Blonde hair comes in some enviable shades like butter, strawberry or platinum. However, brass is not one of those wonderful shades that every blonde wants to have on their head. This article will teach you how to get rid of brassy hair without a toner.
Learn how to remove the unattractive sounds without leaving the house. There are natural ways to treat this problem with home remedies for brassy hair that you can find in most cupboards.
Why does hair turn brassy?
The main reason blonde locks and highlighted hair develop yellow and orange tones is oxidation, which happens if the hair is not properly neutralized after bleaching.
Dark hair generally has more problems with brassy shades due to chemistry and molecular size differences between dark vs. blue shades. Naturally, lighter hair can also turn brassy, thanks to chemicals in the shampoo, water supply and air.
What can you do to prevent hair from turning brassy?
Now that you know why blondes go brassy, let’s look at ways to prevent frizzy hair. Of course, avoiding things that might develop unwanted hues can be easier said than done when it comes to the air around you, especially if you live in a foggy area.
However, there are certain things to avoid when maintaining unwanted warm undertones.
- Avoid chlorinated pools: Pool season can be refreshing but very damaging to dyed or natural hair nails, especially when it comes to highlighted blonde strands. In addition, pool water has a habit of introducing unwanted tones into the hair, such as green, orange and yellow, by stripping the hair color while building up chemical deposits.
- Wash your hair with sulfate-free shampoo: Sulfates are very drying to the shaft of each strand. This can result in frizzy and unmanageable dishes. In addition, sulfates have been linked hair loss. Sulfate shampoo leaves a build-up of residue that can discolor all hair colors, especially blonde hair. Sulfate-free shampoos can reduce frizz by retaining moisture while keeping hair light and clean.
- Do not wash your hair in hot water: No doubt you’ve heard that cold water is excellent for hair care, and it’s true. Avoiding hot water will give your shades a longer lifespan, especially blondes who work diligently to keep brass out.
Just like laundry, stains will set more easily in hot water. Therefore, shampooing with cold water will prevent the chlorinated shower water from staining your strands while providing hydration and shine.
- Maintain healthy hair: Daily lifestyle plays a huge role when it comes to how healthy your hair is going to be permanently. Eating right, getting enough vitamins and good hair hygiene all play a collective part in what happens from the inside out.
Additionally, avoiding excessive heat styling tools will keep your hair more vital. It is also imperative to avoid overwashing, but always remember to use conditioner and apply weekly or monthly hair masks.
Avoiding certain things can keep your strands lighter for longer between hair color and highlights. 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 your hair appointments accordingly.
While not everything that can cause copper hair can be avoided, avoiding harsh chemicals can make a big difference every day when it comes to healthy hair color and appearance.
How to get rid of brassy hair without toner: 5 home remedies
So, you avoided everything you could but live in a bubble. Unfortunately, your blonde strands have still developed those unwanted brassy tones.
This can be managed by trying some great brass hair home remedies. Let’s take a look at the most popular home remedies and see if they will work for you and your hair.
1. Add extra virgin olive oil to your hair strands
It is worth trying to use virgin olive oil on the hair instead of a toner to remove brass. Olive oil can pull the chemically induced color from the hair, whether it comes from dye or natural elements.
This remedy is best used on darker blondes or brown hair. You can use this method on dry hair, but you may get better coverage by using it on wet hair.
- Use ¼ cup warmed olive oil. Note: Make sure it’s not too hot because it can burn your skin.
- Apply the oil to your hair, working from the scalp down the shaft.
- Massage the scalp to stimulate blood circulation 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 your hair or use plastic wrap to trap the heat.
- Rinse well and wash your hair as usual with sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner.
2. Try apple cider vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a fantastic probiotic that can pull out orange and yellow tones with ease. Vinegar is perfect for all blonde colors. Ash blondes and dirty blondes will benefit from an apple cider vinegar rinse.
Some home remedies for brassy hair recommend adding blue and red food coloring (making purple food coloring) to the vinegar until it turns purple. However, the wrong combination can result in purple hair and skin. The good news is that the vinegar itself has the power to bring out the branza shades on its own.
- Use 2 cups of apple cider vinegar after shampooing with sulfate-free shampoo.
- Let it set for a minute or two.
- Wash off the vinegar and style your hair as usual.
3. Use purple shampoo or conditioner
Purple shampoo and conditioner are the best toner alternatives to remove unwanted brassy hair tones easily and effectively. It’s as simple as cleaning your hair. It may take a few uses to get the full desire for clarity, but purple shampoo has the power to lighten hair just by washing it.
It is essential to only use a purple shampoo or conditioner twice a week, otherwise it can lighten too much, especially on ash blonde hair.
Making your own purple shampoo and conditioner is possible using food coloring. However, it can be super messy as you don’t have the same control over it as with manufactured purple hair care products.
- Add a few drops of red and blue food coloring to a mixing bowl.
- Use a whole bottle of shampoo or conditioner to begin with, add ½ of the shampoo or conditioner to the mixing bowl to get the right mix.
- Once the color in the mixer bowl turns purple, add the shampoo or conditioner back to the bottle with the rest of the shampoo or conditioner and shake well.
- Use with care as it may stain hair or skin if the mixture is off. Wash your hair as usual, and take care that it does not sit for a long time on the hair before washing.
4. Consider a tea flush
The tea rinse is a simple remedy for blondes when pulling out brassy blonde hair or correcting yellow hair. However, it is not as strong as other remedies when dealing with orange tones.
If you are familiar with green tea, it is loaded with antioxidants, which are great for breaking down mineral deposits that can cause brassy hair.
- Add three tea bags to the boiled water.
- Let it steep for at least 15 minutes.
- Allow the mixture to cool before applying the tea water to the hair. After that, you can use the infused water on clean, wet hair.
- Allow the tea water to remain on the strands for 30 minutes before rinsing and blending.
5. Use baking soda
Baking soda is actually a stripping agent for removing brass tones in the hair. It has the power to fade all colors and shades of brass. Unfortunately, this process can be drying, so use it with caution.
- Add 1 tablespoon of baking soda to 1/8 cup of shampoo.
- Add a drop of red food coloring.
- Add a drop of blue food coloring.
- Mix to get a purple paste.
- Apply the paste to the hair carefully. It can stain the skin.
- Let it sit for 10 minutes before rinsing it off thoroughly.
- Use a deep conditioner or conditioning mask after washing off the mixture.
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 will not get the same results as platinum blondes with specific home remedies.
None of the above treatments or store bought hair toners will bleach your hair as bright as professional bleach. But if removing brass tones is your goal, several of these options in this piece will do the job just fine.
Common questions
There are many options out there that have success rates when removing brassy tones from your blonde hair. Helping you find the best options is the priority of this article. So, let’s take a look at some of the most common questions related to removing unwanted shades of brassy hair.
Yes, you can use vinegar to get rid of brassy hair. White vinegar will be just as effective as apple cider vinegar when removing unwanted tones in your hair. However, apple cider vinegar may be less drying because it is less acidic. However, vinegar lowers the pH balance, which will neutralize brassy tones in your hair.
No, it’s better not to reach for the bleach every time your hair is frizzy. Over-processing can cause significant damage, lead 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 crazy orange, bleaching is a great way to pull off those brassy sienna tones with ease.
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 blonde shades.