Keep area dry for 12 hours
To let the tint adhere to the skin and hair, it is better to avoid wetting the treated area for 12 hours after your appointment. Think of it like semi-permanent hair dye--each wash will speed up the fading of the colour.
Less Alcohol Based Products, Please
Alcohol is used in a lot of face washes, moisturisers, even make-up and especially in make-up removers. It is great at drying out your skin, and is also the second ingredient (next to water) that is used in my Tint Removing agent! If you want to keep that colour as vibrant as possible, avoid using products containing alcohol in treated areas.
A great alternative to alcohol can be found in natural face products--the brand I use and sell in salon uses Glycerin instead of alcohols like Cetearyl Alcohol or Butylene Glycol. It is derived from vegetables, is antimicrobial and much more tolerable for our bodies (you might even find listed on the ingredients panel on foods in you cupboard).
Think Twice About Brow and Lash Products (and removing them)
For the most part, there is nothing wrong with using brow and lash serum, gels, powders and mascara over your tint. The only issue appears when you have to remove those products! Using waterproof versions will also require a stronger agent for removal. So try to avoid using any brow/lash product until the tint has faded itself, and if you really want to wear mascara, try using non-waterproof mascara (less scrubbing to remove) and for removal, try using a natural skin cleanser in the shower.
Limit Underwater Time
You know when you fake tan, the instructions (or spray tan artist) suggests avoiding pools or the ocean to prolong the tan? Same thing for tint! It also goes back to that semi-permanent hair dye analogy. The more you submerge your face in water, particularly in chlorinated water, the faster the colour will fade.
Just a PSA that you should not avoid having fun just to get the most out of your brow or lash tint!
Don't Head Straight to a Big Gym Sesh
Heavy sweat sessions, particularly on the same day as your tint appointment, will encourage fading. How? Firstly, the running-down-your-face sweat is a no-no in the first 12 hours (think back to my first point). Secondly, you've got to wash your face after a hard gym sesh. Honestly, I would rather you wash your face after a big gym session than avoid washing it just to savour the tint.
Light exercise is perfectly fine and encouraged!
Practise Sun Safety
UVA rays are responsible for colour change in our hair. Think chronic surfers--some of the surfer's' hair ends up so blonde that you think they've bleached it.
The UVB rays are responsible for hair protein loss. Whilst we might not feel our lashes and brows getting cooked by the sun like we do with our head hair, it is still hair all the same.
It is also worth noting that Hydrogen Peroxide, which is one of the main ingredients in most common tints, slowly decomposes in the presence of light.
All up, it is best for the health and vibrancy of our hairs to protect them from the sun by putting on some shades at a minimum.
Try a Different Kind of Tint
Regular tint has been used for decades on lashes, brows, and now beards and mo's. It stains the skin for the first day or so, and the hair should stay stained for 4 weeks.
Henna tint is used on brows only, and is a slightly more natural alternative to good old fashioned tint. Henna comes from the leaves of a plant called Lawsonia Inermis, and the tint itself uses a variant of peroxide that has stronger staining power. Henna tint stains the skin for 1 week, and the hair for 4-6 weeks.
Brow Dye is a new formulation of tint that has the staying power of Henna with the ease of use of regular tint. The skin stain lasts 1 week and the hair stain is said to last 7-10 weeks.
All of these numbers I throw at you for the lasting of colour depends on how you treat those tinted areas. Re: the rest of this blog post.
The Things You Can't Help
We can't force nature to stop doing it's thing. Whether it is our eyes watering, sweating or our bodies rate of natural skin renewal (i.e. exfoliation), there are forces beyond us that will remove the tint faster than we'd like. This is what we have to accept when we choose a non-permanent method like tinting.
Don't overthink your actions just because you want your brow tint to last, but keep these points in mind if you ever want to try making the stain last longer!
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