Color without commitment! This gel-like hair color conditions while it colors, offering incredibly rich demi-permanent results with exceptional shine.
No-Ammonia, No-MEA, No-Lift Formula
Won't lighten the hair's natural pigment.
6x the shine*+ 36% more condition*
*Based on third-party testing with The Demi Clear, as compared to untreated hair.
Natural pH
Gentle on hair, providing just enough swelling to facilitate dye development and penetration slightly beyond the cuticle.
Mix of Direct and Oxidative Dyes
Create a longer-lasting hair color that lasts up to 4-6 weeks.
Soy Protein
Smoothes the cuticle to make hair feel softer and better hydrated.
Plant-Based Lipids and Oleic Acid
Condition, nourish and soften the hair for a silky feel and styling control.
Fast 5-20 Minute Processing
Creative control over minimal to maximum deposit. Allows easy fixes via tonal adjustments and color corrections.
Sample our sweetest shades yet! Indulge those cocoa cravings with The Demi Chocolate family—a decadent selection of rich, warm brown tones, with a subtle mahogany reflection. This irresistible family adds richness to faded brunette shades and creates beautiful bronde dimension in blonde hues.
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*Based on JPMS 2019 sales
You asked, we answered! By popular demand, four favorite shades are now dropping into The Demi collection. Saving time with even more pick-and-put options to achieve the perfect results, each shade is designed to deliver an even tone that feels neutral, natural and balanced.
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Top Coat
Stand-alone service
Upgrade every guest with a Clear Top Coat that creates healthy looking shine while enhancing softness and hydration.
First-Time Application
For commitment-shy color guests
Enhance, intensify, deepen or tone down natural or color-treated hair without the commitment of permanent color.
Refresh
Add-on service during a permanent color retouch
Bring dull, faded mid lengths and ends back to life while simultaneously processing a permanent color retouch.
Tone + Refine
For all your blonding guests
Tone pre-lightened or highlighted hair for the perfect blonde.
Gray Blending
An alternative option for minimally gray guests
Blend gray naturally and discreetly while creating semi-opaque results.
Color Correction
A tool for correcting color
Fill or pre-pigment the hair when performing tintbacks, or use The Demi to minimize or control unwanted tones.
Send your guests home with the NEW Paul Mitchell The Demi Color Gloss to keep color-treated hair vibrant between salon visits—available in 6 gorgeous hues!
Get glossing
The Demi Chocolates are ideal for refreshing mids and ends with a warm natural result, higher levels tone seamlessly with a creamy background. Lower levels beautifully blend gray and create dramatic depth, with gorgeous swirls of chocolate tones to satisfy any sweet tooth.
The Demi CH family is formulated with a brown-to-tan background color. Triple-numeral designation (/705) indicates a more nuanced tonality, balanced with brown (shades have red warmth vs. gold warmth).
Brown—Primary tone
Natural—Secondary tone
Mahogany—Reflection tone (shades have red warmth vs. gold warmth)
The combination of these tones offer the perfect amount of warmth without having to intermix multiple shade families.
Similar in depth to the N family, levels 4CH, 5CH and 6CH are ideal for gray blending with balanced, natural warmth.
Levels 4 and 5
The deepest and richest tones in the family, creating a saturated warm brown dark chocolate result, and can also be used for gray blending.
Buzzwords: Espresso, Dark Chocolate, Hickory, Cacao, Root Beer
Levels 6 and 7
These shades create a perfect mid-tone, milk-chocolate result. Ideal for root taps, shadow rooting, low lighting and melts. Add depth and warmth, without going too gold in tone.
Buzzwords: Mocha, Chocolate Bar, Hot Cocoa, Walnut, Maple Syrup, Cola Brown
Levels 8 and 9
These lighter tones create an ideal bronde effect. Tone or gloss any blonde for a creamy, balanced warm result. Ideal for blondes looking to add depth or transition into brunette hues.
Buzzwords: Light Caramel, Tawny, Iced Coffee, Tanned Blonde
Chocolate (CH) vs. Natural Beige (NB)
The CH family has a subtle mahogany brown warmth, resulting in a deeper deposit, while the NB family has a golden warmth, resulting in a reflective, more dimensional deposit. The CH family is true to level, while the NB family may appear slightly lighter at each level due to its beige reflect.
Chocolate (CH) vs. Natural (N)
The CH and N families share the same opacity and depth, but the CH family is warmer in tone. The N family is slightly cool, which allows for a very balanced and natural deposit. Due to the warmth in the CH family, expect a bit more dimension than the N shades. Both are ideal for gray blending, depending on desired tonality.
The Demi Chocolate vs. Paul Mitchell The Color CH+
Both are warm and rich in tone. The Demi CH is ideal for boosting faded PMTC CH+ tones and refreshing mids and ends.
'Mocha Mousse' is Pantone's Color of the Year for 2025.
#chocolatehair had over 30 million views on TikTok in Sept 2023*
*Source: Spate, 2023
Ideal for creating creamy, beige blondes and balanced brunettes, The Demi's core shades are designed to even warmth, add dimension and enhance natural highlights. Use these families to tone, refine and refreshhair at all levels while adding softness and shine.
Natural Beige
Ideal for toning, lowlighting and adding dimension
Natural
Ideal for achieving balanced, natural results
Blue Violet
Ideal for gray blending, warmth control, root shadows and lowlights
“10 out of 10 stars! Love the shine and how pigmented.”
Cynthia Laws (Sylva, NC)@cynn.does.hair
“I love the level 8 option for that perfect addition of pigment to control warmth without the added depth.”
Elisha Ogdahl (Salem, OR)@havana_salon_salemoregon
“A great lowlight that was soft and natural for my guest wanting to tone down.”
Rachel Meyers (Denmark)@rachel_ann2887
Demi-permanent conditioning formula that is intermixable and processes in 5-20 minutes for incredibly rich, shiny results.
This demi-permanent no-ammonia formula conditions hair while coloring to provide incredibly rich results with exceptional shine.
Why You’ll Love the Demi
*The Flash Toners are intermixable with each other but are not recommended for intermixing with Muted Metallics or other blended The Demi shades.
Mix The Demi shades in equal parts (1:1 ratio) with Paul Mitchell® Processing Liquid.
1:1
Use any one of these tips or a combination to achieve optimal gray blending:
Intermixing shades to create levels outside of the shades offered will provide stylists with the most predictability and creativity.
Top Coat or First-Time Application
Root Retouch Using The Demi
Refresh (During a Permanent Color Retouch)
Tone + Refine (Pre-lightened)
Gray Blending
For an initial application, follow the steps for Top Coat or First-Time Application.
For retouching gray hair, follow the steps for Root Retouch Using The Demi.
Intermixing shades to create levels outside of the shades offered will provide stylists with the most predictability and creativity.
It is recommended to perform an allergy test prior to a color service. especially for sensitive guests. Just like certain foods and materials, hair color products can cause allergic reactions in some people. Conduct the following test 48 hours before application.
Allergy Test Steps
Conduct the following test 48 hours before application.
1. Cleanse an area the size of a nickel behind the ear, touching the hairline. Pat dry.
2. Apply the actual color mixture you intend to use, including developer to the test area.
3. Let process for the intended processing time, rinse and pat dry.
4. Do not wash or rinse area for 48 hours. If no reaction has occurred, proceed with process. Do not use hair color if the guest has experienced any signs of irritation.
Everything you need to get to know the full line of The Demi is available through The eLearning Platform. Click on Content Library > Product Knowledge category to see the most up to date product knowledge courses.
For a complete selection of FREE downloadable salon resources, marketing collateral and social assets to support your Paul Mitchell® business, visit our Newsstand.
Start your education journey
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Browse the topics below to find what you're looking for.
The Demi is a demi-permanent hair color. What is a demi-permanent color?
Demi-permanent hair color is often referred to as deposit-only color, because it does not usually lift or lighten the natural color. Some demi-permanent colors, including The Demi, use a combination of oxidative and direct dyes mixed with lower volumes of hydrogen peroxide to develop the color.
What are some of the service opportunities with The Demi?
The Demi is ideal as a stand-alone service to enhance existing hair color: as a top coat or to refresh faded hair, to tone and refine pre-lightened hair, or for a color correction to fill the hair (repigmentize) prior to a tint back. It is also used for gray blending as an alternative option for minimally gray guests. The Demi is also the perfect choice for a first-time application for commitment-shy color guests.
What are some of the key features and benefits that make The Demi so unique?
An important feature of The Demi technology is its no-ammonia, no-MEA, no-lift formula. This means it will not lighten or redden the hair's natural pigment. Another key ingredient is soy protein, which is used to help smooth the cuticle and make the hair feel softer and better hydrated. Plant-based lipids and oleic acid condition, nourish and soften the hair for a silky feel and styling control.
What is the pH of The Demi?
Neutral. The Demi is gentle on the hair, providing just enough swelling to facilitate dye development and penetration slightly beyond the cuticle layer.
What dyes are used in The Demi?
The Demi uses a proprietary mix of direct and oxidative dyes to create a longer-lasting hair color that fades on tone and lasts up to 4-6 weeks.
What are the mixing and processing guidelines for The Demi?
The Demi is mixed in a 1:1 ratio of color to Paul Mitchell® Processing Liquid (7 volume / 2%). Timing ranges between 5 - 20 minutes at room temperature. The Demi shades, Muted Metallics and Clear require a standard processing time up to 20 minutes at room temperature. Flash Toners process between 2-10 minutes based on the desired amount of deposit.
What happens if I process The Demi for less than the recommended 20 minutes?
To maximize The Demi's deposit-only benefit, a full 20 minutes at room temperature is recommended (see exceptions in question 6). Shortcutting the timing results in underdeveloped color which may appear “hollow.” Additionally, the benefits of condition and smoothness, along with the longevity of the color results, will be compromised.
Can I use another Paul Mitchell® Clear or Cream Developer with The Demi?
No. The Demi is specially formulated to be mixed in equal parts with Paul Mitchell® Processing Liquid. Any other developer will adversely affect performance.
What is the consistency of The Demi?
The Demi mixes to a gel-like consistency that is easy to apply and versatile for both bottle or bowl and brush applications.
What type of gray blending will I achieve with The Demi?
The Demi will discreetly blend minimally gray hair. To maximize natural gray blending, select at a level 6 or darker that contains brown background: N, NB, BV or G. Follow the Gray Blending Guidelines in The Demi chart for additional information.
Can I use heat with The Demi?
Paul Mitchell® Professional does not recommend an external heat source (hood dryer, processing machine or diffuser) when processing The Demi.
Should The Demi be applied to wet or towel-dried hair?
The Demi is typically applied to clean, dry hair. However, when using The Demi to tone and refine pre-lightened hair, towel-dried hair is acceptable.
Can The Demi be applied the same day as a texture service?
Yes, thanks to its gentle, ammonia-free formula and conditioning ingredients.
Is The Demi formulated with background color and tone?
Yes. Background color is the foundation of the hair color base. It helps to produce naturally balanced results. The Demi shades are formulated with no background color (OR, R, VR, V), or with either a brown-to-tan (BV, N, NB, G) or a black-to-gray background color (PA, AA, A, MT). Tone is the special character or general reflect of a color. Violet, matte and gold are words that refer to tone.
Who is the Flash Toner client?
Any level 9-10 client who wants a fast and effective way to counteract or control warm undertones. Brass-Free Blue can neutralize levels 9-10 or leave a beautiful, blue-based platinum tone. For clients who think their blonde is too yellow, Brass-Free Violet will keep the hair looking cool. When light blondes require tonal adjustment, Neutral Beige will balance and refine the color.
Does Paul Mitchell® recommend shampooing to remove The Demi Flash Toners?
Yes. As with all chemical services, proper product removal from the scalp and hair requires a thorough shampoo. We recommend Paul Mitchell® Color Protect® Post Color Shampoo.
Which Paul Mitchell® developer is recommended for use with The Demi Flash Toners?
Paul Mitchell® Processing Liquid is designed to work with The Demi Flash Toners, because it provides the perfect liquid-gel viscosity. Mixing Flash Toners with other developers is not recommended. Mixing them with any other Paul Mitchell® developer could cause unpredictable tonal results and will change the viscosity.
What is the recommended processing time for the Flash Toners? Is it different than the other The Demi shades?
The recommended timing for The Demi Flash Toners is 2-10 minutes on towel-dried hair. The Demi standard shades and Muted Metallics are recommended to process up to 20 minutes on either dry or towel-dried hair.
Can I intermix The Demi Flash Toners with other The Demi shades or Muted Metallics?
No. Flash Toners are only intermixable with themselves and The Demi Clear. They are formulated to process in 2-10 minutes, while The Demi shades require a standard 20-minute processing time. Intermixing Flash Toners with The Demi shades will result in either over-processing the Flash Toners or under-processing The Demi standard shades.
The Muted Metallics shades (Lavender, Rose Gold and Silver) are uniquely formulated to produce diffused, wearable fashion shades, which are chosen for a singular look and meant to be formulated/used on their own.
Use the Paul Mitchell Professional Pre-Service Prep before each color service and see the difference a clean canvas can make.
Clear the way for better color
