11 Tips on Removing Hair Color at Home
Whether we simply can’t make it to the salon or want to correct our failed attempt at at-home hair color, there’s no doubt that a majority of us have taken hair dye stripping into our own hands. After all, experimenting is a part of life, and hair color is one of the most interesting experiments one can do, especially if it goes your way. Luckily, there are many expert-approved ways for hair color removal at home, especially when you’re in a pinch. What’s more, they’re all safe, expert-approved, and have been well tried and tested, including by us!
After all, figuring out how to remove hair color without further damaging your hair can be as daunting as overwhelming, and the last thing you want is your hair to suffer. To that end, here are a few ways to safely strip your hair of color right in the comfort and confines of your own home.
Also read: The Best Hair Dryers at Bed, Bath, and Beyond.
Bleach Baths
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We begin with bleach baths, but as a last resort for removing hair color and hair dye from your hair. Basically, if one is stuck with a hair color or dye that’s proven to be way too stubborn for any other method, then one can use this method. However, resolving their hair color issue will definitely come at the risk of further damaging the hair, as bleach is a strong product. All you need to do is mix bleach powder with some shampoo. You could also use bleach powder with a developer and then mix it with shampoo, and then wash your hair with the mix. Next, you need to leave it on for a few minutes, and the color will fade quickly.
Another resort is using a professional hair lightening mix, like the L’Oreal Paris Feria Lightening System. It lightens the hair upto eight levels and gives a Hyper Platinum blonde hair color for all hair textures and types. Moreover, it even comes with a purple conditioner that leaves the hair conditioned while neutralizing brass.
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Olive Oil Treatment
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Are you reading this right? Yes, we’re talking about the same olive oil that’s been sitting in your kitchen cabinet, and it can greatly help in fading hair dye. All you need to do is warm up a generous amount of olive oil and you need to apply it onto your hair, carefully ensuring that you thoroughly coat each and every strand. After that, you need to cover your hair with a shower cap and allow the treatment to sit for an hour or so.
How the olive oil works is by loosening the molecules of the hair color from the hair strands. After you’ve waited an hour, shampoo your hair as you do usually. What intrigued us was that this methods was particularly gentle, making it an excellent option if you don’t feel like adding further stress to your hair and don’t mind a longer drawn out treatment to free it of color.
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Cinnamon and Honey Masks
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One of the best at-home DIY hair masks we’ve come across is the cinnamon and honey hair mask. We discovered that this combination was delightful and great not just on our toast, but also for our hair! Honey and cinnamon together are great at naturally lightening hair color and dye. All you need to do is mix cinnamon, honey, and a bit of your hair conditioner that you use to create a smooth paste. Then, apply this mixture to your damp hair, not wet hair, before wrapping it all up and leaving it overnight. If you’re not comfortable leaving it on overnight, then it’s best that you do this for a few good hours at least. That’s because these ingredients work slowly, gently lifting and removing the color from the hair. Plus, they left our hair smelling amazing!
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Dishwashing Liquid
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Yes, you’re reading that right; dishwashing liquid could be effective when it comes to stripping hair of its color. However, you need to be very cautious with this one, as it’s strong and could be damaging to the hair if used more than once. So, doing it more than once could really dry the hair out beyond repair for a while. Fortunately, there are ways to counter that too, such as deep conditioning your hair and applying a repairing or protein treatment after. What you need to do is lather the dishwashing liquid into wet hair before leaving it on for up to five minutes. Then, rinse it out well to ensure that none of the harsh liquid remains in the hair. Finally, follow it up with an excellent conditioner and even a protein or repairing hair treatment.
For instance, we used the SheaMoisture Manuka Honey & Mafura Oil Intensive Hydration Hair Masque. This formula moisturized our hair that was damaged by over-processing and chemicals while also smoothing our dry hair and helping reduce breakage. Moreover, it ensured that our hair cuticles closed back down, keeping the hair healthy and strong.
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Sulfur-based Hair Strippers
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Another way to remove hair color at home is use sulfur-based hair color strippers. They work by opening the hair’s cuticle and breaking down the dye molecules attached to the cortex, allowing them to be washed away. So, they target the hair color without changing the natural color of the hair. However, make sure that you follow the instructions exactly, and remember that these kinds of treatments can be fairly drying on your hair. Additionally, if you’ve already bleached your hair prior to dyeing it, regaining natural color will be impossible and you’ll just have to grow your hair out. Finally, it’s best to avoid color-treating your hair for a few good months after using these sulfur-based strippers.
The Color Oops Extra Strength Hair Color Remover and Bleach-Free Dye Corrector is very popular. Its ammonia- and bleach-free formula is easy and quick to apply and easy on the hair. Moreover, the aloe vera and soy protein in the formula helps protect fragile hair while conditioning it.
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Lemon Juice/Baking Soda
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Another natural product that can be used to remove demi- and semi-permanent hair color is lemon juice, which is famous for its natural bleaching properties. Particularly effective for lighter shades, lemon juice requires a bit of caution, though, as it can be drying. So, just like anti-dandruff shampoo, it’s important to follow up this process with a deep conditioner. In order to do the lemon juice rinse, mix equal parts of water and lemon juice and apply it to your hair, leaving it on for just 15-20 minutes.
And as always, rinse off the mixture with cool water to close and soothe your hair cuticles. In our experience, it’s not quite a miracle and not as effective as the other stronger methods on this list, but it’s worth trying if you want to stick to natural methods. Another product in the same category as lemon juice is baking soda, although its usefulness is debatable.
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Vinegar Rinse
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Vinegar happens to be one of those superhero pantry products that can do a lot more than just its usual use. One of its standout uses is bringing out the natural shine of the hair as well as helping strip it of its unwanted hair color. Apple cider vinegar is especially effective at not only naturally adjusting the hair’s pH but also helping fade any hair color gently. In fact, it’s also a great natural alternative to clarifying shampoo, with the acetic acid in it helping break down the dye, making it easier to wash out.
We’ve used the Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar, and it’s been amazing. The hair removal process requires mixing one part of vinegar with two parts of water. After you’ve shampooed your hair, you need to pour this mixture over your hair, allowing it to sit for a few minutes. Finally, you need to wrap up the process with a cold water rinse, which, as you know, adds shine and helps seal the hair cuticles. While vinegar works best on semi-permanent colors, this process might require multiple repetitions to remove all the color from your hair.
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Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
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One of the other safer trends we tend to navigate towards for removing hair color at home is using anti-dandruff shampoo. When it comes to that, one of our favorite anti-dandruff shampoos for fading hair dye is the TXTR by Cantu Color Treated Hair + Curls Cleansing Oil Shampoo. That’s because when mixed with the ingredients we mention below, it worked magic and was one of the least damaging effective treatments. Another reason why we use this particular shampoo is the fact that it’s color-safe and moisture-rich, which is important since this method of removing hair color is also very drying on the hair. So, it’s important to deeply condition your hair after washing it with this anti-dandruff shampoo treatment for properly restoring hair health. Hence, we also recommend using your deepest deep conditioner, preferably a leave-in one, between treatments with this anti-dandruff shampoo.
However, note that this method on its own will take a good number of rounds and gradually fade your hair bit by bit. Do you want to speed up the process? Proceed to use the Vitamin C Method.
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Vitamin C
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It might be a grand statement, but it’s true: Vitamin C is practically a gift from God. One of the safest ways to attempt stripping your hair color at home, Vitamin C strips out everything from demi- to semi-permanent hair color like magic. Even if you don’t have any vitamin C powder, even vitamins made from compressed powder or crushed up vitamin C pills work well.
Start by mixing powdered packets or crushed up pills with a small amount of hot water until they form an even, thick paste. We’ve used the Nature Made Extra Strength Vitamin C 1000 mg Tablets, which also work well as dietary supplements, which is their main job! Once the crushed pills are mixed nicely into a paste, you need to apply the combination onto your colored hair. Then, put on a shower or a plastic cap and leave it on for around 45 minutes. Finally, rinse the paste out well using warm to hot water, depending on your preferences. This process might take a few good attempts, depending on the color you’re trying to remove as well as your hair quality. However, the unwanted color certainly begins to fade.
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clarifying shampoo
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Since certain shampoos help preserve hair color, it’s not surprising that clarifying shampoos will have the exact opposite effect. They’re designed to remove chemical build-up, pollution, and minerals on our hair strands, as well as unwanted pigments. Firstly, as a pre-treatment, you need to coat your hair with argan or coconut oil (depending on your preferences) from roots to ends and allow it to sit on for around two hours. This loosens up the color molecules a bit, after which you need to wash your hair with clarifying shampoo first and rinse it off, after which you need a second, deeper rinse with good massage and more lather. Then, leave it on by using a shower cap and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Finally, rinse it out and follow it up with a good conditioner.
This might be the slowest form of gradually fading hair color, but it’s also the mildest and the most moisturizing. An effective, high-quality clarifying shampoo is the Odele Clarifying Shampoo. Costing less than USD 12, this affordable formula deep cleaned our scalp and hair, removing not only hard water but also chlorine, excess oil, product buildup, and, of course, color.
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How long does it take lemon juice to lighten dark hair?
To safely lighten dark hair, spritz lemon juice onto your hair and leave it in direct sunlight for one hour. If you want to lighten your hair noticeably, it might take three or four one-hour applications of lemon juice.
What’s the hardest color to get out of hair?
Typically, the hardest hair colors to remove are vivid reds and black, and even green and blue could be stubborn semi-permanents.
How soon can I recolor my hair if I don’t like the color?
Notwithstanding whether you like your hair color or not, you need to wait for at least two weeks to recolor your hair. However, experts say that ideally, you need to wait around four to six weeks to allow your hair to rest.