When done right, bleached hair can be wonderful! It’s open to new color deposits, and is the foundation of some of the most beautiful color jobs in the world. Even further, it’s widely popular during the summer as we’re all getting our summer vibes going and feeling like a bombshell blonde on the beach. (We see you, Corpus Christi!) The only problem? Time seems to change it from that gorgeous platinum blonde to something brassy and yellow, not the most attractive look…

But if you’re reading this article, you probably already know that! And you’re probably wondering why. Well we gotchu, boo! Here’s the why and how to fix it.

“What’s causing my brassy hair after bleaching?”

There could be a number of reasons that your hair is going brassy (yellow, orange, red, or even green…!) after bleaching. 1: Natural Undertones Sometimes, it’s just the nature of the beast! While bleaching can remove the majority of coloring from your hair, its natural fibers will always be there somewhere. If your hair is naturally warm toned (brown, red) and not blonde, you’ll have natural undertones that remain warmer than the pale blonde you might be looking for. This can cause your hair to change color, anywhere from pale yellow to brassy red and orange. 2: Minerals in Your Water Minerals aren’t 100% invisible. In fact, minerals often slowly accumulate in what looks like color deposits. If the water at your house contains minerals, you might be accidentally exposing your color-receptive bleached hair to the color deposits in minerals which your hair will absorb. 3: Chlorine and Sun Chlorine isn’t colorless either. Both Chlorine and UV rays from the sun can deposit color in your bleached hair. Because bleached hair is so porous and willing to accept color, it will accept color from pretty much anything: even pool chemicals and sun rays. If you’re spending a lot of time at the pool, it might be the reason your hair is turning so brassy! Chlorine can actually even turn your hair an unwanted dirty green color (ew!), which is why it’s so important to rinse your hair before and after getting out of the pool. “Ok, good to know, but how do I fix my brassy hair?” Great question! There are a few things you can do without purchasing any products to combat brassiness in bleached hair. 1: Rinse Thoroughly When Swimming

Like we said a bit ago, rinsing your hair off before and after swimming will help to combat the brassy deposits from chlorine. Wet hair is less likely to absorb chlorine-saturated water, and a rinse afterward will help to remove some of the chlorine that has gotten in there. 2: Softer Water

“Hold up, water’s the softest thing on earth!” You’re right girl, it’s also full of minerals and chemicals that could be messing with your hair. When water has those minerals and chemicals, it’s called “hard” water (in part because it’s so harsh on your skin and hair). Water softeners work to remove those harsh chemicals and minerals, and provide you with water that is gentler on your skin and hair. You can get a water softener for your whole home, or (if you don’t want to spend $5K on a water softener…!) you can grab a Shower Water Softener to attach to your showerhead for much cheaper. But the most effective way to treat brassy hair is with toning shampoo. Toning shampoos (also known as purple shampoos) are highly effective at combating brassy hair because the colors directly cancel out the brassy tones. Remember when you started learning about colors and began mixing things like blue and yellow to get green? It’s similar to that concept! These toning shampoos deposit tiny amounts of color in your color-thirsty locks, which combine with the brassy undertones to create that perfect platinum you’re looking for. “Do I need to use this all the time? Aren’t special shampoos expensive…?” Don’t worry, you don’t need to use it every time! Toning shampoos and conditioners deposit small amounts of purple or blue tone in your hair, which cancels out the brassy undertones, but used too often can cause a grey-ish or blue-ish color in the hair. It can also lead to dryness, since these shampoos are doing more interaction with the strands of your hair than the average shampoo. In other words, these shampoos are best used roughly once a week to upkeep that gorgeous platinum color. If you made it all the way to the end of this article and are thinking “Ok, well now I gotta go buy an expensive toning shampoo…” WAIT!

Don’t despair, we gotchu! Just for this month, we’re taking 10% off our Purple Shampoos so you don’t have to break the bank to prep for your beautiful blonde summer balayage. Check them out below:

 Amkia’s Toning Shampoo (Normally $26) OWay’s Toning Shampoo (Normally $33) OWay’s Toning Shampoo for Men (Normally $33) Matizador’s Le Bleu Shampoo (Normally $18)y $18