You have a special date in a few days, and the hairdresser has no free appointments. What a bummer! You think for a second and decide to dye your hair by yourself this time.
You make a checklist and head to the drugstore to buy everything you need. You come back with the hair dye you want, a developer, and even some bun makers for the after glam. As you mix the ingredients, you slip and accidentally realize that you put too much developer in hair dye – what to do now?
A developer is an essential substance when it comes to coloring your hair, but whether you are an amateur doing this in the comfort of your own home, or a professional hairdresser, open four eyes when measuring the amount of this you put in your hair dye.
If you don’t want to make any mistakes when mixing developer and hair dye as well as some other tips that could be handy regarding this hair product, don’t miss on the opportunity to scroll down and find all the answers that you need!
What Happens If You Put Too Much Developer In Hair Dye?
If you realize that you went a little crazy with the developer, the best and safest thing you should do is throw away the mix and start over. You will not burn your hair or something like that, but you will be very unhappy with the results.
Too much developer in hair dye can leave your hair muffled and dense.
If you are working with a tube dye, then make the portions equal:
- 50 ml tube mix with 50 ml developer
- 60 ml tube mix with 65 ml developer
- 75 ml tube mix with 75 ml developer
So, the math you are looking at here is 1:1 – nothing more and nothing less.
Does A Developer Damage Your Hair?
Hair developers are often called activators – why is that? Well, because they help the hair dye so much that it would have almost no effect visible without it.
If you are putting only the developer on your hair, don’t worry because it will not damage it. This is just a way of pre-softening your hair or checking if the color remover did its job.
It’s a little different when mixing it with hair dye or bleach.
A hair developer does not damage your hair if you use it accurately. However, you must be careful and choose wisely.
Related: Does Hair Developer Expire?
Which Hair Developer Should I Use?
Different volumes of hair developers leave you with different results.
Let’s take a closer look at every one of them:
| Type of Hair Developer | The Results |
|---|---|
| 20 volume hair developer | Lifting your hair to 2 levels, covering gray hair and lightening hair that is naturally blond. |
| 30 volume hair developer | Lightening hair, embedding more pigment, and helps low porosity hair. |
| 40 volume hair developer | Creating highlights without bleach on dark hair. |
| 50 volume hair developer | Caution! Use this only if you need it because it can damage and burn your hair and scalp if not used proportionately. |
There are also other criteria you should pay attention to when choosing, and we are here to help, so let’s dig in.
Here are some hair developers for all hair types and their benefits:
- L’Oreal Professionnel Majicreme 20 Volume Developer – adds shine to your hair, improves color retention, prevents your hair from drying, and provides a consistent color.
- Salon Care 20 Volume Creme Developer – it has a stabilized formula, it’s very easy to apply, it provides even lift, and it is not expensive.
- Marianna SuperStar 40 Volume Creme Developer – can be used instead of liquid peroxide; it is easy to apply and provides thick consistency.
- Pravana 20 Volume Creme Developer – it is paraben-free, lightens hair, has no harsh chemicals, and prevents your hair from drying.
- Ion Sensitive Scalp 30 Volume Creme Developer – it is specially made for people with a sensitive scalp; it refreshes your hair and is affordable.
- Clairol Professional Pure White 30 Volume Creme Developer – provides even color on your hair; it is rich in non-irritating formula and is available in all four strengths.
- Kenra Permanent Coloring 20 Volume Creme Developer – makes your hair soft and hydrated and gives it a long-lasting color, it is cruelty-free, and it is available in all four strengths.
- Salerm 20 Volume Cream Oxidant – conditions your hair, save it from drying, and is perfect for coloring and lightning.
- Matrix Colorinsider 30 Volume Oil-Cream Developer – includes a sleek tint brush; it is ammonia-free and gives your hair and exceptional shine.
Hair Developer – Composition
- For those who are interested in the further detailed composition of hair developer, here is a helpful visual representation:
- No lift, 20, 30, and 40 hair developers contain the followings:
- Water,
- Hydrogen peroxide,
- Cetearyl alcohol,
- Sodumlaurylsulfate,
- Salicylic acid,
- Disodium Hydrogen Phosphate,
- Phosphoric acid,
- Simethicone,
- Editronicacid.
Conditioner Instead Of Developer
Sorry, but no way. You should never replace the conditioner with a developer, and that’s just the way it is. Coloring your hair requires constant and careful maintenance, and you can’t afford to risk it.
First, let’s make clear the purposes of both products.
A hair developer is a product containing hydrogen peroxide, which promotes bleaching and lightening your hair. This allows the color to stay on your hair.
On the other hand, a hair conditioner is made mainly to moisturize your hair and contribute to its growth without breaking.
Nevertheless, you CAN NOT use conditioner instead of the developer because the developer’s job is to open the hair’s cuticles to work on a new color.
What Happens If You Put Too Much Developer In Hair Dye – Conclusion
Hair developer is important for coloring your hair, but when you are shopping for this type of product and mixing it, be sure to open four eyes when measuring the amount you put in your hair dye.
If you made a mistake and put too much hair developer in your mixture, the best thing you should do is throw away the mix and start over. This mistake will not burn your hair or something like that, but you will be left with poor results.
When you mix hair dye and developer, the math you are looking at is 1:1 – nothing more and nothing less.
When looking for hair developers in the shop, you will notice that they come in different volumes, and the most frequently used ones are 20, 30, 40, and sometimes even 50 – this one is tricky and dangerous for your hair; be careful.
Some of the recommended hair developers are Schwarzkopf Professional Blondme Premium Developer, L’Oreal Professionnel Majicreme 20 Volume Developer, Kenra Permanent Coloring 20 Volume Creme Developer, etc.
An average hair developer’s ingredients are hydrogen-peroxide, Cetearyl alcohol, sodium lauryl sulfate, salicylic acid, etc.
Remember, you CAN NOT use conditioner instead of the developer because the developer’s job is to open the hair’s cuticles to work on a new color.
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