Can You Mix Conditioner with Hair Dye? – Try Right Now

Conditioners are undoubtedly one of the most effective methods to add moisture and keep your hair nourished. There are plenty of conditioners on the market that protect hair from dye chemicals, offer smooth and silky hair after dying, and lighten the dye hair’s colors. 

So can you mix conditioner with hair dye?

Luckily the brief answer is an absolute yes! But not all conditioners work with dye colors!

Keep following our article to see which products are suitable and how to create the best mixtures.

Can You Mix Conditioner with Hair Dye? 

Some hairstylists assume that conditioners can be a strong barrier between your hair and dye chemicals, preventing the color from turning up as you expected. 

On the other hand, some disagree and don’t believe that conditioners offer this kind of protection; instead, they help nourish and make your dyed hair more smooth and silky.

So in general, you can mix your hair dye with conditioners. However, the results might not live up to your expectations due to the conditioner’s original use.

Why Should We Mix Conditioners with Hair Dye? 

There are many reasons why you should mix conditioners with hair dye, especially permanent ones:

• Add protection to dyed hair: This is the first and most desired advantage of this mixture. Your hair is more susceptible to damage due to the harsh chemicals in most hair dyes, making it weaker and dry. Using conditioners can keep your dyed hair rich and nourished inside and smooth, silky by touch.
• Strengthen protection from constant exposure to UV rays from the sun or chlorine water in swimming pools: Those factors also wreak havoc on your dyed hair’s health, and that’s where conditioners come in handy.
• For lighter hair dye:  If you want to make your hair dye lighter, using conditioners is a brilliant idea. Conditioners effectively soften the colors to blend well with your expected shade, thanks to their protective layer between your hair and the chemicals. This trick is useful for most permanent darker hair colors and muted tones in the final results. However, be careful with lighter dye colors, as conditioners can dilute hair dye and make the overall color fade.

What Happens If We Mix Both Together? 

The results of the mixture depending on your chosen hair colors and the applying times.

Conditioners are designed to dilute the overall dye, so they are a perfect choice to lighten up your dye before applying it to your hair. It’s more suitable for darker hair colors. 

Mixing conditioners before applying will cause pastel and undesired ones for brighter tones like pink, orange, and purple. 

If you want to ensure your hair’s health and minimal damage, you should use conditioners to wash your hair after dyeing steps. This measure can minimize the adverse impacts of harsh chemicals on your hair textures.

Mixing hair conditioners and dye are a common method to refresh your hair’s color, keeping it attractive and best-looking among full treatments. So adding some dye to your chosen conditioner for regular wash helps stretch the time of touch-up.

How to Mix Your Hair Dye with Conditioner

Semi-Permanent Hair Color with Conditioner

There are five steps to use conditioners for semi-permanent dye colors:

Step 1: Choose your desired hair colors

For the best result, it’s best to choose a vibrant hair color shade like pink, orange, green, or purple and determine how light you want your hair color.

Step 2: Choose a conditioner

This step is crucial as it directly influences the final result.

No one wants their conditioners to interfere or not to blend well with the hair dye. Thus, white, clear, or pale conditioners should be your go-to choices.

Step 3: Combine and mix

The recommended ratio is ⅓ cup of conditioner and a spoonful of hair dye in a plastic bowl.

Now it’s time to mix semi permanent hair dye and integrate those ingredients thoroughly. You can also add the remaining hair color part afterward if you need more.

Step 4: Apply and wait

All you have to do is apply thoroughly and evenly according to the mixing directions hair dye with conditioner on the box and wait until the formula fully develops on the hair.

Step 5: Rinse

After waiting time, rinse the formula thoroughly and don’t wash the hair for 24 hours to let the dye be fully absorbed. In this way, you will likely receive a long-lasting color for around eight hair washes.  

Permanent Hair Color with Conditioner

Can you mix conditioner with permanent hair dye? Absolutely yes!

The process for mixing permanent hair color dyes with conditioners is the same as a semi permanent hair dye. The sole thing you need to consider is your favorite color shade. 

Can you mix conditioner with hair dye to make it lighter? That’s what conditioners are designed for. 

With permanent colors, it is often advisable to choose darker and bolder ones. Conditioners will work to dilute such dark shades to mute it and deliver vibrant and lighter colors.

What Tips on Mixing Conditioner with Hair Dye? 

If you are dyeing your hair for the first time, there are three simple hacks that you should not miss out on to ensure an expected result: 

• Mix hair dye and conditioners at the ratio 1:3. To put it simply, the mixture should include three parts of hair conditioner and only one part of hair dye to soften the dark colors and minimize the harsh chemicals’ impacts.
• For pastel effects or muted hues: Highly suggest mixing conditioner with bright dyes like blue, red, or pink. This great combination will help dilute the shades while ensuring a shiny and vibrant tone.
• Never use a colored conditioner no matter which dye color you pick, if you don’t want to mess up the outcome. Clear or white conditioners are the best options for your hair.

Which Best Conditioner to Mix Hair Dye? 

Shea Moisture Restorative Conditioner

Shea Moisture restorative conditioner is one of the best products for dyed hair, thanks to its silicone-free nature and color-safe formulas.

The product also comes with shea butter, ideal for moisturizing dyed hair and protecting it from damage from dye chemicals.

Shea Moisture conditioner can also work as a great leave-in hair conditioner to keep newly dyed hair from fading and diluting easily after several washing times.

TRESemmé Conditioner

If you frequently visit the hair salon, TRESemme conditioner, the best conditioner to mix with hair dye, should not be a strange name. This white conditioner is the top choice for mixing, as it can blend well with color dye without unexpected interferences.

The product is often used to mix with hair dyes to bring much moisture to your hair and protect it from getting dry due to harsh dye chemicals’ damage. The formula also includes biotin and vitamin E, which effectively softens your hair. 

Moroccan Argan Oil Conditioner 

Moroccan Argan oil conditioner is another great choice for colored hair. The sulfate- and paraben-free formula softens and smoothes your hair even after several coloring times.

A little goes a long way for your hair with this product, so it is economical and sustainable.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can You Mix Hair Dye With Conditioner Instead Of Developer?

If you contemplate using conditioners instead of developers for your hair dyes, you will be disappointed with the final result. 

Conditioners should never be a whole replacement for developers, which uniquely open the hair cuticle and let the hair dye deposit on the hair. 

Conditioners are only designed for hair nourishing and softening; thus, they cannot show this feature. If you want to have your hair dyed without developers, let’s look for a hair dye that doesn’t require this.

Can You Mix Conditioner With Hair Dye And Developer?

We don’t recommend you use conditioners with hair dye and developer. This mixture can adversely cause a patchy hair color, which is surely against your expectations.

Can You Mix Hair Dye And Shampoo Together?

The answer is a yes. A shampoo mixture is a great option if you want to dilute the hair color without a conditioner. 

The shampoo is also effective in softening the dye color and offers a less vibrant result. Therefore, why not learn how to mix hair dye with shampoo to save money on expensive conditioners?

In Summary

Can you mix conditioner with hair dye? We bet that you have gained the best answers to this question and learned how to mix conditioner with hair dye after reading our article. 

While conditioners are ideal for moisturizing and nourishing dyed hair, not all of them can work with dye colors. 

Thus, if you put conditioner in hair dye by accident, don’t worry; make sure to use this mixture at the right coloring stage. Besides, white and clear conditioners would be a better choice to avoid messing things up.