How to Peroxide-Blonde Your Hair

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And now for something completely random.

I get asked a lot (usually by Asians) how I get my hair that blonde.  Because I’m cheap and time-poor, I bleach it myself, every 10 -14 days or so.

To save me having to scribble down my instructions on little scraps of paper  for the umpteenth time, here it is, once and for all.

Disclaimer  –  I take no responsibility for any bad reactions/failed attempts/if your hair falls out etc.  – this is how I do my own hair; apply it at your own risk  –

Recipe –

From hairdressing suppliers (eg. Price Attack) –

1)      Powdered bleach (blue or white, doesn’t matter)

2)      Crème Peroxide 40 Vol (12%)

Powdered Bleach & Creme Peroxide

From the laundry section of your local supermarket –

3)      Blu-O or similar – a blue-coloured liquid optical brightener used to brighten whites

Blu-O Laundry Rinse

From your own stash –

4)      Any hair conditioner

You don’t have to have short hair to achieve this, but it helps. A LOT.

Instructions –

1. Mix powdered bleach & crème peroxide to a 1:1.5 ratio
2. Apply to hair.
3. Leave for 20-30 minutes (This is how long I leave it in. You may have to do it longer and/or for a couple of times to get it to the shade you want).  Wear a shower cap if you want to prevent dripping.
4. Whilst waiting, mix Blu-O with hair conditioner to a 1:1 ratio.
5. Wash out with shampoo.
6. Apply Blu-O/Conditioner mix.  Leave for 3-4 minutes.
7. Rinse out.
8. The Blu-O/Conditioner removes the yellow from your hair.  You may need a couple of applications to get it to the tone you want.
9. If you over-do it, you may get a purple tinge in your hair.  Just wash out with shampoo should that happen.
10. For the record, I keep the Blu-O/Conditioner mix in a pump dispenser and use that to condition my hair after each shampoo, to keep the tone.
11. Voilà!