How to Get Rid of Brassy Hair: 10 Home Remedies That Work

In this article, we reveal 10 of the best brassy hair home remedies for preventing and treating orange hues!

Brassy hair home remedies such as a DIY toner, purple shampoo, or hair masks are highly effective and budget-friendly. They offer a natural solution to combat brassy tones in your hair without using any harmful chemicals which can further damage your strands.

What Causes Brassy Hair After Coloring

If you’re planning on dying your dark hair blonde it will require a combination of ammonia and peroxide to first lift the melanin in your strands before depositing the lighter shade.

This process can be quite taxing on your locks with exposure to these harsh chemicals. It’s possible that your hair color can cause hair loss after repeated dying or may result in orange, brassy tones after completing the bleaching process.

Other reasons for brassy hair include:

• Naturally lighter hair can appear brassy after repeated exposure to shampoo. The cleansing routine may strip your hair of its vibrant color which could result in an orange hue. The best way to resolve this issue is to include a toner in your cleansing routine.
• Did you know that there are minerals found in water? Washing your hair may result in a build-up of minerals in your hair follicles which could leave you with brassy hair in your highlighted or naturally blonde hair
• Excessive dying is one of the leading causes of brassy hair after coloring
• Sunlight and chlorine found in pools cause damage to your hair by weakening the strands and this could lead to brassy tones

10 Best Brassy Hair Home Remedies

1. Apple Cider Vinegar Hair Mask

Apple cider vinegar is ideal for restoring your hair’s pH balance and helps to combat brassy tones.

Ingredients:

• ⅓ cup of apple cider vinegar
• 1 cup of water

Method:

1. Combine these two ingredients and mix thoroughly
2. Apply the homemade mixture directly on to your hair while shampooing and let it settle for around 3 minutes
3. Rinse off the apple cider vinegar mixture with plain water and repeat the process twice a week for the best results

Like this? Read our article on apple cider vinegar and its effect on hair dye.

2. Baking Soda Hair Treatment

Baking soda works well as a clarifying hair treatment to tackle mineral and product build-up in your hair.

Ingredients:

• 1 x teaspoon of baking soda
• 2 x tablespoons of water
• A small amount of sulfate-free shampoo
• Half a teaspoon of purple food coloring
• Half a teaspoon of blue food coloring

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a plastic bowl and add the water
2. Wet your hair and apply the mixture directly on to your hair as you would shampoo
3. Let it settle for five to ten minutes and then rinse it off
4. Complete the process by applying a deep conditioner

3. Homemade Blue Toner

Ingredients:

• A small amount of conditioner
• Semi-permanent violet hair dye
• A hair dye applicator

Method:

1. Add a small amount of conditioner to a bowl. Simply double the amount you would typically use during your hair care routine 
2. Use an application brush mix in a small amount of the violet hair dye until you achieve a light purple hue to your mixture
3. Using the brush, apply the treatment directly on to wet hair and let it sit for one hour
4. Rinse your hair out and wash as normal

Also check out: What Does Blue Shampoo Do To Blonde Hair? (Solved!)

4. Tea Hair Remedy

Ingredients:

• 3 x teabags
• 2 cups of water
• A pot to boil water

Method:

1. Brew a strong cup of tea using all three tea bags
2. Set the tea aside allow the mixture to cool
3. Once the tea is no longer hot, apply it directly on to your hair and massage it gently into your roots and scalp.
4. Let it settle for 30 minutes or so before rinsing out

5. Homemade Lemon Hair Toner

Lemon is a versatile ingredient and is ideal to use when creating brassy hair home remedies. It not only lightens your hair but combats brassiness as well.  

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 2 x tablespoons of honey
• ¾ cup of water

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredients together in a hair spray bottle
2. Shake well and spray the solution directly on your hair
3. Leave it on your hair for around 2 hours
4. Rinse the lemon toner out and wash your hair with a sulfate-free shampoo followed by a conditioner to complete the process

6. Virgin Olive Oil Hair Treatment

Olive oil can be used to combat hair damage and encourage growth as well as one of the best ingredients for creating brassy hair home remedies to correct orange hues appearing in your strands.

Ingredients:

• Virgin olive oil
• Sulfate-free shampoo

Method:

1. Place a pot on the stove and heat up a small amount of virgin olive oil. The amount of olive oil needed for this recipe is dependent on the length of your hair
2. Wait for the oil to cool down and apply directly on to your strands
3. Gently massage the oil through your scalp and roots and let it settle for one hour
4. Complete the process by rinsing off the oil and washing your hair with sulfate-free shampoo

 

7. Purple-Toned Conditioner

Ingredients:

• Purple hair dye
• Conditioner

Method:

1. Add the conditioner to a bowl and gradually mix in a small amount of purple hair dye. Refrain from adding in too much hair dye formula or your hair will be colored purple. Only a small amount is needed to treat the brassy tones while leaving the rest of your hair untouched.
2. Mix thoroughly
3. Apply directly on to wet hair as you would with a store-bought toner and let it settle for 30 minutes or so
4. Rinse off the mixture and dry your hair as per your usual routine

8. DIY Hollyhock Toner

Hollyhock herbs act as an extra-strength color remover and is ideal to incorporate in brassy hair home remedies to restore balanced color to your locks.

Ingredients:

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

Method:

1. Boil all the ingredients together in a pot until the mixture is thick and combined thoroughly
2. Let the mixture cool
3. Apply directly on to your hair and let it set for 10 minutes
4. Rinse off and wash your hair with shampoo and conditioner as per your usual hair care routine

9. Indigo Hair Toner

Indigofera tinctoria which is more commonly referred to as true indigo, is a species of plant from the bean family. It’s one of the main ingredients of indigo dye and is beneficial in adding shine to your hair and enhancing the color. An added bonus is that it helps to remove the orange, brassy tones in your strands and can be used as a homemade toner.

Ingredients:

• 1 x tablespoon of indigo powder
• 4 x tablespoons of white conditioner

Method:

1. In a bowl mix the indigo powder and conditioner together
2. Apply the mixture on to your hair evenly
3. Let it set for a few minutes and check in on the color to see if the brassiness has been treated
4. Once you are happy with the color, use a sulfate-free shampoo and lukewarm water to wash the mixture off your hair

10. DIY Hair Toners Using Food Coloring

Purple Hair Toner:

Ingredients:

• 1 x tablespoon of purple food coloring
• 3 x tablespoons of conditioner
• Sulfate-free shampoo

Method:

1. Add the ingredients to a bowl and mix well
2. Gently apply the mixture directly on to your hair
3. Let it set for around 30 minutes
4. Rinse off the mixture and wash your hair with a sulfate-free shampoo

3 Great Products for Prevention and Treatment of Brassy Hair

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Tips to Prevent Brassy Hair

If you’re looking to prevent brassy hair from affecting your look, our simple home remedies along with these handy hacks can be used on all hair types:

• Limit your hair’s direct exposure to the sun’s harsh ultraviolet rays
• Avoid harsh chemicals such as silicone and sulfate
• Try to avoid excessive coloring or bleaching as this can lead to damaged hair
•  Use color-nourishing conditioners to protect your hair after home dye applications
• Wash your hair in filtered water to prevent mineral deposits found in hard water from damaging your hair and contributing to brassiness
• Use sulfate-free shampoo to prevent brassiness and to combat hair loss as an added result