Hard water can be a culprit for yellowing blonde hair. This is because hard water is high in minerals such as calcium and magnesium, which can build up on the hair and cause it to look yellow. If you live in an area with hard water, you may want to invest in a shower head filter to help reduce the mineral buildup.
Use a Purple Shampoo: Purple shampoo is designed to neutralize yellow tones in blond hair. Use it once or twice a week to help maintain a cooler blond shade. Clarifying Shampoo: If product buildup is an issue, try a clarifying shampoo. Use it occasionally to remove residue from hair products and hard water minerals.
Your hair will mainly be exposed to your tap water due to hair washing. This water is actually filled with metals and minerals, and since blonde hair is very porous, these will be absorbed, causing a slight yellow tint. You may also have heard that blonde hair turns green in swimming pools.
Blue! Purple cancels out yellow, blue cancels out orange!
"These tones can turn due to sunlight, washing with the wrong shampoo that doesn't protect colored hair, or a mistake made by a colorist, like not using a toner," says Rago.
If your bleached hair looks more yellow than orange, you'll need a purple toning shampoo to neutralise the yellow. If your hair's turned orange, you'll need a blue toning shampoo to tone the brassiness and get rid of the orange.
One option is to re-bleach the roots to lift them to a lighter level before toning again. You need to get them to that very pale yellow - think the inside of a banana. This will help to ensure that your favourite toner can effectively neutralize any remaining yellow tones and match the rest of your hair perfectly.
Rinse with Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar serves multiple purposes, including toning down blonde hair. "Apple cider vinegar is another effective natural remedy, as it balances the hair's pH, reduces brassiness, and adds shine," Korab says.
“Purple shampoo works best to eliminate yellow, which is the unwanted tone that tends to pop up over time on bright blondes,” says Zanoni. While blue shampoo can still benefit hair, she adds that it's best used on brunettes who wish to eliminate orange tones.
BRASSY HAIR: WHY IT HAPPENS AND HOW TO PREVENT IT. Weeks after coloring your hair, you start to notice something strange: the shade you left the salon with is no more, and now your hair has taken on an undesired yellow, orange or red tone. What gives? Brassy hair, that's what.
If the hair is still yellow, that means more bleaching is required.
Yellow looks phenomenal on blondes in general because blonde women have the perfect skin tone for yellow, which is actually kind of obvious. Blonde is a similar color to yellow, so of course it looks good on them. The good news: few blondes have hair yellow enough to blend in with a yellow garment.
However, there are tons of factors like over washing, product buildup, and sun's exposure that can quickly cause yellowing and dullness.
Purple Shampoo and Conditioner: These products are specifically designed to neutralize yellow tones in grey and blonde hair. The purple pigments counteract the yellow, restoring a cooler, more natural hue. Use them once or twice a week for best results.
Why is Toner Needed? Toners are more than just an accessory to your color treatment. They refresh and enhance your hair's tone, and they're a lifesaver for tackling any unwanted oranges, brassiness or yellows as bleaching exposes the hair's underlying pigments that can get damaged without further treatment.
In the salon, your stylist can apply a low-ammonia toner formula to your hair after it is lightened. For example, if the goal is a pearly blonde shade, your stylist will use a lightener first, then apply a violet toner to cancel out the yellow tones that are exposed when your hair color is lifted.
Use a color-depositing shampoo to correct a brassy tone.
Miranda recommends leaving the shampoo on up to 15 minutes to darken the highlights even more. Purple shampoos work best with yellow brassy tones. Use a blue toning shampoo for orange brassy tones. Correct red brassy tones with a green color toning shampoo.
You want the hair cuticle to be open for toning. Towel-dry hair to about 65 - 75% dry then start toning. Usually color & bleach is on dry hair, even toners and colors that do not require developer; however toner that uses developer is recommended on towel dried hair.
There's two reasons why your hair is still brassy after toning or colouring. Either the undertone of the toner/colour is wrong, or the product is too light for you.
If you leave purple shampoo in your hair for 30 minutes, the risk of over-toning increases significantly. While purple shampoo is designed to neutralize brassy or yellow tones, leaving it on for an extended period can lead to overly cool or even purple-tinted hair, especially for those with light or porous hair.
The bottom line: If you have yellow tones (usually for blonde hair), use purple shampoo. If you're dealing with orange tones (usually brunette hair), go for blue shampoo.
Simply put, whichever colours sit opposite one another on this wheel can cancel each other out. For example, blue neutralizes orange, green balances red, and purple tones down yellow hues. That means, in order to target yellow, you need a touch of violet in your formula.