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If you have been following along with me on Instagram then you know that I just went through a pretty drastic change, and for those of you who don’t follow me on Instagram… you need to, just saying. I dyed my hair! I didn’t go to a salon because let’s be honest what stay at home mom has the money to totally change their hair? Not me, that’s for sure. Before we start I want to say that I am not a licensed professional but I do have LOTS of experience dyeing hair, my own as well as friends and family who are close to me. If you are wanting to do something drastic to your hair and you have little to no experience doing hair then please go to professional. Actually scratch that… even if you have experience you should probably go to a professional. BUT if you are stubborn like me and do it at home please note that everyone’s hair is different and will react differently to the chemicals used. Just because my hair is still healthy as ever and curlier than when I started doesn’t mean your hair will have the same fate. If you still don’t head my warning I am in no way responsible and can not be held liable for what happens to your hair! Also be sure to note that the bleach and dye can and will most likely stain your clothes and skin so take any necessary precautions to prevent that from happening.
Before I share the steps that I took to dye my hair aqua, here is a little bit about my current hair history. I say current because less than a year ago I chopped my hair off so it could start new.
My hair was two toned when I started this journey. I had dyed my natural, dirty/dark blonde, virgin, hair with a mixture of Arctic Fox Purple Rain and Arctic Fox Wrath some time before this and never touched it up so my dirty/dark blonde roots were showing. That being said, my hair was a dark maroon/brown color with dirty/dark blonde roots. So my hair was definitely in need of some bleaching and lightening. Now that is out of the way, onto the fun part, MY JOURNEY!!!!!
Part 1: THE SCARY PART
It has been over a year since I last bleached/lightened my hair. I think the last time I did that was December of 2015 and the stuff I used then did not work well at all. So after watching countless YouTube videos and posting in Kristyn Cole’s Beauty At Home facebook group I ended up purchasing, L’Oreal Quick Blue Powder Lightener in the largest size because let’s face it those tiny packs aren’t worth the money… I’d rather be safe with an overabundance than sorry with half lightened hair, and I purchased the Salon Care Creme Developer 30 Volume.
The reason I have called the lightening process The Scary Part is because that is exactly what bleaching your hair at home is… SCARY. If you have spent any time on social media or YouTube ever, you have seen a video of someone bleaching their hair at home and frying it to the point it just breaks of in chunks. If you have not seen those videos I envy you because that is the stuff of nightmares. Another reason why bleaching your hair can be scary is the bleach can actually cause chemical burns of different severities so do not get it on your skin if you do it at home. I am in no way responsible or liable for any chemical burns or reactions that happen when you do your hair.
Needless to say I was so anxious to bleach my hair but I did it. 24 hours prior to bleaching I put a thick layer of coconut oil in my hair…and yes, I did go out with my hair looking like that. I followed the instructions as carefully as possible so I didn’t over mix or under mix anything and put that hair death substance all over my head! By the time I was finished covering my hair, the parts I started with were already turning yellow and pink. No joke this stuff started lightening in 5-10 minutes. Once my hair was covered in this mixture I put on a shower cap and waited for 30 minutes before I washed it out.
When I washed my hair out the dark blonde turned yellow and the maroon turned very light pink (Millennial Pink or Rose Gold). I very much could’ve bleached my hair again but I didn’t want to risk it.
Part 2: THE FUN PART
Once I faced my fears and bleached my hair I waited about a week or so to dye my hair doing hair masks every few days to keep my hair healthy. I have dyed my hair enough times to know what dye fries and what dye is worth the money. Let me start by saying if you want to dye your hair a fun color don’t use Splat. Totally not worth it. I use Arctic Fox Hair Color.
Arctic Fox contains no drying alcohols, PPDs, or harsh chemicals. In addition to making great color, they also donate 15% of their profits to help prevent animal abuse, and they are (and always will be) 100% cruelty free and vegan. This post is not sponsored by Arctic Fox, I just really really REALLY love their products.
To dye and bleach my hair I used a dye brush and put all the liquids and substances in an old cup, eventually I want to own bowls specifically for bleaching and dying my hair, because of how often I do it. If you don’t want to ruin your cups Arctic Fox sells some awesome dye bowls and brushes!
For my hair I used Arctic Fox Aquamarine! You can purchase Arctic Fox dyes from their website ArcticFoxHairColor.com or at participating Hot Topic stores, but I have learned it is SO MUCH cheaper to purchase the dye online and pay shipping than it is to go to Hot Topic. I am all about saving that money!
To prep my hair for the dye I washed it with Nature’s Gate Biotin + Bamboo Shampoo and did not condition it. Oh my FRIZZ. Once it was dry we were ready to dye! Because Arctic Fox has no harsh chemicals I left the dye on for at least three hours so that it would soak into my hair, and as a bonus it helped condition my hair. To rinse it is recommended to wash your hair in the sink so that it doesn’t stain your tub..I just washed it out when I showered even though I knew what would happen.
Arctic Fox dye has instructions on the bottle so be sure to follow those. I just rinsed my hair in cold water and conditioned once the water ran clear-ish and called it a night. NOTE: Your hair will still bleed after rinsing it and can dye sheets and pillowcases so be careful if you go to bed with wet hair or freshly dyed hair. My hair still stains the pillow even after it’s dry.
PRODUCTS USED AND RECOMMENDED
Below I linked all the products that I used or recommended! Have you ever dyed your hair a crazy color? If so what color? If not what is keeping you from making the plunge? Let me know below!
Arctic Fox Aquamarine Hair Dye
L’Oreal Quick Blue Powder Lightener
Salon Care Creme Developer 30 Volume
As Always Keep Smiling,
Jennifer
