Top Ten Tips for oVertone

For over 20 years, I’ve had fun-colored hair. Honestly, I can’t imagine myself with just my natural hair color anymore. It feels decidedly unnatural, which probably sounds odd to some people. Most of the time, I completely forget that my hair is a vibrant color. For me, this is my normal. 

One of the most frequent questions I get is how I maintain my vibrant color (followed by if I have extensions – I don’t). My favorite tool I use to keep my fun-color so bold is oVertone. What is oVertone? It’s a line of hydrating semi-permanent coloring conditioners made with avocado & coconut oil. This is not hair dye, but instead a pigmented conditioner that helps hydrate and nourish your hair while also helping keep your fun-color extra fun. 

Interested in learning more? Here are my top ten tips for oVertone.

If You Aren’t Sure, Do a Test Strand

Always, always, always do a test strand before applying oVertone to all of your hair. oVertone was initially designed as a pigmented conditioner to help maintain your color achieved in a salon setting. The color of your hair pre-oVertone will really determine what your hair looks like after using oVertone. If your hair is fairly light, the results can be more bold. If your hair is darker, the results will be more subtle. A test strand will give you the opportunity to see if oVertone is right for you.

Gloves Are Your Friend

oVertone is a semi-permanent pigmented conditioner and without gloves it will dye your hands. A few thorough hand washes should remove any staining on your hands, but gloves will help you avoid the hassle. Your order of oVertone will come with gloves if you don’t have any. And believe me, they will come in handy. Oh, and if you have your nails done, oVertone can stain your nails, as well… and that might take more than a few washes to remove. I have gel manicures and I use witch hazel or astringent to help remove the dye from my nails.

Longer Setting Time is Better

Make sure you don’t wash your hair too early because with oVertone, longer is definitely better. I personally always use the Coloring Conditioners and leave them on for 15-20 minutes. I set a timer and then hang out in the shower carefully watching a show. If you know your hair doesn’t hold color well, or you’re hoping for more dramatic results, keep the conditioner in longer: 30-45 minutes. Keeping oVertone on longer won’t hurt your hair, since this is a pigmented conditioner, but after a certain amount of time, the hair just won’t absorb any more color. Definitely experiment with timing to figure out what works best for you.

Wet or Dry

For the best results possible, put oVertone on dry hair. That being said, it’s all about convenience, so you can put oVertone on wet hair, too. The science is really simple: your hair, especially if it is dry or damaged, will absorb water first before any color. So the pigmented part of the conditioner won’t absorb into the hair cuticles as well if the hair is wet. Also, wet hair means the pigmented conditioner will be more diluted, as well. That being said, I almost always put my Coloring Conditioner on my wet hair after I’ve done a mask and I’ve had great results.

Use a Barrier Cream Around Your Hairline

oVertone is a pigmented conditioner so it will stain your skin. If you’re concerned about that or just don’t want to deal with the hassle, use a barrier cream around your hairline before you saturate your hair with oVertone. Some folks use a moisturizer while others will use vaseline. Me? I installed a mirror in my shower and just try to be as neat as possible, but every time I get dye on my forehead and the astringent doesn’t remove it right away, I’m reminded that I should’ve used a barrier cream!

Hot Water is OK

I know, I know. This one seems like a trap. Most of the time, you’re always told the water needs to be freezing. oVertone was formulated to work better with warmer water, since that warm water will open up your hair cuticle a bit more, allowing the pigment to soak in even better. Plus, cold showers are ok sometimes, but there are other times that I just dread them. oVertone has really helped me suffer a little less for my art.

Blow Dryers are an Option

There is science here, too. Different colors are made up of different sized molecules, which means not all colors will adhere to your hair the same. Heat opens up the hair cuticle and gives each strand the opportunity to soak in as much color as it can, in addition to the moisture it’ll get since oVertone is a pigmented conditioner. Now, I almost never use heat on my hair. But if you need the most dramatic results, this is an option to help you achieve that goal. Just make sure if you apply heat to your hair that you also seal the hair cuticle back up. And use the blow dryer on low. It won’t take much heat to do the job.

Rinse Until Water is Fun Color-Free

Since the pigment should soak into the hair cuticle fairly well, there shouldn’t be much additional color to rinse off, but just in case, definitely rinse until the water is clear. oVertone will stain different materials otherwise. Some people do one last shampoo and conditioner after they use overtone (or they’ll do one more light conditioning treatment if they applied heat to their hair to help seal the hair cuticle back up). Me? I wet wash with oVertone, so I just let the water do its thing.

Use During Every Wet Wash

Here is the truth about fun-colored hair. To keep the hair super healthy and vibrant, you tend to wet wash less than society deems reasonable. I wet wash my hair every 1-2 weeks. Now, I’ve had dyed hair in vibrant colors for a long time, so I know what works for me. I also think we shampoo our hair way too much in general and need to wash less. Shampooing your hair too often can actually damage the hair, leaving your hair dry and brittle. It can even irritate the scalp. Washing too frequently removes the sebum your scalp produces which is vital to healthy, shiny hair. So when folks ask me how my super bleached and dyed hair is so shiny, one reason is that I don’t shampoo very much. All that being said, when I do wet wash my hair, I always use oVertone to keep that vibrancy there.

Don’t Be Afraid to Experiment

If oVertone doesn’t have the perfect color for you, don’t be afraid to mix your own color. When my hair goddess does my hair, it’s a custom color she mixes to get my greens (as of Jan 2024) just right. How can I expect a pigmented conditioner to match that shade perfectly? I mix two colors of oVertone together to get the perfect neon green. Don’t already have fun-colored hair but thinking of it? Do a small piece, like a money piece. Don’t automatically go to lightening your hair and instead try a little oVertone over your natural hair color. Have fun with your hair. And most of all, be your authentic self.