Want to know how to tone down blonde hair that is too bright? Then read on to learn about some easy tips on how to tone down blonde hair so that it’s closer to your natural color.
Blonde hair that’s too bright or brassy can often be a startling surprise, especially when it’s not the look you were aiming for. Whether it’s the result of a dye job gone too far or a natural tendency for your hair to catch the light, finding the right balance in your blonde is key to achieving the desired shade.
At HairEveryday, we understand that the journey to perfect hair color is full of nuances and sometimes, unexpected turns. In this comprehensive guide, we will walk you through the various methods to tone down overly bright blonde hair.
From salon-grade toners to DIY home remedies, we’ll cover all the bases to ensure you can reclaim control over your hair’s vibrancy.
Whether you’re looking to soften the intensity, reduce brassiness, or simply create a more natural-looking blonde, our tips will help you adjust your hair color to the perfect tone.
Join us as we share expert advice and user-friendly techniques for those looking to refine their radiant locks.
Key Takeaways:
- To tone down overly bright blonde hair, various methods can be employed, including using toners or demi-permanent hair dyes in cooler or darker shades to neutralize brightness.
- Applying a clarifying shampoo can help fade color-treated hair gradually, reducing brightness over time.
- If drastic color correction is needed, dying the hair with an ash-based hair dye can help neutralize unwanted undertones.
- For those looking for natural remedies, coffee, lemon juice, and vinegar can be used to gradually darken and tone down bright blonde hair.
- Purple toners or shampoos are effective in canceling out yellow undertones in blonde hair, as purple is opposite yellow on the color wheel.
- When selecting toners or shampoos, understanding which undertones are present in the hair is crucial for achieving the desired result.
- Always follow up any toning treatment with a good conditioner to keep the hair hydrated and healthy.
How do I tone down blonde hair that is too bright?
To tone down blonde hair that is too bright, you can use a toner or a demi-permanent hair dye in a cooler or darker shade to neutralize the brightness. Alternatively, washing your hair with a purple or blue shampoo can help counteract brassiness and reduce the intensity of the color. For a more natural solution, consider applying a DIY hair mask made with ingredients like apple cider vinegar or chamomile tea, which can subtly soften the color over time. Always follow up with a good conditioner to keep your hair hydrated and healthy after any toning treatment.
How To Tone Down Blonde Hair That Is Too Bright?
Using A Toning Shampoo
A toning shampoo is a type of shampoo that’s pigmented with colors and formulas that aid to cancel out unwanted undertones in your hair.
The most popular type of toning shampoo out there are purple shampoos which are renowned to rectify brassiness and uneven yellowness in your hair which usually tends to appear after bleaching your hair or once when your hair color fades.
In order to pick the ideal toning shampoo for your bleached/blonde, you ought to identify which undertones are prevalent on your locks and then take a look at the color wheel to ensure which color can cancel out the undertones in your hair.
If you have bleached/blonde hair color and it appears to have yellow hues then the color opposite yellow in the color wheel is purple which is the color to cancel out the unwanted yellowness.
Thus go for toning shampoos with purple pigments to counterbalance the yellow hues. On the contrary, if your hair has brassy or orange tones then you ought to use blue shampoos to neutralize your hair.
Applying A Clarifying Shampoo
Unlike your everyday shampoo, a clarifying shampoo is specifically formulated to deeply cleanse buildup on the hair and scalp after a profound hair makeover.
Thus clarifying shampoos tend to contain an excessive amount of Sodium Laureth Sulfate (SLS) which is a surfactant that’s known to ward off flakes and grimes on your scalp.
Shampoos that contain SLS can fade color-treated hair if used regularly. Hence if your hair dye turned out to be too bright you can opt to use a clarifying shampoo at least 2 times a week until you perceive sufficient color fading. This will ultimately help you to correct your hair color to your liking.
However, the problem with SLS is it can strip the natural oils off your hair and scalp thus resulting in dry and brittle hair.
Dying Your Hair
Dying your mane all over again might sound like a monotonous option but it’s the only way to instantly rectify the undertones in your hair.
However, to cancel out any bright yellow or brassy tones you must pick a hair dye that will help to do so, and in this case, it’s an ash-based hair dye that’ll do the deed.
You could pick an ash-brown or medium ash-gray hair to eliminate the orangish or yellowish undertones in your locks.
In addition, make sure to not go overboard when applying the hair dye, and also consider which ash-based hair will suit your skin tone as well.
How To Slightly Darken Bleached Hair?
If you have no prior experience in bleaching your hair at home then the odds of botching are relatively high. And if you happen to overbleach your hair, bright yellow hues might appear across your locks unevenly.
Since only certain segments of your bleached locks possess uneven bright undertones, you can opt to partially darken these segments by taking into account the couple of measures I’ve listed below.
Use purple shampoos and conditioners – As we discussed above purple-tinted shampoos and conditioners are pretty effective in neutralizing yellow and brassy undertones.
Using purple shampoos and conditioners can eventually darken your hair as they contain purple pigments which will be deposited onto your hair once you apply them.
In order to achieve desired results, substitute your regular shampoo and conditioner with purple shampoos and conditioners.
Apply purple shampoo on your locks evenly and leave it on for a few minutes in order for the purple pigments to be deposited.
After rinsing your hair, apply conditioner and let it rest for a couple of minutes then wash your hair. Use purple shampoo and conditioner at least 2-3 times a week until the bright yellow undertones disappear.
Use a pigmented toner – If purple shampoos and conditioners aren’t your forte then you can opt to use a pigmented toner that’ll provide rapid results.
However, using a toner is an intricate process and you must wait at least 3 days after bleaching your hair to use a pigmented toner.
If your hair has prominent underlying yellow hues then pick a purple toner or if there’s orangish brassiness on your locks then you must choose a blue toner.
In order to apply toner to your locks you must mix the toner and developer in a container usually in a 1:2 ratio. Use an applicator brush to apply the toner across your hair particularly focusing on bright yellow undertones.
Let the toner rest as instructed on the package then thoroughly rinse your hair and scalp to remove residue. Follow by applying shampoo and conditioner to moisturize your locks.
Once you tone your hair, you can only repeat the process after 4 weeks because pigmented toners are entirely chemical-based thus your hair will be susceptible to damage if used often.
How To Tone Down Hair Color Naturally?
Once your hair has undergone intense bleaching you might certainly be skeptical about making way for more chemical-induced hair treatments to tone down your hair which includes toning and hair dying.
So you might contemplate resorting to natural remedies to tone down your hair color. Well, hold your horses because there are plenty of natural ways to remove unwanted hues in your hair color which have proven to be safe and beneficial on the locks. Let’s take a look at some of them below.
- Coffee – Coffee is an efficient and lucrative way of darkening the bright hues in your bleached hair. There’s more than one way to apply coffee to your hair and you can choose which method suits you best.
Brew 2 cups of coffee (depending on your hair length) and let it sit at room temperature. In the shower, drench your hair in coffee by pouring gradually and let your hair absorb the coffee for a few minutes. Rinse thoroughly and proceed to use shampoo.
Another way to tone your hair with coffee is by combining your shampoo with room-temperature coffee and then applying it to your hair. Follow your desired method 2 times a week until yellow undertones fade.
- Lemon Juice – Lemon juice is a rewarding element for your hair that can moisturize your hair deeply. It’s also known to have lightening properties thus citrus acid can cancel out the yellow or brassy undertones in your locks.
You can either apply lemon juice directly to your hair before showering or choose to mix it with your hair conditioner. If you opt for the latter option then mix lemon juice with the conditioner and apply it to dry hair and leave it on for 15 minutes.
Rinse your hair with cold water and then let it dry. Repeat this procedure 2-3 times a week until you perceive the elimination of yellow undertones.
- Vinegar – Vinegar is another acidic element that reacts with the unnecessary hues in your hair by canceling them out. Choose any vinegar of your choice (white vinegar, apple cider vinegar, coconut vinegar, etc) and apply it to dry hair, and leave it on for 15 minutes.
Wash with cold water and follow by applying a deep conditioner to moisturize your hair as vinegar tends to cause dryness in the locks.
Can I Darken Bleached Blonde Hair With Toner?
Pigmented toners come in handy to correct your hair color by canceling out any unnecessary and uneven undertones after bleaching. But can a toner darken your bleached blonde hair?
Toners aren’t necessarily used to darken bleached blonde hair but rather the yellow and brassy tones in your hair after a bleaching or dying treatment. Toners are formulated in several varieties and also with distinct pigments.
This is because the predominant function of a toner is to even out your hair color by canceling out bright yellow or brassy hues.
It neutralizes your hair and grants your locks a natural glimmer that’s lost after bleaching. Nevertheless, toner doesn’t alter the entire color of your bleached hair by going dark.
Therefore, a toner only rectifies the brassy and yellow shades of your bleached blonde hair and doesn’t darken or add a new color to your bleached hair per se.
What Color Toner Cancels Out Blonde?
If you have natural blonde or bleached hair then the likelihood of yellow undertones appearing on your locks is loftier.
However, this isn’t a major concern because there is a collection of products like toners that can eliminate these undertones in no time.
In order to cancel out blonde or yellow undertones in your hair, you must look at the color wheel to figure out which color is prone to eliminate yellow.
Why You Should Trust Haireveryday?
The author of this article, Leah Marie Priest has a degree in Cosmetology with years of experience in dealing with hair care, scalp care, and hairstyling. As someone who extensively deals with all kinds of hair textures, products, styling methods and more, hair Leah Marie knows what kind of products and procedures suit each hair type and person. We have also tested these hair products and processes ourselves to provide you an unbiased review about every product. Each of our articles are also reviewed by a team of medical professionals so that you get the most accurate and expert-reviewed information.
The color opposite yellow in the color wheel is supposed to rectify the yellowish hues and this color is violet/purple.
Any toner that’s pigmented in purple like purple shampoos or purple toners can cancel out the bright yellow or blondish undertones in your hair hence giving your hair a balanced natural shade.
Also Read:
What To Do If Hair Dye Is Too Dark
Is Using Baking Soda And Vinegar For Gray Hair Good
To Summarize
