There are a lot of DIY hair colour remover suggestions you’ll come across when you search online. Some people will suggest baking powder and dandruff shampoo, others will say vinegar and others lemon juice.
The problem with many of these DIY methods is that they don’t work very well. They’ll remove only some of the colour and even when they get most of it out, they leave your hair looking terrible.
An easy and safe way to remove hair dye is using a hair colour remover. They are very effective on permanent hair dye and easy to apply at home. The best part is that they don’t contain bleach. So they remove the dye without stripping off your natural hair colour or weakening your hair.
How do hair colour removers work?
One thing to note: When talking about hair colour removers, we are talking about permanent hair colour removers. Most hair colour removers work best on permanent, not semi-permanent, hair colour. For semi-permanent dye, you can either rinse it out or wait for it to fade on its own.
Permanent hair dye replaces some of your natural hair colour molecules with artificial colour molecules. So what a hair colour remover does is get inside your hair shafts and dissolves the bonds holding the colour molecules together. It also shrinks the molecules.
Once these bonds or links have been dissolved, the artificial colour molecules have nothing to hold them in place and since they are smaller now, they can easily get out of the hair shaft through the cuticle.
It’s important to thoroughly wash out all the dye. If even a little is left behind, it could start re-colouring your hair again. That’s why many hair colour removers recommend rinsing for 20 minutes or more.
If you are thinking about removing your permanent hair colour, we found five really effective and safe hair colour removers online. Here they are.
1. L’OREAL ColorZap Hair color Remover Kit Quantity
This remover gently gets rid of unwanted permanent hair colour. It doesn’t contain any bleach, which protects your hair and ensures your hair still looks decent after removing the dye. But don’t expect to get your full natural hair colour back.
While most hair colour removers require that you wait several days or even weeks before you apply new colour, you can re-colour your hair immediately after using the L’OREAL ColorZap colour remover. In fact, L’OREAL advices that you plan to re-dye your hair immediately.
It can remove any hair colour whether it’s black, blonde, pink or red as long as it’s permanent. It will not work on semi-permanent dye.
What we like about it:
- Easy to use at home.
- No-bleach hair colour removal.
- Safe to re-colour hair immediately after using it.
2. Scott Cornwall Decolour Hair Colour Stripper
The Scott Cornwall hair colour remover is bleach and ammonia free. It’s gentle and safe on your hair. While bleach colour removers leave your hair feeling dry and flaky, this one doesn’t affect the condition and health of your hair.
You can still brush and wash your hair without worrying it will fall out. If it feels slightly dry, a moisturising conditioner is all you need.
The Scott Cornwall Decolour strips out all kinds of permanent hair dye and you can reapply hair colour immediately.
If you have thick hair – and this applies to most hair colour removers – I recommend buying two boxes. Many thick and long haired customers find that one box isn’t enough.
What we like about it:
- Easy to use; it comes with simple and clear instructions.
- Works well on all types of permanent hair dye.
- Bleach and ammonia free.
3. Colour B4 Hair Colour Remover
This hair colour remover claims to remove both permanent and semi-permanent hair dye. A majority of customers report positive results with a few complaints here and there. But the biggest issue is the smell which can last for several days.
Some describe it as cat pee and other say it smells like rotten eggs. This could be because the colour remover is extra-powerful to ensure it works on darker hair dyes.
So while the remover will remove your hair colour, prepare for the terrible smell. It’s the sacrifice for a product that works quickly and effectively.
After de-colouring your hair you can re-dye it immediately without any problem.
What we like about it:
- Can restore natural hair colour (but not always).
- Easy to use and works quickly.
- Works on both permanent and temporary hair dye.
4. JoBaz Hair Colour Remover
This hair colour remover works only on permanent hair colour. It is not effective on temporary dye nor will it remove cuticle staining.
It’s free of ammonia, bleach and other harsh chemicals. So it doesn’t dry out your hair or make it brittle. This means that you can safely re-colour your hair immediately after de-colouring it.
The JoBaz hair colour remover returns your hair to its natural shade if you had used a dye darker than your hair and have not bleached or lightened your hair in the past. It’ll not remove cuticle staining, which happens when you use a very dark dye such as black or vibrant red.
What we like about it:
- Easy to use and works quickly to strip permanent hair colour.
- No harsh chemicals that can damage your hair.
- You can re-dye your hair immediately.
5. Colourless Max Effect Hair Colour Remover
This is another hair colour remover designed to work on both permanent and semi-permanent dye. Like the Colour B4 permanent and semi-permanent remover, it also smells somewhat awful. It will be some days before the smell is out of your hair.
But it works really well. Instead of using bleach that will damage your hair, get a bottle of this. It’s easy to apply. It comes with clear instructions to guide you.
Some people found that they could leave their hair that way after de-colouring it. The remover works evenly without leaving any blotches and uneven coloured spots. But if you are not comfortable with the final colour, you can use a dye immediately after.
What we like about it:
- It works well and quickly.
- Ideal for both permanent and semi-permanent hair colour.
- Easy to use.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How good is colourless hair colour remover?
This is a safe and effective way to remove colour from your hair. It will gently strip away dyed colour from your hair without using bleach products, which is a great bonus and will protect your hair from damage.
It removes both permanent and semi permanent colour, and also helps to remove build up – perfect if you have been colouring your hair for years.
Colourless hair remover will remove a whole range of colours, from dark blonde, brown, red and even black. It is a good way to remove hair dye at home, without having to pay through the nose at a salon
Q: How to use hair colour remover?
- You should always start with a strand test to check that the product is suitable for your hair and scalp.
- You will receive two bottles in the package, and you must mix both together in the larger bottle. Shake thoroughly, for at least a minute.
- Separate your hair into sections, then, using the gloves provided, work the product into the hair from underneath. The hair must be completely saturated for the product to work, so for longer or very thick hair you may wish to buy a couple of spare packs in case you run out midway through.
- Once the whole head is completely covered, cover your head with cling film; this generates heat and helps the hair cuticles open up to release the colour.
- Now, put your feet up for at least an hour while the product works its magic!
- After 60 minutes, start to rinse your hair – at least 5 minutes, or 10 for longer or thicker hair. Warm or hand hot water is recommended.
- Once rinsed, apply half the bottle of the buffer solution and work it into the hair as you would a normal shampoo.
- Apply the second half of the bottle, then rinse for another 5 minutes.
- After your hair is dry, check the results – if the shade is not quite as light as you would like it, or if there is old or stubborn dye in there then you can repeat the process up to three times in a day. You can dye your hair straight after using this product too!
Q: How to get rid of hair colour remover smell?
Hair colour remover is effective, but it does smell pretty grim. You can get rid of the lingering odour by using some natural remedies: baking soda mixed with water in a spray and sprayed all over your hair is a good solution.
Soak your hair with the mixture then shampoo it out as normal. Lemon juice is also a highly effective smell remover; simply pour a good splash onto your head, work it through with your fingers then shampoo out as normal.
Which out of the five above would you buy, I am so tired of dyeing my gray hair, that I want to remove it all and then just have it colored a light colour that would blend better while I allow my virigin grey hair to grow out