How to Apply Clairol Kaleidocolors

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Achieving the perfect tone when coloring your hair can be a challenge. Clairol Kaleidocolors is a product that allows you to lighten and tone your hair to the shade that you desire. When dyeing your hair, you can often end up with a color that is more yellow or brassy than you intended. This is because the dyeing process removes the cooler tones from your hair and leaves the warmer tones. Kaleidocolors prevents this by lightening hair while putting a complementary color into your hair.

Pick a toner that complements your natural color. To do this, think of the standard 12-color color wheel. Match the color of your hair to the color on the color wheel that best represents your color and then select the Kaleidocolor opposite your natural color on the color wheel. If you have yellow-blonde hair, select violet because violet is opposite yellow. If you have red or reddish brown hair select the blue color. If your hair is a neutral color that isn't too red or yellow, pick the neutral product.

Prepare your hair. Brush hair thoroughly and apply petroleum jelly to your forehead, ears and neck to prevent any fallen product from dyeing your skin. Put on rubber gloves to protect your hands.

Mix your selected Kaleidocolor with a developer in a plastic or wood container. Developers come in different strengths, denoted by the number on the bottle. A lower number like 10 or 20 is not as strong as a 30 or 40. Pick the developer that matches the amount of lightening that you want to do to your hair. If you are intending to highlight your hair only a few shades, a 20 will do. If you intend to go from dark to light, you will want the strongest developer.

Apply the mixed product to your hair. If you want highlights, paint a strip of hair and then wrap it in a foil to prevent the product from coming into contact with hair that you do not want to dye. For over-all color, apply the product to your entire head using a brush.

Develop your color for the appropriate amount of time, using the time sheet provided with the product. Keep an eye on your hair to determine when you have reached the level of lightening that you prefer. This can range anywhere from 20 to 45 minutes.

Rinse your hair completely to remove any product and stop the dyeing process. Shampoo and condition as you normally would.