How to fix brassy hair at home

If blondes have more fun, then why is it so hard to deal with brassy blonde tones that creep into your perfect shade soon after bleaching? Too often, the icy blonde we were hoping for ends up with yellow or orange tones – a dull disappointment.

If you don’t know how to get rid of brassy hair, rest assured that the tips below will help you get the cool blonde you’ve always desired.

Why Hair Turns Brassy After Bleaching

How does the process for going blonde work, anyway? To reach that platinum color, pigments have to be removed from the hair. If your hair is dark, this can be a difficult task because hair color has to be lifted using bleach. That’s when yellow, orange or red undertones that exist in darker shades of hair color chart come through.

Mind that trying to remove brassy tones by additional rounds of bleaching is a hell of a strategy and a sure way to bleach damaged hair. That’s why colorists use semi- and demi-permanent toner after bleaching to further lighten your hair and achieve the desired result. Since toners do not provide permanent color results, warm tones of your natural hair color reappear, resulting in brassy hair.

Pool water and sun exposure contribute to this process, too. This way, learning to prevent and neutralize brassy hair at home becomes essential for everyone looking to sport some gorgeous cool blonde shades. Here is everything you need to know.

#1: Choose the Right Blonde Hair Color

When dying your hair at home, choosing the right color is essential if you want to avoid brassiness and yellow roots. First, purchase a more icy toned dye: this will neutralize pale yellow tones and enhance the silver ones. A safe bet is to go with shades labeled as “ashy”, as they are designed to reduce unwanted brassiness.

#2: Tone Brassy Hair with Purple Shampoo or Mask

Purple shampoo is an effective and easy-to-use toner for blonde hair that helps to fix hair that is turning brassy. Since purple and yellow are opposite on the color wheel, the toner with purple pigment is the best choice for color correcting. It helps to neutralize brassy tones in shy, platinum blonde and white hair without drastically changing the color. It can also combat the yellow that appears in natural blonde and gray hair.

Matrix So Silver and L’Oreal Paris Elvive are top-rated purple shampoos for fighting brassiness. Chances are great that your preferred brand has one in its product range, too. Mind that if you have dark blonde hair and notice an orange or red shade in your locks, you might better consider using a blue toner to cancel these. Despite the proven effectiveness, it is not recommended to use a toner every time you wash your hair, as this can dry your locks over time.

Bleach increases hair porosity and dryness, so proper deep conditioning is a must both before and after a blonding service. If you feel like purple shampoo leaves your hair overly dry, consider using it less often or opt for a toning mask instead. Pravana The Perfect Blonde Purple Toning Masque is a popular choice that provides amazing results. This coconut oil-based mask not only tones out the brassiness, but also helps to moisturize and condition your hair from roots to ends.

#3: Use Products for Color Treated Hair

As it has been mentioned, a purple shampoo should be approached as a toner, not as a regular shampoo for washing your hair. For a regular wash day routine, use a shampoo and conditioner for color-treated hair. Hair care specifically designed to maintain hair color will combat fading and keep your blonde fresh and natural.

If you want to get a lighter blonde color or highlights, John Frieda Sheer Blonde shampoo is a great option to try. The product does magic, making bleached hair smooth and soft. However, to really fix brassy hair, it should be used with the occasional application of a purple-pigment toner.

#4: Invest into a Shower Filter

Believe it or not, minerals found in water can contribute to brassiness. If brassy tones keep showing up in your colored hair or your natural hair keeps getting golden brassy hues, do consider the quality of water in your home. Thankfully, this means that you can combat the brassy hair drama by investing in a shower head filter that can be easily attached to any showerhead. As a bonus, it will make your hair and skin softer and healthier.

Freepik / @prostooleh

#5: Protect Hair from Sun

Having sun-kissed hairstyles in mind, we tend to think of walking in the sun as pampering out locks. It is true that the sun can naturally lighten hair, but exposure to ultraviolet rays is nothing good for our locks. More than that, it is a common reason for brassy hair. To avoid color fading and brassiness, use sun protection products for hair, wear a hat, or tie a trendy scarf when going out in the summer.

#6: Avoid Swimming Pools

Chlorine water in swimming pools has a high toll on blonde-colored hair, changing the shade of your permanent color and giving your a brassy hair look. It also makes hair dry and prone to damage – not the best thing to happen after already putting stress on your dark hair with bleach. If you cannot or do not want to avoid a swimming pool, using a good quality swimming cap or Philip Kingsley Swimcap Water-Resistant Mask can help prevent the damage.

Freepik/ @serhii-bobyk

#7: Use White Vinegar Rinse

White vinegar has been used around the house for ages, but did you know it can be used to enhance cool blonde hair? (FYI, to bring out auburn tones in your hair, use apple cider vinegar rinse). The sour-smelling solution has the ability to restore hair to its proper pH while also clarifying and conditioning.

To fight brassy warm tones, shampoo as normal and rinse hair with cool water. Then, mix 2 tsp of vinegar with about two cups of water and apply the rinse to your damp hair, pouring it from root to tip. After about 15 minutes, rinse hair well with warm to cool water. Condition as normal and enjoy the beautiful effects!

#8: Wash Your Hair Less

As described before, washing fades the toner and lets warm tones of your natural color come through. Cutting down on the number of wash days can keep you away from orange tint for a longer time. In addition to making brassiness visible quicker, frequent shampooing will dry out your tresses. There is no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how often should you wash your hair, but “daily” is definitely the wrong answer. Try to wash less, and your cool shade and bright blonde highlights will thank you.

Achieving that perfect blonde can be a struggle, but once you’ve reached that perfect platinum, nothing feels fresher! It may be a bit of work to maintain, but combatting brassy hair is totally doable if you can commit. With the use of toners and following simple tips, you’ll soon learn to keep warm tones down while sporting some cool ash blonde tone longer!

Do you cringe at that weird shade of brassy orange you end up with after bleaching or when your hair color starts to fade? Worry not – we have come to your rescue. In this article, we discuss how to fix orange hair color so that you don’t look shoddy.

Orange may not be the worst hair color in the world, but it may not be something you want right after a bleaching session. Orange undertones need neutralizing to ensure your hair doesn’t look patchy and uneven. While you may always seek professional help or use color-correcting toners to treat orange hair, what if you can fix orange hair naturally? Yes, you read that right.

Here, we tell you why your hair turns this shade of orange in the first place and discuss the 5 different ways to nullify the brassy hair you end up with 8 out of 10 times after bleaching. Continue reading to understand the nitty-gritty of orange hair and how you can fix it easily.

Brassiness is the unwanted warm tones that occur in colored hair. When your hair turns several shades of red, orange, or yellow, it means brassy tones are setting in. You can notice warm hues spread throughout your hair unevenly.

Why Does Hair Turn Orange?

To understand that, you need to know the theory of underlying pigments.

This chart shows the underlying pigment that each shade of hair color has and what color you will most likely end up with after bleaching it. As you can see, people with dark hair have the most orange tones in their hair, making them more prone to ending up with orange hair after a bleaching session. 

While bleach does lighten your hair, it does not get rid of the natural pigment that gives your hair its color. All brunettes have orange and red undertones in their hair, which is the residual color you get after you bleach it!

Another reason for getting orange hair is the build-up of minerals in your hair. If you have light hair, it is likely to take up yellow and orange tones if you use products that contain sulfates.

 If you are worried that you will have to spend big bucks at a salon to get rid of the brassy orange tones in your hair, think again. Listed in the next section are 6 DIY methods that you can use to tone your hair.

How To Fix Orange Hair After Bleaching

There are a number of ways to fix orange hair, but the logic behind fixing it is to neutralize the color. If you look at the color wheel above, you will notice that different shades of blue counteract different shades of orange and neutralize them. This is why most toning shampoos contain blue or purple pigments to remove orange and yellow tones.

1. How To Fix Orange Hair With Toner

A toner can neutralize the unwanted brassy orange and yellow tones in your hair and give you a cool-toned hair color. It is a translucent deposit of hair color that contains just enough pigment to improve your hair color. You can use it mixed with peroxide right after you bleach your hair. But, remember that you may have to tone your hair more than once to get desired results.

How To Select A Toner

If your hair has more yellow tones than orange ones, use a purple toning shampoo or a toner, such as Wella Color Charm T18. This violet-based toner eliminates light yellow tones from your hair.

If you have more orange tones than yellow, you will have to use a blue toning shampoo, like Joice Color Balance Blue Shampoo. This toner contains violet-blue undertones that can cancel out yellow-orange tones from your hair.

How To Apply Toner 

You Will Need:

• A toner
• An applicator brush
• A plastic bowl
• 20-volume hydrogen peroxide

Process:

1. Mix the toner and peroxide in a 1:2 ratio.
2. Start applying the toner and developer mixture to your hair with the applicator brush.
3. Once all of the orange bits are covered, leave the toner in your hair for not more than 45 minutes.
4. Rinse with a toning or sulfate-free shampoo.

2. How To Fix Orange Hair With Box Dye

If your hair has gone patchy with bits of blonde and orange, the problem was probably that you didn’t use enough dye or bleach. The solution to this problem is to re-color your hair, and get a friend to help you out this time. Section your hair and make sure that the dye/bleach is evenly applied. Follow the steps below to fix your orange hair with box dye.

1. Get sufficient dye to cover your entire hair.
2. Divide your hair into thin sections that are easy to cover.
3. Apply thoroughly to ensure even coverage.
4. Let the dye sit for the recommended amount of time.
5. Finish with shampooing and conditioning.

3. How To Turn Orange Hair To Light Brown

Using a medium ash blonde hair dye is another good way to tone down the orange in your hair to a cool light brown shade. Using an ash blonde dye on dark orange hair will neutralize the orange while not lightening your hair too much, leaving you with a nice light brown shade.

1. Buy a lighter ash blonde color than the one that gave you your orange hair.
2. Apply it evenly, following all the instructions.
3. Let it sit for the recommended amount of time. Wash off with shampoo and condition your hair.

4. How To Turn Orange Hair To Blonde

The best way to go from orange to blonde is to re-bleach your hair after two weeks to bring it down to yellow tones that are easier to neutralize. Once you reach yellow tones, you can let your hair be if you are happy with the color. You can also use an ash blonde box dye to neutralize and lighten your hair color.

1. Buy a good bleaching powder, a 30 volume developer, and a platinum or ash blonde box hair dye.
2. Mix the bleach and developer in a 1:2 ratio in a plastic bowl.
3. Apply it to your hair and let it sit for 30 minutes.
4. Wash your hair and wait for two days before applying the box dye.
5. Follow the instructions on the box dye to neutralize the yellow tones in your hair.

If you like doing things the natural way, here are two methods you can use to tone your hair using natural ingredients.

5. Hollyhock Herbs And ACV

You Will Need

• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 1 ounce of hollyhock herbs
• 1 cup of water.

Process

1. Boil the water. Add the hollyhock herbs and apple cider vinegar to it.
2. Heat this mixture until it thickens. Let it cool.
3. Apply the thick mixture to your hair and massage.
4. Let it sit for 10 minutes
5. Wash it off with a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner.

6. Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

You Will Need

• A few drops of blue or purple liquid food color
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1 cup of water

Process

1. Apply coconut oil to your hair before you go to bed.
2. Make a mixture of the rest of the ingredients.
3. Wash and condition your hair in the morning. Follow this up by rinsing your hair with the ACV and food coloring mixture.
4. Repeat this routine every two weeks to see results.

How To Prevent Orange Hair

There are two main causes of orange hair: build-up and loss of color. Avoid these to prevent orange hair:

• Products with silicone and parabens
• Saltwater
• Hard water with minerals
• Constant UV rays exposure
• Repetitive dying 

Besides orange tones, you can also end up with yellow tones in your hair. Check out the next section to know more.

What Is Yellow Hair?

Did you dream of coloring your hair platinum blonde, but ended up with yellow hair? Don’t worry. There’s a quick fix for it. Yellow hair occurs when you bleach dark hair. This is because most people with dark hair bleach their tresses without removing the natural base pigments of their natural hair color. As a result, your hair turns into several shades of warmer hues.

How To Fix Yellow Hair

Here are some quick tips to fix yellow hair.

1. Bleach Your Hair

You Will Need

• Bleach powder
• 20 volume developer
• Hair dye brush

Process

1. Mix the bleach powder and developer.
2. Start by applying the mixture to the lower and back sections of your hair.
3. Make sure to cover the roots without leaving any spots.
4. When your hair has lightened, rinse out the bleach with cold water.

2. Use A Toner

If you are going a shade lighter, a toner is the best option. It will lift the color and neutralize yellow tones.

You Will Need

• Violet-based toner
• 20 volume developer
• Sulfate-free shampoo
• Hair dye brush
• Leave-in conditioner

Process

1. Mix the toner and developer in a bowl.
2. Start applying the toner and developer mixture to your hair with the hair dye brush.
3. Leave the mixture in your hair for 45 minutes.
4. Wash it off with a shampoo and finish with a conditioner.

3. Go Blonde

This trick will only work if your hair color is at a certain level of lightness. Pick a blonde hair dye within 1 or 2 shades of your current hair color. Apply it from the roots to the tips and let it sit for the recommended amount of time. Rinse it off with cold water. 

4. Use A Purple Shampoo

Purple shampoo uses violet pigments to cover up yellow tones. It is the easiest and quickest way to neutralize the unwanted warmth in your hair at home. Grab a bottle of purple shampoo, and you are ready to go!

1. Rinse your hair with hot water to open the cuticles.
2. Apply the purple shampoo and leave it on for 15 minutes.
3. Rinse your hair with cold water to seal the color in your hair.

It can be extremely frustrating to see brassy orange tones on your hair instead of the hair color you wanted. These brassy orange tones occur when the bleaching agents in your hair do not completely remove your natural hair color pigmentation from the strands. Thankfully, these brassy hues can be eliminated easily enough. You can use toners, pigmented shampoos, dyes, and even natural remedies to neutralize orange hues from your hair and attain the beautiful hair color you want. You can also get your hair color corrected at a salon in the safe hands of expert stylists.
Do you have any toning secrets of your own? Let us know in the comments section below!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my hair turn orange after bleaching?

Your hair contains melanin which gives it its natural color. Hair dyes and bleach oxidize your natural hair color, meaning it lightens hair by reducing its melanin content. Sometimes, these products cannot remove the melanin entirely, leaving you with brassy orange or yellow tones. Your bleached hair can take on brassy hues if you don’t use color-safe products.

Will purple shampoo fix orange hair?

You should use a blue shampoo to correct brassy orange hues. However, a purple shampoo works better if your hair has more yellow tones or if you want to mildly reduce the orange tones.

What toner cancels orange?

Brassy hair has warm hues like yellow and orange. So, a cool toner like ash or silver blonde can neutralize warm brassy tones.

How long do you leave purple shampoo on orange hair?

This depends on the desired hair color you want to achieve. If you want a warm hue, then leave the purple shampoo for about 1-5 minutes. For a cool tone, leave the shampoo on for 15-20 minutes. To achieve a neutral tone, keep the shampoo on for about 10 minutes. If you leave the purple shampoo for too long, your hair can take on a light lilac tint.

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