Brass Be Gone: 5 Ways to tone blonde Asian hair at home

Shelina Assomull

01 Mar 2018

updated the 2 March 2018 à 11:47

1/5
Lemon
When life gives you lemons, make a toning shampoo, of course!

Ingredients:
¼ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
¾ cup of water
2 tbsp honey

Mixology & Methodology: Mix together thoroughly and then put into spray bottle making sure to spray all over your head, not just your roots. Leave in for 2 hours and try and catch some rays for a little while in that time (around 30 minutes). Rinse out and shampoo with a sulphur-free product. Condition, condition, condition!

Why: The acids and vitamin C in the lemon react with the honey - which is a natural bleaching agent, to lighten your tone.

Warning: Do not use this more than three times a month, or it may damage your mane.
2/5
Baking Soda Toner
Ingredients:
Sulphate-free shampoo
2 drops of blue food colour
2 drops of purple food colour
1 tsp of baking soda

Mixology & Methodology: Mix this formula together thoroughly, using the amount of shampoo you would normally use. Wash your hair once and then shampoo it again with this formula. Leave it in for 10 minutes before washing out. Finish off with some super nourishing moisturiser.

Why: Baking soda is clarifying, and when partnered with the blue and purple tones it neutralises and clears brass.

Warning: Not to be used more than once a week.
3/5
Apple Cider Vinegar
Ingredients:
4 tbsp of apple cider vinegar
2 tbsp water

Mixology & Methodology: Mix together thoroughly and pour it through your hair. make sure it mixes through your whole hair. Leave your hair to soak for 15-20 minutes and then rinse off with tepid water.

Why: The acid in vinegar counteracts the orange and yellow tones present. Apple cider vinegar in particular is extremely acidic, making it the best type for the job. It also cleanses the hair of product build up.

Warning: Vinegar can seriously dry out your hair, so save this one for extra brassy bad days. (As in not more than once a month).
4/5
Toners
Wella Colorcharm T18 (via Amazon), SGD 10

Well, we've got to give it to Wella for this one. There are many at home toners available, but many of them don't seem to do half at much as these at home remedies. that is of course, apart from this Wella Toner. It is a great product for those who are too lazy for a at home science lesson in hair and too lazy to make it to the salon too.
5/5
Bright purple dye
Ingredients:
Purple hair dye (like that pictured, but any brand will do)
3 Tablespoons of conditioner.

Mixology and Methodology: Simply mix 1 part dye and 3 parts conditioner in a bowl until it creates a more pastel version of the violet colour. Apply and keep in for around 30 minutes. Monitor to see when your hair hits the ashy-ness level you're after. Then wash out.

Why: There really is a science to hair colour and this is where it gets technical. Purple and blue are directly opposite yellow and orange on the colour spectrum. When you apply purple and blue colours their cool tones are counteracting the warm ones. Adding the conditioner makes it strong enough to do this, but not strong enough to actually turn your hair purple. It creates a cooler, less brassy colour somewhere in between the two.

Warning: Use as often as you like, but if dubious about how much purple to include start with less and build with more. There should always be more conditioner than dye used.

Blondes do have more fun… when their hair isn’t yellow!

Blonde locks are both a blessing and a curse. It is true that blondes can have more fun, (sorry brunettes!) But it is also true that keeping those locks far from golden – and God forbid, orange – is tough stuff. Notoriously difficult, but rewarding to maintain, no matter how many rounds of bleach it takes, many of us will not give it up.

Toning your hair is an obvious solution for banishing brassy tones, and a necessary one. Bleaching your hair alone can often leave the colour looking very bright, flat, and dry. Toners are made to relieve the brightness as well as, well, you guessed it, give it some tone! It is recommended that blondes make a visit to the salon for a toning session every 6-8 weeks – which is admittedly hard to always commit to.

If you find yourself struggling to fit this in, but find it even more of a struggle to watch those locks turn brassy, you need these home toners. Using a few simple, often find-at-home ingredients you can tone your hair whilst barely moving from the sofa! A.K.A every blonde’s dream. You’re welcome.

Shelina Assomull

Photos: Getty Images

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