The hair developer comes with a hair dye and bleach kit, or you can buy it separately. If you are someone like me who experiments with hair colors, you might have different volumes of the developer on the shelf. Did you imagine what would happen if you could mix 10 and volume 30 developers? Or put a volume 20 developer into 40!
If you mix 1 ounce of 10 volume developer with 1 ounce of volume 30, you get 2 ounces of the 20 volume developer. However, the end volume will differ if you don’t mix them in equal proportions (1;1).
I have made tables below that will help you mix all different volume developers effectively. They are crucial so have a look at them.
Whether you are bleaching or permanently coloring your hair, the developer is the main thing to decide the results. And if you learn the correct technique for using it, you’ll be able to control your hair color.
I have mixed two of 10,20,30, and 40 volume developers in the same and different concentrations below.
Let’s dive into how you can measure which volume developer you will get after mixing different concentrations of different developers.
Can You Mix Different Volumes of the Developer?
Yes, you can mix different volumes of the developer but make sure that the two developers you are trying to mix are from the same brand. Otherwise, you might end up wasting both because they can have different ingredients.
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There are a few crucial points you need to consider before mixing any of the two volumes of the developer.
- Both developers are from the same brand.
- None of them is expired or has lost its strength.
- You mix the same concentrations of both or know what volume you will get after mixing different concentrations.
Also, you need to know that you get different levels of lift with different volumes of the developer. So, if you are mixing the 10 volume developer with 30, you will get only 1-2 levels of hair color lift.
Further in this article, I have explained what volume you will get after mixing different volumes of the developer.
Why Do You Want To Mix 10 and 30 Volume Developer?
It is crucial to decide what your end goal is after mixing a 10 volume developer with 30 or a volume 20 with 40. If you ask me, I have mixed the different volume developers for the following reasons.
- I needed a medium-strength developer. So, I mixed volume 10 with 30 to get the volume 20, which contains 6% of hydrogen peroxide.
- I wanted to experiment.
- Sometimes I ran out of the one specific volume of the developer. So, I mixed the other two to get that volume.
There can be various other reasons why you want to mix any of the two developers. But the main thing is how you mix them to get the volume you wanted at the end. So, let’s get into that!
Can You Mix 2 Different Brands Of Developer?
It is not recommended to mix developers from two different brands unless you are sure that both have the same chemical composition. Even if both developers contain only hydrogen peroxide, its concentration may vary. Therefore, you might get a different strength developer than expected.
If you want to mix the developer from two different brands, mix them in a small amount first and do a patch test. If you get the ideal hair color lift, you may proceed with mixing the developers in bulk and apply the mixture all over your hair.
How To Mix Two Different Volumes Of The Developer (10, 20, 30, 40)?
When you mix volume 10 and 30 developers or any other available volumes, you need to do basic math. In the following, we have made things easy for you by mixing different concentrations and volumes of the developer.
1. How to mix volume 10 and 30 developers?
While mixing equal concentrations of 30 and 10 volume developers, you will get a 20 volume developer that lifts the hair color to two levels.
But if you don’t mix them in equal proportion or 1:1, you will not get the 6% hydrogen peroxide developer.
For example, you have 1 ounce of 10 and 2 ounces of 30 volume developers to mix. What do you think the volume of the final developer will be?
No, it will not be 20!
You will get the 23 volume developer. It means your developer will have almost 7 percent hydrogen peroxide. How is that possible?
The main thing you need to look at while mixing the two developers is their percentage of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2).
When you mix equal concentrations of the 10 volume (3% h2o2) and 30 volume (9% h2o2) developers, the final percentage of the hydrogen peroxide becomes 6 percent. How?
- It is 3% plus 9% divided by 2, which equals 6% or the 20 volume developer.
It’s like you diluted 30 to 20 volume developer by adding the same amount of the 10 volume developer into it.
But if you added a volume 30 developer twice the amount of volume 10 developer, the calculation changes. It will be like the following.
- It is 9% plus 9% plus 3% divided by 3, which equals 7%, or you can call it volume 23 developer.
So, now you can adjust the amount of each developer you add into the mixture and know what will be the final volume or the percentage of hydrogen peroxide. Look into the pictures we have added to this article for further understanding.
| Conc. of V 10 Developer | Conc. V 30 Developer | Final Volume Developer | Final % of Hydrogen Peroxide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ml | 10 ml | Volume 20 | 6% |
| 10 ml | 20 ml | Volume 23 | 7% |
| 20 ml | 10 ml | Volume 13 | 4% |
| 20 ml | 20 ml | Volume 20 | 6% |
2. Can I mix 20 and 40-volume developers?
If you want to get a 30-volume developer, you can mix equal amounts of 20 and 40-volume developers. However, it would help if you ensured that both developers you are mixing are from the same brand.
Further, look into the following table to mix 20 and 40 volume developers in different concentrations.
| Conc. of V 20 Developer | Conc. V 40 Developer | Final Volume Developer | Final % of Hydrogen Peroxide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ml | 10 ml | Volume 30 | 9% |
| 10 ml | 20 ml | Volume 33 | 10% |
| 20 ml | 10 ml | Volume 26 | 8% |
| 20 ml | 20 ml | Volume 30 | 9% |
3. Can I mix 30 and 40 volume developers?
Mixing 30 and 40 volume developers in equal proportion (1:1) will get you the 35 volume developer that will help you lift your hair color to 1 level more than a 30 volume developer.
Further, if you don’t have equal concentrations of both developers, you can mix them in any proportion. It might be a bit difficult to determine the final volume of the developer in that case. The following table will help you in that regard.
| Conc. of V 30 Developer | Conc. V 40 Developer | Final Volume Developer | Final % of Hydrogen Peroxide |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 ml | 10 ml | Volume 35 | 10.5% |
| 10 ml | 20 ml | Volume 36 | 11% |
| 20 ml | 10 ml | Volume 33 | 10% |
| 20 ml | 20 ml | Volume 35 | 10.5% |
Executive Summary
You can mix any volume developers but ensure the same brand makes them. Further, when you don’t mix each of them in equal proportion, you don’t get the average volume of both. Therefore, it is crucial to determine what volume developer you get after mixing the two developers in different concentrations.
