Hair Color Mixing Calculator

Hair color mixing follows a simple ratio formula that determines how much of each color product to combine in order to achieve a target shade. Most professional hair color systems use a 1:1 or 1:2 ratio of color to developer, and blending two shades uses proportional mixing.

Developer mixing formula: Developer Volume = Color Volume × Developer Ratio

Standard ratios:

• 1:1: 50ml color + 50ml developer (typical for permanent color)
• 1:1.5: 50ml color + 75ml developer (some brands for gray coverage)
• 1:2: 50ml color + 100ml developer (lighteners, bleach)

Shade blending formula: To mix two shades (A and B) to get a target midpoint: Ratio A : Ratio B (e.g. 50:50 for equal parts, 70:30 for predominant A)

Total volume calculation: Total Mix = Color A Volume + Color B Volume + Developer

Where:

• Color A / B volumes: the individual color product amounts
• Developer: hydrogen peroxide mixed with color; higher volume (strength) lifts hair more
• Developer Volume: 10 Vol (3%) deposits only; 20 Vol (6%) lifts 1–2 levels; 30 Vol (9%) lifts 2–3 levels; 40 Vol (12%) lifts 3–4 levels and belongs off the scalp

What each variable means:

• Lift: removing existing pigment; stronger developer = more lift
• Deposit: adding new pigment; any developer volume deposits color
• Tone: warm (gold/copper), cool (ash/violet), neutral; tones neutralize opposite tones on the color wheel
• Gray coverage: gray hair is resistant; formulas with higher color-to-developer ratio (1:1 with 20 Vol) give better gray coverage

Reference: developer volumes and their effect:

• 10 Volume (3%): No lift, deposit only: refreshing color, toning
• 20 Volume (6%): 1–2 levels of lift: standard permanent color
• 30 Volume (9%): 2–3 levels of lift: lightening dark hair
• 40 Volume (12%): 3–4 levels of lift: off-scalp work only, and normally with bleach

Worked example: Shoulder-length hair, blending 60% shade 7.3 (golden blonde) with 40% shade 7.1 (ash blonde), on a 1:1.5 ratio with 20 Volume developer.

• Medium length takes 1.5 tubes, which is 3 oz or 89 ml of color
• Shade A = 89 × 0.60 = 53 ml of 7.3
• Shade B = 89 − 53 = 36 ml of 7.1
• Developer = 3 oz × 1.5 = 4.5 oz = 133 ml of 20 Volume
• Total in the bowl = 89 + 133 = 222 ml

Note that the developer is measured against the total color, not against either shade separately. Blending changes what goes in, never how much developer answers it.

Result: a warm-neutral blonde that leans golden with just enough ash to keep it off brassy. Set the same three boxes above and put 60 in the blend field and you will get these numbers back.