How to Go Back to Your Natural Hair Color: 8 Effective Methods

Giving yourself a new hairdo can be the best thing to boost your confidence and give yourself the will to dive into some new experiences. Since hair does not grow nearly as fast as I would want it to, I often resort to changing my hair color when I really want a change in my overall look. Learning how to go back to my natural hair color and recolor my hair without any problem has honestly been a life-saver, so I am here to share my tips and tricks with you!

I know that many of you might be thinking about changing your hair color, but what keeps you from actually doing it is the fear of ruining your hair. Yes, having patchy, damaged hair will not really help you boost your confidence, but who says that you have to damage your hair in order to change its color?

After years of coloring and recoloring my hair, I have finally come up with a list of methods that I turn to when I want to strip the artificial color from my hair before adding a new color to it. Some of these methods will help you save your hair from damage or from cutting it when you really do not want to.

If all this sounds interesting, I urge you to keep reading. I will tell you all about my five favorite methods for stripping artificial color from hair and going back to a natural hair color. You can do some of these methods at home by yourself, but for others, you will need the help of an experienced hairstylist. I will tell you more about this as we go through the methods!

Natural Stripping Solutions to Going Back to Natural Hair Color

There are a ton of products that are advertised as good hair color removers, but the truth is that they will mostly damage the hair instead of just removing the color. Trust me, I learned this the hard way. On my experimental journey towards finding the best hair color remover, I came across some great natural, homemade solutions that strip hair color without actually damaging the hair!

Let me just briefly mention that these color stripping solutions are not a one-size-fits-all solution. These methods work if your hair is naturally light and you’ve merely added some pigment to darken it or cast a hue on it. Depending on the texture of your hair, its current state, as well as the dye that you applied to the hair, a color remover can be more or less effective. 

Instead of using chemicals to remove hair color and ending up with unsatisfactory results, I urge you to use a natural remover that will not damage hair and that you will be able to use over and over as many times as you need.

In today’s guide, I will start by talking about the best natural hair color removers that you can make and use by yourself. You will not regret giving them a try!

Method 1 — Vitamin C + Water

For this first method, you will need some vitamin C and water that you will mix and apply directly to the hair. Let the paste sit on the hair for at least an hour before washing it off. You can wrap your hair in plastic or put on a shower cap if you do not want to smear the paste all over your clothes or furniture.

You should not expect the artificial color to completely come off of your hair with only one use of the paste. The vitamin C will help loosen the hair strands and remove some of the color, but you will need to repeat this process at least a few times before you start seeing your natural hair color come through.

Luckily for you, this whole process is very simple and you will not damage your hair even if you repeat it several times. So feel free to do this process every time you need to wash your hair!

Method 2 — Dish Soap + Baking Soda + Anti-Dandruff Shampoo

I know what you might be thinking after reading the ingredients for this method, but please, bear with me. All of these ingredients are strong in their own way, and they can do wonders when it comes to removing color from your hair. 

Take a few drops of dish soap and a few drops of regular shampoo, add a bit of baking soda, and mix. Wet your hair and rub the mixture to the colored portion and let sit for 20 to 30 minutes. Wash and condition your hair.

As I mentioned with the previous methods, this method will also not lift the entire artificial color in just one round. You will need to use the method at least a few times before the hair returns to its natural color.

With that being said, make sure that you wait at least a couple of days before doing the process again. I recommend waiting for three days just because the harshness of the dish soap can contribute to some damage to the hair if used too often.

Method 3 — Lemon Juice + Baking Soda

This third method can be used both for removing artificial color from hair and for removing color from the skin — you know, when you are coloring your hair and you accidentally color a part of your face! 

Just created a thick paste out of baking soda and lemon juice and apply it to the colored portion of dampened hair. Let sit for 20 minutes and shampoo off and condition your hair.

Since this is another natural method, you can also use it as many times as you want to slowly but surely bring your hair to its natural color. You will find that these natural ingredients also make the hair shinier and healthier, so you do not have to worry about damaging it at all!

Alternative Solutions to Stripping Hair Color

Now that I have mentioned the natural solutions to stripping artificial color from your hair, I would also like to mention some very effective but not-so-natural methods that you should also consider.

With the previous methods, I mentioned that you can repeat them as many times as you like. Well, with the methods that I am about to mention that is not going to be an option since some of them contain products that can damage the hair. That means that you should be careful but thorough when using one of these methods because it might be a while before you can repeat them!

Again, these methods work for pale hair shades that have not undergone any bleaching before dyeing.

Method 4 — Bleach Bath

The bleach bath is the most effective method of removing hair color and going back to your natural color — if it’s a lighter shade than your hair dye. You can do the bleach bath at home — you do not need to go to a hair salon and have someone else do it for you. But before you get started, you will need to get some bleach or lightener, shampoo, developer, and water.

You can use whatever bleach powder you like, or you can consult a professional for one that is not that expensive but would still get the job done. The shampoo can be any kind you have at home, while the recommended developer is 20 volume.

If you want to be safe, you can always use a 10 volume developer and leave the mixture on the hair for a shorter amount of time. Do not forget to treat the hair after the whole process is done — you will need to help it get strong and shiny again with some hair masks!

Method 5 — Store-Bought Hair Color Remover

There are a lot of hair color removers that you can purchase from the store. This type of color remover will only work on hair that has been colored with permanent hair color. What this means is that those of you who have semi-permanent or demi-permanent hair color will have to resort to some of the other methods.

With this method, it is important that you carefully read through the instructions. They will tell you exactly how to mix the hair removing solution and how long to leave it on.

A general rule is that you use the solution on dry hair, apply it, and leave it on for about 20 minutes. Then, thoroughly rinse and shampoo the hair. You can also deep condition it to make it softer to the touch.

This method can be very effective if used properly, but you have to be very careful with it. If you are skeptical about it, it might be best that you turn to some of the other methods that I mentioned — preferably the natural ones that you cannot mess up in any way!

How to Go Back to Natural Hair Color: Recoloring Solutions 

Are you a brunette who’s gone blonde and are now wanting to get your brown hair back? These are the techniques that would work well for you. They involve using more hair color on your hair in order to aid your transition — it sounds counterintuitive but they will create a bridge that will get you to your end goal while still looking your best through it all.

Method 6 — Dye With Your Natural Hair Color

Growing out colored hair can be a bit difficult and awkward. Once those roots start to grow out, you might start seeing a distinct line between the colored part and the natural part of your hair. While rocking grown roots is quite a trend these days, if you choose to skip that particular look, and want to immediately go back to the hair color you were born with, simply look for a hair color that matches your natural shade and dye your hair with it.

By doing this, you will be able to just let the entire colored part grow out without any re-doings or touch-ups. Before you actually get to the coloring, I suggest you talk to a professional hairstylist on the type of dye you should use on your hair and the specific shade they think is best to bring your hair as close as possible to its natural color. 

You can dye your entire head of hair or leave the roots in the natural color. If you are planning on using this method, I suggest using good shampoos, conditioners, and hair masks to restore your hair’s health after the final dyeing.

Method 7 — Balayage Highlights

If you are planning on growing out the color you currently have and going back to your natural color, another great way to do that is by adding highlights and lowlights to it. Balayage is one of the trendiest coloring techniques at the moment—and the one with the least maintenance, if I may add!

To achieve the amazing balayage highlights, you should visit a hairstylist and let them do the highlights for you. Depending on what your natural color is like, they will know just what colors to use for the highlight and lowlights so that you get a soft, natural look in the end. They will also take care of the roots so there is no distinct line between the roots and the highlights.

Once you add the balayage highlights, you will be able to let your hair grow freely without needing any touching up. You will find your natural hair color coming back in no time.

Method 8 — Root Shadow and Color Melt

The biggest pain when growing out your roots is that awfully obvious border between your roots and your current color. Root shadow and color melting are two techniques that diffuse that demarcation line and seamlessly blend your roots into your ends.

A root shadow uses a dye that matches your hair color and smudge them down random pieces to create that desired blend. This is a pretty easy technique to do by yourself, because not a lot of precision is needed.

A color melt, on the other hand, is taking a shade of hair color that falls between your roots and your colored hair and applying it around the demarcation line and smudging up and down to create a blurry, gradient effect between the roots and the ends. This needs a little more finesse and precision so it’s best to leave this to the pros, especially if you have no experience coloring your own hair.

If you do either of these techniques well, you can just relax and let your hair grow out until you can trim all the colored parts off.

Check out how a pro does it.

 

FAQs on Going Back to Your Natural Hair Color

Now that I have mentioned my favorite color removing methods, let’s also see some other methods that people have been wondering about!

Does white vinegar take out hair dye?

Yes, white vinegar can be used to remove artificial color from your hair. It is much more effective than apple cider vinegar in this case, so you will want to stick with white vinegar only.

What you can do is mix a couple of tablespoons of white vinegar with some warm water and apply the mixture to your hair. Leave it on for 20 or 30 minutes and then rinse it out of the hair.

You should not expect this solution to remove all the artificial color from the hair in just one round. Chances are that you will have to repeat the process several times before you find your hair going back to its natural color.

Does salt remove hair dye?

Yes, people have noticed that saltwater can actually lift color from your hair. You can make a solution of water and salt and apply it to your hair, leave it on for about ten minutes, and then rinse it off. The difference in hair color might not be noticeable right away, but after a few rounds, you should see your natural hair color peeking through.

With that being said, bathing in saltwater in seas or oceans can also help you lift hair color or remove artificial color. However, this type of water will make your hair dry, so you will want to rinse your hair after each saltwater bath.

Going Back to Your Natural Hair Color Has Never Been So Easy!

Well, I have covered all the effective ways to remove artificial color from hair and go back to your natural hair color. All of these methods are super simple and easy, and the best part is that you can do them at home without the help of a professional.

I would love it if you try one of these methods and tell me how your hair turned out in the end. Also, if you know any other methods that you think I should add to my guide, please share them in the comments. I look forward to reading your suggestions and even trying them out one day!