Medium ash blonde over orange hair

Do you cringe at that weird shade of brassy orange you end up with after bleaching or when your hair color starts to fade? Worry not – we have come to your rescue. In this article, we discuss how to fix orange hair color so that you don’t look shoddy.

Orange may not be the worst hair color in the world, but it may not be something you want right after a bleaching session. Orange undertones need neutralizing to ensure your hair doesn’t look patchy and uneven. While you may always seek professional help or use color-correcting toners to treat orange hair, what if you can fix orange hair naturally? Yes, you read that right.

Here, we tell you why your hair turns this shade of orange in the first place and discuss the 5 different ways to nullify the brassy hair you end up with 8 out of 10 times after bleaching. Continue reading to understand the nitty-gritty of orange hair and how you can fix it easily.

What Is Brassy Hair?

Brassiness is the unwanted warm tones that occur in colored hair. When your hair turns several shades of red, orange, or yellow, it means brassy tones are setting in. You can notice warm hues spread throughout your hair unevenly.

In This Article

Why Does Hair Turn Orange?

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To understand that, you need to know the theory of underlying pigments.

This chart shows the underlying pigment that each shade of hair color has and what color you will most likely end up with after bleaching it. As you can see, people with dark hair have the most orange tones in their hair, making them more prone to ending up with orange hair after a bleaching session. 

While bleach does lighten your hair, it does not get rid of the natural pigment that gives your hair its color. All brunettes have orange and red undertones in their hair, which is the residual color you get after you bleach it!

Another reason for getting orange hair is the build-up of minerals in your hair. If you have light hair, it is likely to take up yellow and orange tones if you use products that contain sulfates.

If you are worried that you will have to spend big bucks at a salon to get rid of the brassy orange tones in your hair, think again. Listed in the next section are 6 DIY methods that you can use to tone your hair.

How To Fix Orange Hair After Bleaching

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There are a number of ways to fix orange hair, but the logic behind fixing it is to neutralize the color. If you look at the color wheel above, you will notice that different shades of blue counteract different shades of orange and neutralize them. This is why most toning shampoos contain blue or purple pigments to remove orange and yellow tones.

Related: DIY Hair Toner: How To Prepare Hair Toner Solutions At Home

1. How To Fix Orange Hair With Toner

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A toner can neutralize the unwanted brassy orange and yellow tones in your hair and give you a cool-toned hair color. It is a translucent deposit of hair color that contains just enough pigment to improve your hair color. You can use it mixed with peroxide right after you bleach your hair. But, remember that you may have to tone your hair more than once to get desired results.

How To Select A Toner

If your hair has more yellow tones than orange ones, use a purple toning shampoo or a toner, such as Wella Color Charm T18. This violet-based toner eliminates light yellow tones from your hair.

If you have more orange tones than yellow, you will have to use a blue toning shampoo, like Joice Color Balance Blue Shampoo. This toner contains violet-blue undertones that can cancel out yellow-orange tones from your hair.

How To Apply Toner 

You Will Need:

• A toner
• An applicator brush
• A plastic bowl
• 20-volume hydrogen peroxide

Process:

1. Mix the toner and peroxide in a 1:2 ratio.
2. Start applying the toner and developer mixture to your hair with the applicator brush.
3. Once all of the orange bits are covered, leave the toner in your hair for not more than 45 minutes.
4. Rinse with a toning or sulfate-free shampoo.

2. How To Fix Orange Hair With Box Dye

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If your hair has gone patchy with bits of blonde and orange, the problem was probably that you didn’t use enough dye or bleach. The solution to this problem is to re-color your hair, and get a friend to help you out this time. Section your hair and make sure that the dye/bleach is evenly applied. Follow the steps below to fix your orange hair with box dye.

1. Get sufficient dye to cover your entire hair.
2. Divide your hair into thin sections that are easy to cover.
3. Apply thoroughly to ensure even coverage.
4. Let the dye sit for the recommended amount of time.
5. Finish with shampooing and conditioning.

3. How To Turn Orange Hair To Light Brown

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Using a medium ash blonde hair dye is another good way to tone down the orange in your hair to a cool light brown shade. Using an ash blonde dye on dark orange hair will neutralize the orange while not lightening your hair too much, leaving you with a nice light brown shade.

1. Buy a lighter ash blonde color than the one that gave you your orange hair.
2. Apply it evenly, following all the instructions.
3. Let it sit for the recommended amount of time. Wash off with shampoo and condition your hair.

Related: Top 40 Blonde Hair Color Ideas For Every Skin Tone

4. How To Turn Orange Hair To Blonde

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The best way to go from orange to blonde is to re-bleach your hair after two weeks to bring it down to yellow tones that are easier to neutralize. Once you reach yellow tones, you can let your hair be if you are happy with the color. You can also use an ash blonde box dye to neutralize and lighten your hair color.

1. Buy a good bleaching powder, a 30 volume developer, and a platinum or ash blonde box hair dye.
2. Mix the bleach and developer in a 1:2 ratio in a plastic bowl.
3. Apply it to your hair and let it sit for 30 minutes.
4. Wash your hair and wait for two days before applying the box dye.
5. Follow the instructions on the box dye to neutralize the yellow tones in your hair.

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If you like doing things the natural way, here are two methods you can use to tone your hair using natural ingredients.

5. Hollyhock Herbs And ACV

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You Will Need

• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 1 ounce of hollyhock herbs
• 1 cup of water.

Process

1. Boil the water. Add the hollyhock herbs and apple cider vinegar to it.
2. Heat this mixture until it thickens. Let it cool.
3. Apply the thick mixture to your hair and massage.
4. Let it sit for 10 minutes
5. Wash it off with a sulfate-free shampoo and conditioner.

6. Apple Cider Vinegar Rinse

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You Will Need

• A few drops of blue or purple liquid food color
• 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar
• 2-3 tablespoons of coconut oil
• 1 cup of water

Process

1. Apply coconut oil to your hair before you go to bed.
2. Make a mixture of the rest of the ingredients.
3. Wash and condition your hair in the morning. Follow this up by rinsing your hair with the ACV and food coloring mixture.
4. Repeat this routine every two weeks to see results.

Related: 4 Benefits Of Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Rinse And How To Use It

StyleCraze Says

Apple cider vinegar not only helps smoothen your hair but also helps balance the pH levels and maintain hair health.

How To Prevent Orange Hair

There are two main causes of orange hair: build-up and loss of color. Avoid these to prevent orange hair:

• Products with silicone and parabens
• Saltwater
• Hard water with minerals
• Constant UV rays exposure
• Repetitive dying 

Besides orange tones, you can also end up with yellow tones in your hair. Check out the next section to know more.

StyleCraze Says

Swimming pools have chlorine and salt that may oxidize and turn your hair orange. Keeping your hair above the pool water can help.

What Is Yellow Hair?

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Did you dream of coloring your hair platinum blonde, but ended up with yellow hair? Don’t worry. There’s a quick fix for it. Yellow hair occurs when you bleach dark hair. This is because most people with dark hair bleach their tresses without removing the natural base pigments of their natural hair color. As a result, your hair turns into several shades of warmer hues.

How To Fix Yellow Hair

Here are some quick tips to fix yellow hair.

1. Bleach Your Hair

You Will Need

• Bleach powder
• 20 volume developer
• Hair dye brush

Process

1. Mix the bleach powder and developer.
2. Start by applying the mixture to the lower and back sections of your hair.
3. Make sure to cover the roots without leaving any spots.
4. When your hair has lightened, rinse out the bleach with cold water.

2. Use A Toner

If you are going a shade lighter, a toner is the best option. It will lift the color and neutralize yellow tones.

You Will Need

• Violet-based toner
• 20 volume developer
• Sulfate-free shampoo
• Hair dye brush
• Leave-in conditioner

Process

1. Mix the toner and developer in a bowl.
2. Start applying the toner and developer mixture to your hair with the hair dye brush.
3. Leave the mixture in your hair for 45 minutes.
4. Wash it off with a shampoo and finish with a conditioner.

3. Go Blonde

This trick will only work if your hair color is at a certain level of lightness. Pick a blonde hair dye within 1 or 2 shades of your current hair color. Apply it from the roots to the tips and let it sit for the recommended amount of time. Rinse it off with cold water. 

4. Use A Purple Shampoo

Purple shampoo uses violet pigments to cover up yellow tones. It is the easiest and quickest way to neutralize the unwanted warmth in your hair at home. Grab a bottle of purple shampoo, and you are ready to go!

1. Rinse your hair with hot water to open the cuticles.
2. Apply the purple shampoo and leave it on for 15 minutes.
3. Rinse your hair with cold water to seal the color in your hair.

Infographic: How To Fix Orange Hair After Bleaching: Natural Remedies

So, you just bleached your hair, and it has become brassy orange. But, because your hair is dry and weak, you don’t want to use more hair colors to fix the brassy tone. At the same time, you are still worried about your bad hair color. Wondering what to do? Don’t worry – we have your back!

There are many natural hair lighteners, like avocado, lemon juice, and green tea, which you can use to lighten those brassy orange tones. Check out the infographic below to leave how to fix orange hair naturally.

Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team

It can be extremely frustrating to see brassy orange tones on your hair instead of the hair color you wanted. These brassy orange tones occur when the bleaching agents in your hair do not completely remove your natural hair color pigmentation from the strands. Thankfully, these brassy hues can be eliminated easily enough. You can use toners, pigmented shampoos, dyes, and even natural remedies to neutralize orange hues from your hair and attain the beautiful hair color you want. You can also get your hair color corrected at a salon in the safe hands of expert stylists.
Do you have any toning secrets of your own? Let us know in the comments section below!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why did my hair turn orange after bleaching?

Your hair contains melanin which gives it its natural color. Hair dyes and bleach oxidize your natural hair color, meaning it lightens hair by reducing its melanin content. Sometimes, these products cannot remove the melanin entirely, leaving you with brassy orange or yellow tones. Your bleached hair can take on brassy hues if you don’t use color-safe products.

Will purple shampoo fix orange hair?

You should use a blue shampoo to correct brassy orange hues. However, a purple shampoo works better if your hair has more yellow tones or if you want to mildly reduce the orange tones.

What toner cancels orange?

Brassy hair has warm hues like yellow and orange. So, a cool toner like ash or silver blonde can neutralize warm brassy tones.

How long do you leave purple shampoo on orange hair?

This depends on the desired hair color you want to achieve. If you want a warm hue, then leave the purple shampoo for about 1-5 minutes. For a cool tone, leave the shampoo on for 15-20 minutes. To achieve a neutral tone, keep the shampoo on for about 10 minutes. If you leave the purple shampoo for too long, your hair can take on a light lilac tint.

What happens if you put ash blonde dye on orange hair?

How do you go from orange to ash blonde?

What happens if you put ash toner on orange hair?

Will dark ash blonde cover orange hair?