin along the hairline with thick cream before applying.

The bleaching mixture is applied from the roots to the ends of short strands and the opposite on long strands. There is no insulation on the head, and the composition is only left on for 30 minutes before being removed with a wash.

The effect of coloring

Tinting is referred to as temporary coloring because, in the absence of correction, the color gradually washes off the hair and the result is transient. To keep the shade’s intensity, you can re-dye every two weeks or every month.

Crucial detail: the color will get brighter the more times you use the tint product.

If nothing is done, it will go away after four to six hair washings.

Steer clear of prolonged sun exposure and swimming in the pool without a cap to extend the life of the new color. Avoid using natural oils to restore the structure of the strands as they aid in the removal of artificial pigment.

For girls who are unwilling to jeopardize the health of their hair, ammonia-free tinting products are the best option. The curls will stay gorgeous and glossy if you select and apply a tonic, shampoo, or spray correctly. Their color can also fluctuate in sync with your mood.

Other products for toning hair:

• Tonika balm;
• tint shampoos;
• Constant Delight hair coloring oil;
• temporary hair coloring spray;
• ammonia-free hair dyes.

For curls, coloring causes stress. We’ll explain how to restore colored hair.

With just a few easy steps, you can completely change the way you look by selecting the perfect hair dye for toning at home. Always keep in mind that the key is to select a product that works for both your desired color outcome and hair type. To avoid any unpleasant surprises and to get a better idea of how the color will develop, test a small strand first.

Furthermore, be mindful of the dye’s ingredients. Choose hair products that will give your hair the color you want while also protecting and nourishing it. This will guarantee that after the application, your hair stays vibrant and healthy.

Lastly, if you’re unsure, don’t be afraid to seek professional advice. Having a brief conversation with a stylist can occasionally provide insightful advice and point you in the direction of the best option for getting the greatest results at home. Cheers to toning!

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