How to bleach bath hair at home

To do a bleach wash on your hair, pour some clarifying shampoo into a bowl and combine 1 ounce (30 mL) each of bleach and developer in a separate bowl. Stir the shampoo into the bleach mixture until they are thoroughly combined. Wet your hair with cool water and towel dry it so it is damp but not dripping. Drape an old towel around your shoulders and put on rubber gloves. Apply the bleach bath to your hair, working from ends to roots. Clip your hair up with plastic clips and cover it with a shower cap. After about 7 to 10 minutes, examine a small section of your hair to see if it’s as light as you want it to be yet. Depending on your hair color and the strength of the bleach, the process may take anywhere from 7 to 30 minutes. Rinse your hair thoroughly when you’re done. If you plan to dye your hair, don’t use conditioner. For advice from our cosmetologist reviewer on what to do if you plan on coloring your hair after you bleach it, read on!

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So you want to do a bleach bath at home, but don’t know how to? Worry no more, this is our complete guide on how to do a bleach bath hair at home! We’ll go with you through the bleaches, the developers, the procedures, and aftercare of bleaching. Bleaching is all about science, so as long you follow all the rules carefully, nothing can go wrong.

How to bleach bath hair at home
How to bleach bath hair at home

Before jumping in, do keep in mind that bleaching is an aggressive process for your hair, so you must be very careful with it and ask a friend to help you the first time you do this at home.

How does bleaching work?

Hair bleach is a mix of ammonia and hydrogen peroxide, the bleaching agent. Ammonia simply activates the peroxide. Once this mix is applied, bleach will remove the colour of your hair by the process of oxidation of the melanin molecule, turning your hair lighter.

Although melanin is still present, its molecule is colourless. After bleaching hair, it will get a yellowish tint. That’s because that is the natural colour of keratin (the main structural protein of hair).

How to Bleach Bath Hair

Bleach bath for hair is done in 4 simple steps: mixing the developer, adding in the shampoo, applying it to your hair, and then leaving it in before you wash the chemicals out of your hair. This illustrated guide will tell you what to do and what to be careful about.

Just a note first: We are not licensed cosmetologists, and cannot vouch for success of this method. Some of the chemicals recommended in this guide can be dangerous. Please consult the labels of all chemicals before you attempt to bleach your hair with a bleach bath.

Bleach wash or bleach baths are less aggressive than full-on bleaching hair, so they are good way to get started in the bleaching world. For this you will need:

Bleach powder

Developer

Shampoo

Protection set

We picked this one since it’s cheap and will get the job done with plenty of product to spare.This is the developer we also recommend in our reviews. It’s inexpensive and the bottle has a great delivery system, so you won’t run the risk of overusing it.Any shampoo will do, as long as it’s nice to your hair. If you haven’t got any, here’s a link to our pick.You will need rubber gloves, a cape, applying brushes, and a few other things. This ultra-cheap set will save you the trouble of buying these items separately.Buy onlineBuy onlineBuy onlineBuy online

1. Mix the Developer

How to bleach bath hair at home
How to bleach bath hair at home

Start by mixing in a bowl the bleach powder and the developer. Use 2 tablespoons of each and mix well. Developers come in different levels, that in indicate the amount of peroxide. The higher these levels, the more peroxide it has. Developer comes in different volumes, 10 being the weakest and 40 the strongest. We recommend that you start by using the 10 volume developer the first time, to see how your hair reacts to it.

2. Add shampoo

How to bleach bath hair at home
How to bleach bath hair at home

Add shampoo to the mix. Use the same amount you would if you would be washing hair. Adding shampoo to the mix will make the bleaching less aggressive. If your hair is prone to dryness, add a bit of conditioner as well.

3. Start applying

How to bleach bath hair at home
How to bleach bath hair at home

Wet your hair as if you would wash it and dry towel it well. Use that towel to cover your shoulders and protect your clothes. Put the gloves on and start applying the mix with the help of the brush from the bottom up, until you get to the roots. Then, you can apply the mix with the help of your fingers, rubbing them against your head. Make sure you only apply the mix to the roots last, since roots bleach must faster than the rest of your hair.

4. Let it sit

How to bleach bath hair at home
How to bleach bath hair at home

Once you’re done, use a hair clip to keep your hair together and wrap the plastic wrap around your head. Keep a mirror close so that you can check the process, and remove the mix when you got the desired shade.

5. Wash

How to bleach bath hair at home
How to bleach bath hair at home

Wash out the mix from your hair, rinsing thoroughly. Do not use conditioner if you’re planning to dye your hair afterwards and leave that step for after removing the dye.

How long to leave bleach on hair

How long the bleach can stay in your hair depends on whether you bleached hair before, and also on your natural hair colour. If you’ve bleached hair before, 10 minutes will do. If your hair is dark, you may leave the bleach bath up to 30 minutes. Since the purpose of a bleach wash is to provide a gentler lightening/lift, you won’t need as much time as a normal bleach process would require. If you’re using higher volumes (30-40), the mix will act faster, so keep an eye on your hair and avoid going beyond 15 minutes. In any case, always read the labels and do not let it sit in your hair for more than 30 minutes (better safe than sorry).

How to repair bleached hair

You should know that beaching hair will change the texture of your hair. As soon as you wash the bleach out, you will feel your hair drier and rough.

How to bleach bath hair at home
How to bleach bath hair at home

It depends, of course, on each own’s hair structure, but the drier and thicker the hair, the more attention you should give to your hair. After bleaching, use hair conditioner everyday and a stay-in hair mask at least once a week to protect and moisturise your hair.

Avoid washing your hair every day and using hair dryer at all costs by towel drying you hair when you wash it. Bleaching takes the moist away from your hair and so the after care is all about bringing moist back into your hair.

If you’re all into going natural when it comes to bleach bath hair, you can try a DIY hair mask to strengthen and moisten your hair.

In a plastic bowl, mix:

  • 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and
  • a cup of coconut oil.

Mix them well. Apply generously throughout your hair, and make sure you cover all the ends. Use a plastic wrap/cap to cover your hair and leave it for an hour. Alternatively, you can leave it overnight too. After, shampoo and rinse well.

Bleaching black hair

Black hair is the most difficult to bleach. For that reason, a single bleach bath won’t be enough for you to bleach your hair for it to be light enough for another shade or colour to stay. It is best that you bleach black hair several times in different days/weeks gradually, until the desired shade. It takes some patience!

Between bleaches, do repair the hair as we mentioned above, by suing conditioners and hair masks. Alternatively you can mix in a bowl the bleach powder and the developer, and add it to the hair without using shampoo, so going through a full-on bleach. Do not let it sit for more than 3o-45 minutes. If the products instructions tell you different times, follow those instead.

Conclusion

A bleach bath for hair is a gentler option than full-on bleaching. However, it still demands a lot of care during and after bleaching.

It is always best to leave the bleach for shorter periods of time and repeat the process several times within weeks, than to risk breakage or even burning your scalp. Always read the labels well and check your hair every 10 minutes once the bleach is on. Don’t forget the aftercare, and condition your hair regularly for its shine and strength to come back.

What do I need for a bleach bath for hair?

The bleach bath hair recipe is quite simple: use one or two developer parts to one bleach powder part, unless the manufacturer specifies a different ratio. After that, add an equal amount of shampoo to this mixture.

How long do you leave bleach bath in your hair?

There's a misconception that bleach will work better the longer you leave it on. The maximum amount of time you should leave bleach on your hair is 30 minutes. Any longer than that and you run the risk of serious damage, including brittle strands.

How do you lighten your hair with a bleach bath?

How to Apply a Bleach Bath.
Apply the bleach bath quickly to wet hair using either your hands or a brush..
Massage the bleach bath through your hair to ensure even coverage..
Watch the color carefully..
Quickly rinse the bleach out when the desired color is reached..
Use a deep conditioner..

Do you bleach bath on wet or dry hair?

3. Before applying bleach wash on hair, make sure your hair is damp. This mixture is best applied to damp hair. Unlike hair dye where you need to dry your hair first.