Blonde hair comes in several different envious 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. There are natural ways to treat this issue with brassy hair home remedies that you can find in most cupboards.
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 blonde locks and highlighted hair develop yellow and orange tones is oxidation, which happens if the hair is not neutralized properly after bleaching.
Dark hair usually has more issues with brassy tones due to chemistry and molecule size differences between dark versus blue hues. Naturally, lighter hair can turn brassy, too, thanks to chemicals in shampoo, water supply, and air.
What Can You Do To Avoid Hair Turning Brassy?
Now that you know why blondes go brassy let’s look at ways to prevent brassy hair. Of course, avoiding things that can develop unwanted tones can be easier said than done when it comes to the air that surrounds you, especially if you live in a smoggy area.
However, there are particular things to evade when keeping those unwanted warm undertones at bay.
- 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 blondes who are diligently working to keep the brass away.
Just like laundry, stains will set more easily in hot water. So, shampooing in cold water will keep the chlorinated shower water from staining your strands while providing hydration and shine. - 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, avoiding the excessive burn of heat styling tools will keep your hair more vital. It’s also imperative to avoid 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 hair color and highlighting sessions. Limiting hair appointments that contain chemical treatments is essential when maintaining healthy hair. Over-processed hair is prone to dryness, frizz, and unwanted tones, so space out hair sessions accordingly.
Although it isn’t possible to shun everything that can cause brassy hair, steering clear of harsh chemicals can make a big difference daily when it comes to color and healthy-looking hair.
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.
More science based guidance on brassiness and purple shampoo: Medical News Today: What does purple shampoo do?.
How To Get Rid of Brassy Hair Without Toner: 4 Home Solutions
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.
1. Add Virgin Olive Oil to Your Hair Strands

Using virgin olive oil on your hair instead of toner to remove brassiness is absolutely worth trying. Olive oil is a deep conditioning treatment that can smooth the cuticle and boost shine, which can make brassy tones appear less harsh.
It’s best to use this remedy on darker blondes or brown hair. You can use this method on dry hair, but you might get better coverage by using it on wet hair.
- Use ¼ cup of warmed olive oil.
- Apply the oil to your hair, working from the scalp down the shaft.
- Massage the scalp to stimulate blood flow and promote hair growth.
- Work the oil through the strands, hitting each section to get full coverage.
- Let it sit on your hair for one hour. Then, you can pin up your hair or use plastic wrap to trap the heat.
- Rinse thoroughly and wash hair as usual with a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner.
Safety Tip: Warm the oil gently. Test a drop on your wrist first. Do not use hot oil.
2. 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.
3. Use a Purple Shampoo or Conditioner

Purple shampoo and conditioners are the best alternatives to toner to remove unwanted brassy hair tones with ease and effectiveness. It’s as simple as cleansing 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.
Making your own purple shampoo and conditioner using food coloring is not recommended because it can stain porous hair and skin unpredictably.
Note: Use purple shampoo or conditioner 1 to 2 times a week. Leaving it on too long can leave a violet tint, especially on very light hair.
4. Consider a Tea Wash

The tea wash is a simple remedy for blondes when pulling out brassy blonde hair or fixing yellow hair. However, it isn’t as potent as other remedies when tackling orange hues.
If you are familiar with green tea, it is packed with antioxidants, which are great for helping reduce buildup that can make hair look dull.
- Add three tea bags to boiled water.
- Let it steep for at least 15 minutes.
- Let the mixture cool before applying the tea water to your hair. Then, you can use the infused water on clean, wet hair.
- Allow the tea water to stay in the strands for 30 minutes before rinsing and conditioning.
Final Thoughts
Now that you know how to get rid of brassy hair without toner at home, you probably have a remedy in mind that you might want to try. Of course, blondes with dark hair tones won’t get the same results as platinum blondes regarding specific home remedies.
None of the treatments above or store-bought hair toners will bleach your hair lighter as a professional bleach will. But if removing brassy hues is your goal, a number of these options in this piece will do the job well.
Frequently Asked Questions
There are many options out there that have a success rate when removing brassy tones from your blonde hair. Helping you find the best options is a priority of this article. So, 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. Unless your hair is bright orange, try a hair toner first.
Toners can remove the brass without damaging your precious locks. However, if your hair turns a yucky orange, bleaching is a great way to pull out those brassy sienna hues easily.
Lemon water tends to be a fan favorite for platinum blondes. However, lemon doesn’t do justice to darker blondes. So, if you have a choice between lemon or apple cider vinegar, apple cider has a higher success rate for all shades of blonde.
