When using boxed hair color, you may have had the experience of ending up with a shade you love but one that is simply too intense. There are ways you can tone down or reduce the color in a boxed hair dye, either before you do the dyeing or afterward.
Make sure the box dye you are using includes a No. 10 developer. This will cause the least amount of lightening and color to be deposited in the hair. No. 20 volume developer will cause greater lightening and color depositing.
Mix the hair color kit according to the directions, but apply only a thin, even layer to your hair. This will wash your hair with the box dye color without making it too intense.
Reduce the time that you leave the box dye on your hair. Rinse the dye out five minutes early for a 20-minute dye if you would like the color to be less noticeable. With a dye that takes less time to develop, rinse the dye out just a few minutes early.
Apply the hair dye on the ends of your hair first and work up if your roots tend to suck up too much color. This way the roots will have less time to develop than the rest of the hair.
Wash your hair two or three times with a detergent hair shampoo after you have removed the color. Continue to do this for the next couple of days and to significantly reduce the hair color from the box dye.
Rinse your hair two or three times with white vinegar to further decrease the color of the dye.