Rainbow Hair at Home? It’s Possible With This Game-Changing Hack!

With Betta Fish Hair and Sand Art Hair taking over our Pinterest feeds, it’s becoming clear that this summer is the time for you to bust out the pastels. Sure, the jump to full-on cotton candy hair is a big one, but it really doesn’t have to be using this pastel hair hack. Introducing Tinge, a California-made line of temporary tinted conditioner that makes getting in on the pastel hair trend easy + commitment free.

I started Tinge with my boyfriend, Zach, in late 2013, but my idea for a temporary pastel conditioner actually goes back a lot longer than that  — I was already making it as one-offs for my clients,  but it wasn’t until he came along that we gave it a name, began product testing and hired someone to design the packaging. Now the final product currently offers five premixed colors that go on soft and rinse out in three to five washes. Really, this stuff takes all the prep work + guessing + nail-biting out of the hair coloring process.

Now I want to show you just how fuss-free it can be to give yourself rainbow hair at home in just five steps.

PREP YOUR HAIR

Like Wendy here, you need fully bleached hair in order for Tinge to work its magic. So once you’ve visited your stylist/colorist and taken the platinum plunge, it’s super easy from there on out. I suggest using Tinge after you’ve freshly washed your hair (new shower BFF?) and have lightly towel-dried it. Or, you could start with completely dry hair for even more color absorption.

STEP 1: SECTION OFF HAIR FOR PRO-LEVEL RESULTS

There are two ways you can apply Tinge to your hair: the really, really DIY way of grabbing strands or small sections of hair and going for it just like that, or the more controlled way that will give you a more even-all-over finish. Since the former is a no-brainer, we’re breaking down how to section your hair.

Start by creating a section for the front top part of your hair (the bangs + the hair on the very top of your head) using your eyebrows as a guide. Roll up that hair into a bun and use a duckbill clip to secure it in place (or jaw clips for smaller sections). From there, you’ll create seven more sections around your head — that’s eight total. If you’re applying multiple colors like we are, think of these defined sections like lines in a coloring book — they’re there to help create barriers so the different colored sections don’t touch each other.

STEP 2: APPLY TO HAIR

Okay, first, let’s talk colors.

Our temporary pastel moisturizer currently comes in five hues, but today, we’re using the trio of peach, lavender and silver to create a rainbow-like effect. You can alway stick with one color (our turquoise comes out in this really rad deep mint!) or use your two favorite hues to create an ombre or dip-dyed look, too. Regardless of the style you go for, it’s very, very, very important to know that the color you see in the bottle is darker than it will appear in your hair once it has dried. So don’t freak! We’re going for moreMy Little Pony than punk rock singer.

Remove the clip from the section of hair you want to color first. For sections this size, you’ll want to scoop out about a tablespoon’s worth of product onto your hand (you can adjust the amount based on the size of the piece you’re dying).

Pro tip: Start applying the product from the bottom up — this will help prevent color overlap — and use a mirror to help, too! Massage it into your strands like you’d do a typical conditioner.

A few more words for the wise:

– Use multiple scoops of color per section — the hair must be well saturated for even distribution.

– For the back of the head, use your fingers to work in the product and judge the saturation by feel.

– As you finish each section, clip or position them away from your face and each other.

STEP 3: WAIT 10-30 MINUTES

The longer Tinge is left on, the longer it will last, but again, it will never be as dark as the color in the container. Thanks to the subtlety of Tinge, it’s pretty much impossible to over-color your precious locks.

STEP 4: RINSE THOROUGHLY

Rinse hair with cool water away from the face and eyes until all of the product is removed. Here, your hair should look super saturated. But just you wait — dreamy pastels are only a blowout away!

STEP 5: BLOW DRY + STYLE

Blow-dry your hair for gimme-now results. Let me guess — you look like the heart-eye emoji right now?

Can you believe how soft + buttery these colors look? The color lasts for 3-5 washes, so we recommend investing in a shower cap and maybe DIY-ing some dry shampoo to help the color last! When you do need to lather up your mane, make sure you’re washing with a sulfate-free shampoo.

If peach, silver and purple isn’t your color scheme, try turquoise, purple and pink! Playing with the colors, placement and size of each section is a fun way to make your rainbow different every time. Plus the great thing about Tinge is that it’s temporary and non-damaging so you can change it as often as you want.

From me, Wendy + Zach: Be creative and have fun!

Will your next selfies show a brand-new pastel-haired you?