Abstract: The process of dyeing hair includes uniformly applying to a strip of skin adjoining the hair line of the hair to be dyed a protective composition containing 27 to 50 percent by weight polyethylene glycol having an average molecular weight of 2,700 to 7,500; 7 to 14 percent by weight hydrogenated castor oil, ethoxylated with 40 to 60 moles of ethylene oxide; 28 to 42 percent by weight glycerin and/or ethyl hexanediol and/or polyethylene glycol having a molecular weight of 100 to 300; at least one standard cosmetic additive; and 0 to 18 percent by weight water; to protect the strip of the skin from coloring when dyeing or tinting hair; then treating the hair to be dyed with the hair dye; and after the treating of the hair with the hair dye, subsequently rinsing or rinsing and shampooing the hair.