How To Go Blonde at Home

Dyeing your hair blonde is something we’d argue everybody should try at least once. In the past, making the transition to a bright, sunny blonde hue usually required scheduling a salon visit—but today, there are plenty of blonde hair dyes that allow you to achieve the beachy hue right at home (even if you’re starting with darker strands). That’s not to say dyeing hair blonde doesn’t require any effort—it does—but if you’re committed to the change, it’s possible to achieve a salon-quality transformation without shelling out on an appointment with a pro. 

Here, we’ll explain how to dye your hair blonde at home and share some of our tried-and-true tips for keeping your bright new hue looking its best. Plus, you’ll discover some of our favorite at-home blonde hair dyes along the way. Keep reading—and get ready to embrace a whole new you.

What You Need To Know Before Coloring Your Hair Blonde

We won’t lie: Coloring hair blonde can be time-consuming. In most cases, you’ll need to bleach your hair before applying your blonde hair dye. And the darker your starting color, the more bleaching sessions you’ll typically need to get your hair light enough to color. If you’re trying to go from dark brown or black to platinum, for example, you’ll likely need to bleach your hair more than once, waiting a few weeks between each session to avoid over-processing your hair. If your hair is already on the lighter side, you may be able to skip the bleach, but it’s dependent upon the blonde hair dye you’re using and your desired end result. 

It’s also important to note that any time you lighten your hair, you run the risk of ending up with a brassy color. Fortunately, brassiness is typically easy to correct with a toner or regular use of a purple shampoo (more details on both of those later). Finally, blonde isn’t a particularly low-maintenance color. If your hair is naturally dark, you’ll need to schedule time to touch up your roots roughly every four to six weeks to mask regrowth. 

If you’re willing to commit to the time and effort it can take to achieve a summery blonde hue, keep reading to learn how and discover the best blonde shade for you.

The Best Shade Of Blonde Hair Based On Your Undertones

There are so many different shades that fall under the umbrella of “blonde”—and with what seems like endless options, it can be difficult to narrow down which one will look the most flattering on you. In general, the most flattering hair colors will be those with similar undertones as your skin. 

If you’re not sure what your undertones are, take a peek at the veins on the inside of your wrist. If they appear blue or purple, you likely have cool undertones. A greenish tint is typically indicative of warmer undertones. If you can’t quite decipher whether your veins appear green or blue—or they seem to be a mix of the two shades—chances are good you have neutral undertones.

Cool skin: If your skin is cooler, we suggest reaching for a cool, ashy blonde hair dye, such as the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Ash Blonde or the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Light Ash Blonde. Ash blonde shades lack obvious warm tones, so they’re great options for anyone with naturally cool skin.

Warm skin: Richer blonde hues—such as honey blonde—complement warm complexions beautifully. For a natural-looking blonde that’s neither too bright nor too dark, we love the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Crème Permanent Triple Care Hair Color in Medium Golden Blonde. Or, try strawberry blonde with the L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color in Light Reddish Blonde. 

Neutral skin: Those with neutral undertones can pull off nearly any shade nicely, but for something that looks natural, we suggest opting for a blonde hue without any overt warmth or ashy tones. The L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Universal Nudes in Natural Light Blonde is the perfect in-between shade to complement your balanced undertones. We also love the L’Oréal Paris Féria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color in Champagne Cocktail for a shimmering, multi-dimensional blonde hue. And if you’re looking for something on the darker end of the blonde spectrum, try the L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Universal Nudes in Natural Dark Blonde, which sits right on the cusp of blonde and brown.

Keep in mind, though, that these recommendations are just that: recommendations. At the end of the day, you should always feel free to embrace whatever hue you want. 

How To Dye Your Hair Blonde

Once you’ve chosen your perfect shade of blonde hair dye, it’s time to get to work. Before you start, make sure to read the instructions included with your dye thoroughly to ensure you have all of the tools (and information) needed for a successful at-home hair transformation. 

Step 1. Prepare your mane

Bleaching and coloring your hair can be damaging, so it’s a good idea to abstain from any chemical treatments or excessive use of hot tools before dyeing your hair blonde. If your hair is damaged or altered in any way—or you’re currently rocking a different permanent color—it could affect the final result of your at-home dye job. 

When you’re ready to dye your hair, wash and condition your strands with gentle formulas the day (or night) before getting started. Don’t put any leave-in products in—just let your hair air-dry normally. Then, make sure you have all the tools you’ll need for your coloring session. Your boxed dye will likely include gloves, developer, toner, and aftercare products, but you’ll also want to make sure you have a comb and clips (for sectioning your hair), a towel (for protecting your clothes), and petroleum jelly (to protect your hairline and ears from the hair dye and bleach). 

Step 2. Bleach your hair

As mentioned earlier, you’ll likely need to bleach your hair before going in with your blonde hair dye. For this, we suggest using an at-home bleaching kit, which will include everything you need to lighten your hair safely. Try the L’Oréal Paris Féria Hyper Platinum Advanced Lightening System Bleach. It lightens hair up to eight levels and comes with a purple conditioning treatment to help neutralize brassiness post-lightening. Note that you won’t be coloring your hair blonde immediately after bleaching it—to avoid over-processing your hair, it’s best to wait (at least) a few days between sessions.

Your bleach kit should provide complete instructions on how to get the best results from your at-home lightening session, but for a more thorough step-by-step guide, we suggest giving our article How To Bleach Your Hair at Home and Keep Your Blonde Bright a quick read-through before getting started.

Step 3. Tone to neutralize brassiness

The final step before successfully applying blonde hair dye at home is to tone your hair. Toners help neutralize any yellow, orange, or brassy undertones in your hair—a step that’s especially important if you’re preparing to dye your hair a lighter color than its natural shade. The aforementioned at-home bleach system comes with a purple toning conditioner to help counteract brassiness after bleaching your hair. However, if you’re experiencing a lot of brassiness—or are aiming for an ultra-ashy end result—you may want to pick up a separate toner to neutralize any brassy tones. Try the L’Oréal Paris Féria Power Toner, Long-Lasting Anti-Brass Toner in Pearl Blonde—the ammonia-free formula helps minimize unwanted yellow and orange tones in as little as five minutes.

Step 4. Apply your blonde hair dye 

Once your hair is lightened and toned—and you’ve waited at least a few days to give your hair a break from chemical treatments—you can go ahead and apply your blonde hair dye. Start by draping a towel around your shoulders to protect your clothes, then divide your hair into several even sections to streamline your dye application. Carefully brush the dye onto your hair, as directed in the instructions included with your dye, until your entire head is saturated. Then, let the color process for the recommended amount of time. If you’re worried about getting dye on your skin, apply a thin layer of petroleum jelly to your hairline, the back of your neck, and the tops of your ears. This little hack helps ensure that any accidental hair color drips, spills, or splashes won’t stain your skin. 

How To Care For Blonde, Color-Treated Hair

Once you’ve completed the blonde hair dye process at home, the work doesn’t end there. You may need to make a few changes to your hair care routine to help care for your strands. Here are a few tips to keep in mind. 

1. Use products for color-treated hair

As we explained earlier, bleaching and coloring your hair can be damaging (even if you ace your application). In order to help keep your mane feeling strong and healthy, we recommend swapping out your existing shampoo and conditioner for a reparative system, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Bond Repair collection. The lineup includes a pre-shampoo treatment, a daily shampoo, and a conditioner that work in tandem to help strengthen brittle, color-treated hair from the inside out. The trio is sulfate-free, suitable for all hair types, and specifically designed to help restore damaged, color-treated hair. 

2. Ease up on the hot tools 

Excessive heat styling can do a number on your mane. Consider this your opportunity to embrace your natural texture by air-drying your hair. If your strands tend to fall flat, consider scrunching a hair mousse, like L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle BOOST IT Volume Inject Mousse, throughout towel-dried hair before letting it air-dry. It’ll help add body and volume for bouncy-looking strands. If you can’t part ways with your hair dryer, be sure to use a heat protectant to help shield your strands from unnecessary damage. We recommend the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Blow Dry Primer for 48 HR Frizz Control, which protects against temperatures up to 450 degrees Fahrenheit and helps smooth the hair without weighing it down.

3. Add a purple shampoo to your weekly routine

Bleached blonde hair can get brassy easily, so it’s a good idea to incorporate a purple shampoo into your haircare routine to help keep yellow and orange tones at bay. Once weekly, swap out your strengthening shampoo and conditioner for a violet-tinted duo, like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Brass Toning Purple Shampoo and L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Brass Toning Purple Conditioner. If your hair is especially brassy, you can also use a purple deep conditioning treatment, such as the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Anti-Brass Purple Mask Treatment, to help combat unwanted warmth and deeply nourish your color-treated strands.

4. Make time for regular touch-ups

To keep your blonde looking its best, you’ll typically want to set aside to touch up your color once every four to six weeks (this goes doubly if you have dark roots). If you find your color beginning to lose its luster between coloring sessions, consider using an at-home hair gloss to help restore your hue’s vibrancy. The L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss comes in several blonde shades (including both cool and neutral options) and deeply conditions while leaving behind a soft tint of color for a fresh, bright blonde.

Next Up: How To Dye Dark Hair Without Bleach

Photo courtesy of L’Oréal Paris