Bleach washing is an effective way to remove darker pigments and achieve a lighter base color level.

If you want to lighten your color and you already have color in your hair, your options are limited to color removal products or bleaching processes.

color removal products can lift out some permanent color pigments, although you may need to repeat this process several times to get the lift you want. color removal products won’t lighten your hair beyond its natural color level.

If you want to either lift out darker color, eliminate color build-up or lighten your hair beyond its natural color level then you will need a bleach-based process. Bleach is the only product which will completely lift pigments and lighten hair which has already been colored.

Regular bleach applications involve mixing bleach with developer and applying it directly to dry hair, and they will corrode the hair cuticle leaving it prone to breakage. It’s basically the nuclear solution, and should be approached conservatively.

Bleach washing is a gentler and easier approach to lighten or lift out darker pigments from your hair. A bleach wash uses a bleach mixture blended with shampoo and applied to wet hair. It blends through wet hair quickly and is easier to apply than regular bleach treatments.

All lightening processes will dry your hair, as some moisture is removed from your hair along with color pigments, so it is important to boost the hydration and condition of your hair before and after a bleach wash.

We highly recommend thermal Tsubaki oil or Repair Mask treatments before and after bleach washes. Adding heat with a thermal cap allows for deep penetration of the nutrients in your treatment, which will boost benefits and outcomes and replenish moisture and strengthen your hair.

Bleach washing will:

• Strip out hair dye
• Correct over-toned hair
• Remove excessive brassiness from partially lightened hair
• Lighten hair color

Our Bleach Wash Kits include everything you need to bleach wash at home:

• Hi-Lift Bleach powder 30gm
• 27 vol developer sachet 75ml
• color Protection Shampoo 20ml
• color Protection Conditioner 40ml
• Gloves

How to Bleach Wash Your Hair

Avoid washing your hair for at least 2 days before your bleach wash as your natural oils protect your scalp and hair from damage.

Wear a front-opening shirt or robe (not your finest – any stray bleach wash drops will lighten material). Wet your hair and towel dry it before preparing your bleach wash mix.

Use a tint brush and bowl to prepare your bleach wash.

Follow the instructions to mix your bleach wash in the correct ratio. Start by emptying the sachet of developer into your tint bowl and the correct quantity of bleach powder. Use your tint brush to mix the bleach and developer together. 

To this mixture you add 90ml of shampoo to the bleach and developer mix (use any regular shampoo you have at home for this).

Add a little bit of water to your damp hair and then apply the bleach wash to your hair.

The shampoo blend will spread evenly and consistently through your wet hair, giving you a manageable application process, with consistent outcomes.

Leave the mixture in for 10-20 minutes, depending on the color result you are looking to achieve.

Your aim with the bleach process is to achieve the color level you are aiming for, without unwanted warmth. Check your hair while the bleach wash is processing by rubbing it with your gloved fingers. You want to see a lighter color level (which is your target color level) without minimal warmth (red/orange tones). If you are lightening to a lighter blonde color level then you want to see a pale or pale yellow tone.

All hair naturally has warm colored pigments within its color. The red/orange color molecules are the largest color pigments molecules in the hair and they are the last to be lifted out.

• If your color level has not lightened sufficiently (if your hair is still too dark) after 20 minutes, or if there is still warmth (red/orange tones) in your hair, you can extend the bleach processing time by 5-10 minutes if needed.

Wash it out in the shower, using the color Protection Shampoo and Conditioner provided in your Bleach Wash pack.

Your hair will likely still have some soft warmth (such as pale yelllow tones) immediately after the bleach wash. This is naturally occurring warmth which is revealed during the lightening process due to the natural contributing pigment.

If you have quite prominent visible warmth after one bleach wash, then you will need to repeat the process to lift out the warmer or darker pigments which remain in your hair.

Repeating a Bleach Wash:

Please note that some people will need to repeat the bleach wash process if their color level is still too dark, or if there is too much warmth in their color after an initial bleach wash application. It is not always possible to predict whether someone will need to repeat a bleach wash prior to lightening their hair. Some hair holds color or throws more natural warmth than others.

• If you wanted to ensure that you have enough product to repeat the lightening/coloring process, you can buy an additional bleach wash kit and/or an additional color kit, and if you do not need to use these items then you can return them (unopened and in their original condition) and receive a full refund on these items.

Coloring After Your Bleach Wash:

After the bleach wash it is essential that you apply a new, lighter permanent color which has cool secondary tones to effectively counter-balance the natural warmth which is revealed during lightening. Apply your lighter, cool-based color blended with either a 20 or 27 vol permanent developer.

A toner or a semi-permanent color uses a 5 vol developer which is inadequate to color and balance tone after a lightening process.

Pre and Post-Lightening Care

It is very important to hydrate and nourish your hair before and after a bleach wash. All lightening processes will strip natural oils from your hair, so it is critical to restore oils to rehydrate and strengthen your hair.

We recommend deep conditioning and oil treatments to boost moisture levels and to nourish your hair, before and after all lightening processes.

Our Repair Mask, Repair Spray and Split End Serum are loaded with organic botanicals and are free from all nasties. They will deeply nourish, hydrate, strengthen and repair dry, dull, porous, fragile and damaged hair, and leave your hair instantly softer and smoother.

Tsubaki oil is extremely high in oleic acid, proteins and glycerides, which are essential to keeping hair healthy, stronger and shinier. It is a lightweight, dry oil which can be used sparingly. Massage 10-20 drops through damp hair and add gentle heat with a thermal heat cap. Gentle heat softens and lifts the cuticles of the hair, allowing the oil to enter within the hair to work its magic.

Thermal Tsubaki oil treatments will dramatically boost the health, strength, condition and shine of your hair, restoring critical oils and nutrients which are stripped from the hair during the lightening process.

We recommend bi-weekly Repair Mask or thermal Tsubaki oil treatments for two weeks before and after your lightening process.

A Word of Warning:

• As mentioned, some people will need to repeat the bleach wash process if their color level is still too dark, or if there is too much warmth in their color after an initial bleach wash application.
• If you wanted to ensure that you have enough product to repeat the lightening/coloring process, you can buy an additional bleach wash kit and/or an additional color kit, and if you do not need to use these items then you can return them (unopened and in their original condition) and receive a full refund on these items.

We recommend getting personalised color advice if you are considering bleach washing your hair. Our colorists are available 7 days a week and can suggest a color which will give you a lighter, tonally balanced color result.

Very happy with the end result. I used the bleach wash kit first to get rid of excess previous color. Easy to use & my color application was even & bright. Have had some compliments & someone not believing I did my color at home.

H. McCredie

I used the bleach wash to get old color out and then used this color and am so happy with my new color! I have received so many compliments.

P. Shires

I have been using The Shade since October 2019. I changed from your normal supermarket dyes to The Shade as my hair was being ruined. After one purchase I was hooked on how full coverage, soft and shiny my hair was. I’ve used The Shade dye and bleaching kit to go lighter on my own with great success and without damage to my hair. For the price it’s definitely worth it and I love you can change the subscription with ease.

K. Good-O’Loughlin