How To Go Back To Your Natural Hair Color Without Permanent Dye
If you’re ready to go back to your natural hair color but don’t want to commit to permanent hair dye, one of my favorite methods is using a semi-permanent hair color. Whether you’re growing out blonde, faded permanent color, highlights, or balayage, this method covers previously dyed hair without creating another harsh root line. It’s inexpensive, easy to do at home, and allows you to gradually transition back to your natural hair color with very little commitment.
In this post, I’ll show you why this is one of my favorite methods for transitioning back to your natural hair color, recommend products and shades, and teach you exactly how to do this at home for the best results. As a hairstylist, this is my most recommended option for going back to your natural color. However, it’s not your only option if you do decide that it’s not for you. I compare all of the different ways to grow out old hair color here.
Why Use Semi-Permanent Color Instead of Permanent Hair Dye?
When you dye your hair permanently, you’re shifting the natural pigment of the hair, which will create a root line once your hair begins to grow out. Additionally, the hair that has been colored with permanent dye will begin to fade warm or brassy since the underlying pigment has been exposed.
But when you use semi-permanent dye, you’re only covering or staining the hair, not shifting it internally. This allows you to grow your natural hair out without having to continuously battle a root line once a month. Because you’re not repeatedly applying permanent dye to your new growth, your natural color can continue growing in unaltered.
- Easy to do yourself from home: Semi-permanent dye can be used in the form of shampoos and conditioners that are extremely easy to use at home. There is no developer or mixing of dye involved, nor do you need to use a bowl and brush. If you know how to wash your hair, you know how to use these products.
- It’s not risky: Because this is a semi-permanent dye, it’s not at all damaging. In fact, most of the color depositing conditioners double as deep conditioning treatments because they contain bond builders that strengthen the hair. Additionally, if you change your mind or don’t like the shade, stop using it, and it’ll fade out completely in several washes. You can also remove it quickly using this method.
- You can lighten it easily in the future: Since semi-permanent dye is low commitment, it won’t hinder your ability to dye it again in the future if you choose to. Permanent dye is much harder and more damaging to lighten out of the hair if you change your mind, because bleach is usually needed to remove it.
Who This Method Is Best For
While using semi-permanent dye is my favorite way to go back to your natural color, it isn’t the only option. Depending on your hair color, budget, and long-term goals, one of my other recommended options may be a better choice for growing out your hair color.
Semi-Permanent Dye Works Best If You’re:
- Growing out blonde hair
- Going back to your darker natural hair color
- Growing out highlights or balayage
- Looking for a low-commitment/low-risk option
- Want the easiest color application
Semi-Permanent Dye Isn’t Recommended If:
- You need gray coverage
- You’re trying to lighten your hair
- You’re dramatically changing levels
Additionally, you can mix multiple methods together. For example, you may choose to highlight your hair first, then use semi-permanent color over the highlights for a more dimensional blend. Or use demi-permanent dye first for more depth, longevity, or gray blending, then use semi-permanent dye for maintenance as that demi-permanent grows out.
***Since I’m sharing the products that I love to use with you guys, this page includes affiliate links to these products. If you take action and purchase a product through clicking one of my links, I’ll make some commission money from it at no extra cost to you. This enables me to be able to continue giving you awesome hair tips, so thanks! ***
Recommended Semi-Permanent Dye
My favorite brand when it comes to semi-permanent dye is Celeb Luxury. This is because they’re easy to use in shampoo and conditioner form, and I’ve never seen them be difficult to remove from the hair. They offer a variety of colors in both fantasy and natural shades.
You do not need to use both the shampoo and the conditioner for good results. You can get away with using one or the other, although the color will be the most intense if you do use both together.
Just keep in mind that the color won’t be an exact match. It will blend out, but I don’t want you going into this thinking it’s going to match your natural hair color identically (neither permanent nor demi-permanent does this either).
What Shade To Use
In the video example below, I used Celeb Luxury’s Cocoa Quartz shade. But if you want an even more customized tone, mix multiple shades together. You can deepen it by adding in Star Sapphire or Brown Thatian Pearl. You can do this by using a shampoo in one shade and a conditioner in another, or by mixing two shampoos or conditioners.
While Amazon does carry Celeb Luxury, and it is often a little cheaper than ordering from their website, they don’t always have the full stock of all of their shades. I’ll leave links to their Amazon listings below as well as their website if you can’t find a shade that will work for you on Amazon. Be sure to check both the shampoos and the conditioners, as they sometimes have different shades in each.
The most common shade options for transitioning back to your natural color are:
- Cocoa Quarts: Best if your natural is dark blonde or light brown. **Most recommended!
- Star Sapphire: Best if your natural is a bit darker (medium brown) or there is some brassiness that you want to neutralize
- Brown Tahitian Pearl: Best if your natural is dark or you need to neutralize red tones in brown hair. **This shade isn’t suggested for covering blonde, as it can turn it muddy.
- Silver Diamond: Best if you have level 10 blonde but want it to appear more silvery/gray.
- Sandy Opal: Best for a neutral, natural blonde shade.
Note: Your hair must currently be lighter than the semi-permanent dye for it to show up. Silver and other light tones will only show up on level 10 blonde.
Amazon:
How To Apply Color Depositing Conditioner
For the easiest application, you can use these in the shower in place of your regular shampoo and conditioner. However, if you apply them to dry hair, they’ll take a little bit more intensely since the water from the shower can dilute them a little bit.
You’ll process the shampoo or conditioner anywhere from 1 to 20 minutes, depending on how much color you want deposited. The bottle suggests 1-3 minutes, and I find this is great for maintenance, but for initial application, I like to let them sit up to 20 minutes and find they take a little deeper.
The more you use them, the more intense the color will get. The less you use them, the more they will gradually fade out entirely.
For best results, follow my YouTube tutorial below:
Frequently Asked Questions
- How long does it last? Semi-permanent color typically lasts from 4 to 8 weeks if not continuously maintained. It will fade a little each time you wash it. Deeper colors will last longer, while light and pastel colors fade quickly. Additionally, the more damaged your hair is, the quicker the color will fade.
- Does it cover gray hair? While semi-permanent dye can reduce some of the harshness of white hair, it does not provide gray coverage. Depending on how resistant the gray hair is, it may not take much at all. For gray blending, I recommend demi-permanent hair dye instead initially, then you can use semi-permanent over top of that for maintenance.
- How often should I do it? This is dependent on your situation and goals. Some use semi-permanent shampoo and conditioners each time they wash their hair until their color is completely grown out, while others will use them once a month. Test different usage schedules and find what works best for you.
- Can I go back to blonde later? Absolutely. This is one of the main reasons why I love recommending this option, because it’s low-commitment and risk-free. If you want to lighten your hair in the future, just stop using it and allow it to fade out of your hair first.
- What if I don’t like the shade? Luckily, semi-permanent dye is much safer than using a permanent dye. If you aren’t happy with the shade, you can apply another one over top, or allow it to fade out of the hair. You can remove it very quickly by using this method here.
- Will this cover orange or brassy hair? Yes! This is one of their recommended uses: toning unwanted shades.
Conclusion
If your goal is to go back to your natural hair color without the commitment of permanent hair dye, semi-permanent color depositing shampoos and conditioners are one of the safest and easiest options available. They allow you to soften the contrast between your natural roots and previously colored hair while giving you the flexibility to change your mind later.
While this isn’t the best solution for every situation, it’s one of my favorite methods because it’s inexpensive, beginner-friendly, and doesn’t lock you into another permanent color.
If you’re still deciding which grow-out method is right for you, be sure to read my guide to the best ways to grow out old hair color.
Leave me any questions you have on this method in the comment section, and subscribe if you’d like to make every day a good hair day!
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