Hair Coloring Guide: How to Color Your Hair at Home

Step 1 – Identify your needs

Different women and men hair colours have different benefits – while some are permanent hair colours that last a very long time, some semi-permanent hair colours last only a few weeks. Some hair colours are great for covering your grey roots and blending with your natural hair colour while some work great for adding a new, vibrant red hair colour shade to your locks. Before sitting down with your kit to colour your hair, understand your hair colour needs and pick a colour that works best for you.

• Garnier Color Naturals – Enriched with three essential oils – olive, almond, and avocado, the ammonia-free hair colour nourishes your hair and gives your hair a fabulous and gorgeous hair colour shade that lasts up to 8 weeks.
• Garnier Black Naturals – This ammonia-free hair colour is infused with the goodness of almond oil and black tea extracts to cover 100% greys and give you natural looking hair colour in just 15 minutes.
• Garnier Men Shampoo Color – With this hair colour for men, you can touch up your roots, cover your greys, and refresh your hair colour in just 5 minutes. And it is as easy to use as shampoo!

Here is a quick hair colour tip - if all the different hair colour shades overwhelm you, and you can’t make up your mind, use the Garnier Virtual Try On tool to see how the different shades look on you and pick one that complements your skin tone.

Step 2 – Plan ahead

When working with an at-home hair colouring kit like the Garnier Black Naturals or Garnier Color Naturals, it is important to perform a patch test at least 48 hours before you colour your hair, especially if it is your first time with these hair colours. It might be tempting to skip this step and go straight to colouring your hair, but a patch test is important to check if you have any allergies or negative reaction to the dye you are planning to use.

For the patch test, clean a small section of your skin behind your ear, and apply a small amount of the unmixed colourant cream, and wait for 48 hours without washing it off. Monitor the area for any allergic reactions or irritations. If you do not notice any skin reaction, you are all set to colour your hair! When using the Garnier Men Shampoo Color, perform a patch test 24 hours before using the product. For more detailed information about any product specific patch test, remember to always read the instruction leaflet before each use.

Step 3 – Keep all supplies ready

Now that you are ready to sit down and experience an at-home hair colouring session, set up your area before you begin so you won’t have to run around midway to look for a hair clip! Make sure you have the following supplies within arm’s reach every time you colour your hair –

• Hair colouring kit with the colourant, developer, and gloves
• A glass or plastic bowl to mix the hair colour
• A brush to apply the colour
• An old (preferably dark coloured) towel to drape around your shoulders
• Hair clips to section your hair
• Petroleum jelly or oil to protect your skin

Remember to wear an old and dark coloured t-shirt, one that you won’t mind getting stained. Drape the towel around your shoulders and secure it in place with a hair clip to protect your clothes. If you have thick or coarse hair and hair that is longer than shoulder length, you most likely will need two boxes to cover all your hair. The last thing you want to do is run out of hair colour halfway through your process, so have an extra box handy just in case.

Step 4 – Prep your hair and skin

Probably the only difficult thing about colouring your hair at home is getting the hair dye off your skin if you accidently stain it. To prevent any mishaps, apply a generous amount of petroleum jelly or baby oil along your hairline and on your ears to protect your skin and reduce the chance of the dye staining your skin. When colouring your hair, make sure it is not freshly washed. Wash and condition your hair at least a day before colouring to give your hair an extra boost of moisture. The natural oils from your scalp will shield your hair and make it easy to apply the hair colour uniformly and without damaging your luscious locks. And do not forget to wear your gloves before you begin!

Step 5 – Read all instructions

If this is your first time colouring your hair at home, take some time to read the instructions and familiarize yourself with the process. Each women and men hair colouring kit is different and might have a few additional steps that will help you get the most out of the hair dye. From how long to keep the hair colour on to how to correctly rinse the product, all the information about your hair colour is included in the instruction leaflet, so do not ignore it.

Step 6 – Divide and conquer!

It is finally time to get started – divide your hair in four to six sections, depending on the volume and length of your hair, and twist and clip the extra sections on top of your hair using a sturdy hair clip. Mix the developer and hair colourant in a non-metallic bowl in a 1:1 ratio. Once the two products are thoroughly and uniformly mixed, use your brush and start applying the colour at your roots and work your way towards the tips. Work in sections, and once all your hair is coloured, gently massage your hair and scalp to spread the colour evenly throughout your hair. Leave the colour on for the specified amount of time. (15 minutes for Garnier Black Naturals and 30 minutes for Garnier Color Naturals)

If using the Garnier Men Shampoo Color, pour the shampoo color directly from the hair colour sachet into gloved hands and massage the mix on dry hair. Spread evenly and massage for two minutes and then wait for 5 minutes before washing the men’s hair colour off like regular shampoo.

Step 7 – Rinse and rejoice

Once the time is up, rinse thoroughly with water until the water runs completely clear. Apply a colour protecting conditioner, wait for a couple of minutes, and rinse again. Do not shampoo your hair for at least 48 hours after you colour your hair to allow the hair colour to be fully sealed into your hair strands.

Colouring your hair at home for the first time can be daunting, but with this women and men’s hair colour guide, you will be on your way to rocking a new hair colour shade in no time.