Blonde hair comes in several different enviable shades, like buttery, strawberry, or platinum. However, brassiness isn’t one of those fabulous shades that any blonde wants to have on their head. This article will teach you how to get rid of brassy hair without toner.
Learn how to remove the unwanted tones without leaving your home.
Key Highlights
- Brassiness often comes from oxidation, hard water buildup, or product residue.
- Purple shampoo is the safest at home option for yellow tones.
- Vinegar can help remove mineral buildup, but it does not tone hair by itself.
- Avoid baking soda and food coloring. They can dry hair and stain.
Why Does Hair Turn a Brassy Color?
The key reason why highlighted or bleached hair develops yellow and orange tones over time is that your hair toner fades, exposing the warm, underlying pigments.
However, this is not the only reason for hair getting brassy. Both natural and lightened hair can also turn brassy. This happens when UV rays from the sun and harsh pool chemicals naturally oxidize your hair, or when hard water minerals and everyday styling products leave behind a layer of yellow and orange buildup.
What Can You Do To Avoid Hair Turning Brassy?
Now that you know why blondes go brassy, let’s look at ways to prevent it.
- Avoid chlorinated pools: Pool season can be refreshing, but very damaging to colored or natural hair cuticles, especially when it comes to highlighted blonde hair strands. In addition, pool water has a habit of putting unwanted tones into hair, like green, orange, and yellow, by stripping hair color while building up chemical deposits.
- Wash your hair with sulfate-free shampoo: Sulfates are extremely drying to the shaft of each strand. They can result in frizzy, unmanageable dos. In addition, sulfates have been linked to hair loss. Sulfate shampoo can leave a buildup of residue that may discolor all hair colors, especially blonde hair. A sulfate-free shampoo can reduce brassy hair by maintaining moisture while keeping the hair light and clean.
- Don’t wash your hair with hot water: You’ve undoubtedly heard that cold water is excellent for hair care, and it’s true. Avoiding hot water will give your strands a longer lifespan, especially for blondes who are diligently working to keep the brass away.
- Keep your hair healthy: Daily lifestyle plays a huge role when it comes to how healthy your hair is going to be on the regular. Eating right, adequate vitamins, and good hair hygiene all play a collective part in what happens from the inside out.
In addition, avoid the excessive burning of heat styling tools and overwashing, but remember always to use conditioner and apply weekly or monthly hair masks. Avoiding certain things can keep your strands brighter for longer between touch-up sessions.
How To Get Rid of Brassy Hair Without Toner: 3 Home Solutions
My Advice
- Start with purple shampoo. It is made for brassiness.
- Do a quick strand test first, especially on very light or porous hair.
- Skip harsh DIY hacks like baking soda or food coloring. They can dry hair and stain.
- If your scalp stings or burns, rinse right away and stop.
So, you’ve avoided all you could aside from living in a bubble. Unfortunately, your blonde strands have still developed those undesirable brassy tones.
It’s manageable by trying some fabulous brassy hair home remedies. Let’s look at the most popular talked-about home remedies and see if they will work for you and your hair.
Use a Toning Shampoo or Conditioner
Purple shampoo and conditioners are the best alternatives to toner to remove unwanted brassy yellow hair tones with ease and effectiveness.
It’s as simple as shampooing your hair. It may take a few uses to get the complete result you want, but purple shampoo can tone down yellow tones just by washing it.
If you have orange brassiness, purple shampoo and conditioner won’t fix it. Use blue shampoo to neutralize orange brass.
Note: Use toning shampoo or conditioner 1 to 2 times a week. Leaving it on too long can leave a violet tint, especially on very light hair.
Use a Clarifying or Chelating Shampoo
Sometimes, what you think is a brassy color due to toner fading is actually caused by buildup. Hard water, chlorine, and styling products can leave deposits on the hair that make blonde shades look dull, yellow, or orange.
A clarifying shampoo helps remove product residue and everyday buildup. A chelating shampoo is better for hard water because it targets minerals like iron and calcium that cling to the hair.
Depending on your buildup cause, use clarifying or chelating shampoo once a week or as needed, since they can be drying. Always follow with a deep conditioner or hair mask.
Note: These shampoos do not tone hair. They can remove buildup that makes hair look brassy, but neutralizing yellow or orange tones still need purple or blue shampoo.
Try Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a popular home rinse. It can help remove mineral buildup from hard water that can make hair look dull or brassy. It can also smooth the cuticle for shine, but it does not deposit pigment to cancel yellow or orange tones.
Some brassy hair home remedies suggest adding blue and red food coloring to vinegar to create a DIY purple toner. This can stain hair, skin, and bathroom surfaces unpredictably, so it’s best to skip that step and use a real purple shampoo instead.
- Use 2 cups of diluted apple cider vinegar after shampooing with a sulfate-free shampoo.
- Let it sit for a minute or two.
- Rinse out the vinegar and condition your hair as usual.
Warning: Always dilute vinegar. Avoid broken or irritated skin. Keep it out of your eyes. Stop if you feel burning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Let’s take a look at some of the most frequently asked questions relating to removing undesirable tones of brassy hair.
Yes, you can use vinegar as a rinse for brassy-looking hair. White vinegar can be just as effective as apple cider vinegar for removing mineral buildup from hard water that can make hair look dull or brassy. Vinegar can smooth the cuticle for shine, but it does not deposit pigment to cancel yellow or orange tones.
No, it would be best not to reach for the bleach every time your hair goes brassy. Over-processing can cause significant damage, leading to massive breakage and hair loss. Try the solutions mentioned in this article first. If these methods fail to remove the brassiness, get a professional toning treatment.