Has a toning disaster left you in a state of total panic over blonde locks that are suddenly purple, pastel blue or grey?
Confused, nervous or is it more like terrified about what to do next to fix the problem?
Not to mention is there any worse feeling than having hair gone wrong? Because it can be so embarrassing to go out looking like this, right?
Fortunately there are things you can try. Or ideas that are likely to leave you breathing a sigh of relief sooner than you might think.
And without necessarily reaching for some kind of harsh bleach to solve the problem. Although that may be the only option in extreme cases of a purple shampoo toning that went bad.
Plus if it helps at all you’re not alone. This is a common problem that overuse or misuse of purple shampoo or attempts at toning cause.
So if you’re freakin’ out R-E-L-A-X.
You got this.
With our help, naturally!
Quick Section Navigation
- VIDEO: How To Remove Purple Toner From Hair Four Different Ways
- VIDEO: Can You Use Dawn Dish Soap For Over Toned Hair?
- VIDEO: How To Bleach Bath Hair Overtoned With Purple Shampoo
So let’s start with a quick overview video. One that lays out some of your options.
But I have to warn you. It doesn’t get into the nitty gritty of how much or for how long as much as I’d like.
It does however share some useful techniques for fixing overtoned hair.
Further on down we do get into some of the how much and for how long details. To make sure you know what to do to get the tell tale color out.
Here’s How To Remove Purple Toner From Hair Four Different Ways
So this over toning thing is a common problem. Most often with purple shampoo but it also happens with toner. But when stuff like toning with purple shampoo trends on TikTok it’s inevitable some trying it will get it wrong.
The good news is the purple will eventually fade. So it’s not permanent. Even if you were following advice on how to use purple shampoo on dry hair – which can on the intense side.
The bad news is it may not fade fast enough for you. Especially if you have a job interview or a big event like a wedding or something to attend. Photos of you looking like “Lilac Barney” in the wedding album isn’t the kind of memory you want to make.
So like I said this video quickly discusses four things you can try if the purple, blue or gray absolutely refuses to go away.
The first two are relatively mild and not well suited for more extreme cases. The second two are. But aren’t without their risks.
So let’s get going, shall we? Time to release your inner blonde goddess all over again. You know the one you were hoping would reappear when you first starting exploring how to tone your hair with purple shampoo.
Method One: Clarifying Shampoo
This approach should work for more than half of the afflicted. Not to mention it’s pretty self-explanatory.
What a clarifier does is speed up the fade away of the lilac or faint blue.
However one round may not do it. So be prepared to try this two maybe three times in quick succession.
Each time you’ll want let your hair dry so you can get a good read on any color improvements you achieved.
Then follow this treatment up with some serious TLC for your hair. Maybe using a good hydrating shampoo or deep conditioning mask after the clarifying shampoo routine has worked its magic.
But say you aren’t back to the level of blondeness you enjoyed before your toning mishap. In that case you can try the second approach.
Method Two: Chelating Hair To Remove Toner With Lemon Juice
This comes down a simple process. Chelate your hair using Dawn dish soap and lemon juice. Followed by a hydrating mask.
This is a bit stronger move than clarifying shampoo alone.
She didn’t get into all you need to know about the process. To fill in the gaps we have a helpful article on how to chelate your hair at home that will get you up to speed fast. All the more so if you’ve never heard of chelating.
Since that article doesn’t necessarily cover chelating hair at home to remove toner there’s a video a few paragraphs down that does. It shows how one girl did use Dawn and lemon juice to try to brighten dull grayish tresses.
Okay but say neither of these methods produce satisfactory results. Then it’s time to step up in class to something more heavy duty.
Method Three: Color Remover
As she pointed out color removers tend to use a tiny amount of bleaching agents. That means they aren’t completely color benign. Hence the term “remover” in the name, right?
So some stripping of your strands is unavoidable if you opt to go this route. Just so you know.
Do wish she would have made a recommendation so we knew what she was talking about.
Lacking specific product suggestions I’m going to assume she means something like Color Oops. Here’s what Ulta said about using that product for over toned hair.
“Color Oops can also be used to remove artificial color from hair that was lightened but became off-tone. For instance: if you have naturally brown hair and used an ash blonde color and your hair is now blonde with a green tint, Color Oops will remove the green tint, but your hair will remain blonde.”
To me that suggests it can work with any color of pastel tint.
Since this is a commercial product simply follow the directions on the box and see what it does for you.
Again, this is a step or two beyond simply clarifying or chelating. But it may be worth the small amount damage you’re inflicting on your hair to fix any dreadful color situation you’re facing.
Method Four: Bleach Wash
Really a bleach wash is pretty much for any mistake with color and is the most extreme step of the four suggestions.
Which is to say this one is to be used at home only in the most dire cases. You know, where you want to nuke some unwanted color you’re stuck with that doesn’t come out any other way? Including any from overtoning.
So with this you’ll break out the bleach and probably 10 volume developer. Then mix those into shampoo.
IMPORTANT: You want to be super careful not to leave the mix on too long. Like it’s best to wash-it-out-in-less-than-five-minutes careful.
Also take care to work the shampoo evenly throughout your mane for thorough coverage. That will help you avoid patchy results.
There you go! That’s the four classic approaches.
What’s next? Two technique specific videos. One for chelating then one showing how to do a beach bath.
Can You Use Dawn Dish Soap For Over Toned Hair?
This isn’t exactly over toned hair. In the long winded intro, which we skipped, she said it’s more a salon color job that didn’t turn out quite as expected. (Don’t you just hate when that happens?)
Still you’d use the exact same steps if you are needing some “how to” tips to get purple out of hair.
But if you insist here’s another article of ours that shares even more ways of fixing over toned hair. And it does have a video that shows a variation of this approach using lemon juice as the lightener.
The Recipe
- A generous dollop of Dawn dish soap
- Lemon juice
The Instructions
- Dampen your hair
- Lather in the Dawn like you would any shampoo for a few minutes
- Let it sit for another minute
- Rinse out
- Apply lemon juice thoroughly
- Let it sit
- Rinse out
- Condition
WARNING: Your hair may not feel soft and luxurious before conditioning. But it’s nothing a good dose of hydration can’t cure.
Besides if Dawn’s safe for baby ducklings then it must be safe for our locks too, right?
And the results speak for themselves as the before and after tonal difference is dramatic.
How To Bleach Bath Hair Overtoned With Purple Shampoo
This next video clip picks up where the decision is made to try a different approach to get rid of an unwanted purple-blue hue that two gentler methods failed to eliminate.
Since we start mid video here’s what her hair looked like after a week of trying:
You can definitely see the purple haze.
Basically this is a demonstration of the fourth process of the Ellebangs video above. Which was suggested as your last resort.
If you don’t know, a bleach wash is simply a less aggressive hair-lightening technique. It’s done using bleach powder, very low volume developer, and shampoo.
You could argue this video should come with the warning – don’t try this at home. The solution is border line crazy. But then too so is coloring our hair at home and we all know many do this all the time.
Still resolving hair coloring issues takes experience. That also implies mistakes will be made by the inexperienced. Just saying.
Here again specifics as to the amounts used were not given. So this is rather imprecise. Sorry.
The Recipe
- 2 to 3 scoops Clairol Professional BW2 Hair Powder Lightener
- 10-20 volume liquid developer
- Shampoo
With the Clairol BW2 you might need two or three scoops depending on how much hair you have to treat.
To that add your liquid developer.
From researching online seems the usually recommended ratio for a bleach wash is one part lightener to two parts developer. (Although some suggested reversing that ratio if it doesn’t out.)
You’ll want to mix that in with one part shampoo to cut the intensity. Or enough shampoo to dilute things a bit.
With the consistency you’re going for loose but not too loose – if that makes any sense.
Or as she described it in the video when you lift up the brush out the mix the consistency is thick enough to cling to brush without dripping off.
REMEMBER: In the world of developers the lower the number the gentler it will be on your locks. You just may need to leave it on longer to get the results. But it will be less damaging and more forgiving – as long as you get it off your hair in time.
Put the other way higher the number on the developer the greater the risk of fried hair. That’s because you’re using a harsher chemical on your mane.
So I’d suggest using the least powerful developer that does the job for you. And keep a close eye on things as it can work pretty quickly.
The Instructions
- Mix the ingredients together
- Dampen your hair
- Apply the lightener generously using a coloring brush
- Leave on for literally no more than 3 to 5 minutes – unless you want to lighten your color too
- Wash out
- Deep condition
And yes this is kinda like playing with fire for those who haven’t used developer before. But desperate times call for desperate measures, right?
Anyway, and to repeat, leave this on your tresses for three to five minutes only. (You should be able to see it working as in the video.) Rinsing it off sooner if your blonde is more of a buttery and less platinum shade.
Ellebangs pointed out if this doesn’t cut it the problem is not from overtoning.
As before deep condition to add back some moisture lost in the process so you quench those thirsty locks.
Over toned blonde hair can leave you desperately looking for ways that explain how to fix purple or blue or grey hair to get rid of unwanted tones. Beyond that don’t let a lack of ideas leave you stuck with other troubling problems with your strands. Simply head over to our Pinterest boards, pin what you want for later and rest easy. Knowing a steady stream of ideas will be coming your way.
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