Can I mix two hair colors from the same brand? Yes, but read this first

 

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Are you planning to  mix two hair colors from the same brand? 

In that case, apart from checking that the brand is the same for both, look for the same hair color type.

 

For example,  you shouldn’t mix L’Oreal’s semi-permanent hair dye with L’Oreal’s permanent hair dye.  Even though they’re the same brand, they work differently.

The permanent color penetrates the hair core, while semi-permanent color is deposited on the outside.

Therefore, if you apply a mixture of both hair dyes, your hair will most likely become stained and uneven.

 

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Now, let’s get down to business: mixing two dye colors from the same brand.

 Of course, you can mix them.  In fact, in the salon, we’re constantly mixing colors from the same brand to customize the color for our clients.

Of course, we do it because we study to understand the rules of colorimetry so that the mixture of colors is harmonious and doesn’t generate unpleasant surprises.

However, if you’re thinking of mixing two colors of the same brand at home, I invite you to think about a few questions first.

 

Why do you want to mix two hair colors from the same brand?

Everything we do in life has a purpose. What’s your purpose for mixing two hair colors?

 

Do you want to mix two hair dye colors to achieve a customized and special color?

I’ll be clear.

 If you don’t have experience in coloring, I don’t recommend it.

 The result could be a horrible color that will have nothing to do with the one you wanted to achieve.

 

Besides, coloring kits have so many options that you can find traditional colors, such as black or dark blonde, or unnatural colors, such as red, fantasy colors, and copper colors.

 

Do you want to mix two hair dye colors because you have leftovers and want to use them?

This sounds crazy to me. We all like to save money, but you can’t save money at the expense of your hair health.

Why do I mention your hair health?

 

Because hair dyes must be stored under certain conditions.

 For example, if one of your hair dyes was exposed to heat or humidity, it’ll probably be bad. .

And if the dye is bad, it’ll damage your hair.

 

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This leads us to make the first stop on the way and make a decision.

 

If you want to mix two hair dyes from the same brand, you must check the color wheel

Let’s first review what the color wheel is.

The color wheel is a universal scale with   10 levels of hair color darkness or lightness.  The first is the darkest and the tenth is the lightest one.

 

If you want to mix two hair colors from the same brand, you must check the color wheel and a mathematical formula:

 

However, you should also bear in mind that  there shouldn’t be more than four numbers between the two shades you choose. 

 

What does this mean?

For example, you shouldn’t mix black 1 with extra light blonde 10. Why?

Let’s apply the mathematical formula.

Black 1 + Extra light blonde 10 = 11/2 = 5.5

So, the result will be light brown 5, but with some mahogany highlights.

 

Therefore, when you apply the resulting color, your hair will be reddish and orange. It’s because black 1 contains a lot of red and extra light blonde 10 contains yellow pigments.

 

Do you want examples of some possible and correct mixtures of hair dye colors from the same brand?

 

However, there’s something else you need to consider. So far, we saw that all hair dye colors are identified with a number.

You’ll see that some hair dyes have only one number, while others have up to three numbers.

 

The first number indicates the base shade, i.e. whether the hair color is brown, blonde, or brunette. Then, the numbers after the period indicate the primary and secondary undertones, i.e. the highlights that appear when your hair is in the light.

And these shades should also be taken into account when mixing two hair dye colors of the same brand.

 

If you want to mix two dye colors of the same brand, the undertones must be the same

There are several undertones in the dyes. The most common ones are ash, gold, or mahogany.  How do you know which shades are present in the two dyes you want to mix? 

 

By checking the numbers of the dye.

Let’s look at the colors that identify the undertones.

 

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For example, let’s say you have two hair colors from the same brand at home. One is light ash brown 5.1. The other dye is light ash blonde 8.1.

Can you mix them?

Yes, that’s right. You’ll be able to mix them because they are from the same brand, there’s a difference of three numbers, and they have the same undertones, ash, identified with the number 1.

 What you can’t do is mix two hair colors with different undertones, even if they are from the same brand. 

For example:

 

Conclusions

If you want to mix two hair colors from the same brand, they shouldn’t be more than four levels apart according to the color wheel. Also, their undertones, if any, should be the same.

However, remember that mixing dyes requires knowledge and experience. If this isn’t your case, go to a professional for guaranteed customized results.