Bleaching your hair can be a dangerous process – literally!
But there’s nothing going to stop us getting the hair color of our dreams. Whether you want to pre-lighten your hair for a fab new color, or platinum ice blonde is calling your name, we’re here with the best box bleach kit to use at home.
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Table of Contents
- TOP PICK!
- L’Oreal Colorista Effects Bleach Lightening Kit
- What is hair bleach?
- Can I bleach my hair at home?
- Which is the best hair bleach kit?
- Best hair bleach kits at a glance.
- #1 Garnier Nutrisse Bleach Hair Dye.
- #2 Schwarzkopf Live Intense Lightener
- #3 L’Oreal Colorista Effects Bleach Lightening Kit
- #4 Schwarzkopf Professional BlondMe Premium Brightener.
- #5 Garnier Olia Permanent Bleach Super Blondes Extreme
- TOP PICK!
- L’Oreal Colorista Effects Bleach Lightening Kit
- Buyer’s Guide: How to choose the best hair bleach kit for you.
- Bleach Bath Hair 101
- Hair bleach kits FAQs
- Why do I need to bleach my hair?
- Can I bleach dark hair?
- How do I care for my bleached hair?
- Parting words.
- Our Research & Review Process
TOP PICK!
L’Oreal Colorista Effects Bleach Lightening Kit
Best for: Extra lightening fast results.
We tried this box bleach to give our natural blonde hair a lift, and the results were a cool head of icy blond hints.
It’s powerful stuff so keep a check on it in development time or you might go way too light.
It dulled down after a couple of washes and is starting to look even more natural as time goes on.
Pros
- Easy to use and understand instructions
- Quick results – within minutes of application
- Lifts hair to a cool, icy blonde shade
- Affordable price point for at home bleaching
Cons
- Will need multiple applications if you have darker hair colors
- Can be damaging on the scalp if left too long in development time
- Dulls down after a couple of washes
What is hair bleach?
OK, hair bleach is not what you clean the toilets with!
Although it smells pretty similar. Bleach for your hair is specially formulated to strip your hair shaft of color pigments in a permanent process.
Hair bleach kits are made up of bleach and developer in a pre-mixed ratio that will aim to lighten your hair one or two levels. Like all bleach, it’s toxic so you need to be careful when handling it.
And yes, bleach can damage your hair leaving it dry and prone to breakage. Unfortunately there’s no avoiding that.
So you need to look after it before, during and after with tons and tons of love and good conditioners.
Can I bleach my hair at home?
Yes, you can. You can buy a drugstore bleach kit that will get the job done. But this process is not as simple as other home hair dye processes.
The results are pretty dramatic and irreversible so you need to go slow and steady. Certain hair types like dark hair in particular can be hard to lighten with at-home products.
Make sure you always do a strand test to check the color your hair will go.
Follow the instructions carefully and don’t leave the bleach too long in your hair. You may need to do a couple of processes to lift it and get it as light as you want.
You can bleach your hair more than one in a day (this is called split-processing). But you should leave at least a week in between bleaching your hair again as it will need time to repair and recover from the processing.
A bleach bath is a gentler process that’s kinder to your hair. If you don’t need to lift it too many hair color levels, this could be a good alternative for you.
Worried about allergies? Do a patch test at least 48 hours before to make sure you won’t have any reactions.
Which is the best hair bleach kit?
If you’re ready to be a blonde goddess, here are the best at-home hair bleach kits you need to lighten your life and your hair!
Best hair bleach kits at a glance.
| Bleach kit. | Looks like | Best for | Buy it now |
|---|---|---|---|
| Garnier Nutrisse Bleach Hair Dye. | Going platinum blonde. | ||
| Schwarzkopf Live Intense Lightener | Subtle colour lift. | ||
| L'Oreal Colorista Effects Bleach Lightening Kit | Extra lightening fast results. | ||
| Schwarzkopf Professional BlondMe Premium Brightener. | Going a few shades lighter than your base. | ||
| Garnier Olia Permanent Bleach Super Blondes Extreme | Lifting darker shades. |
#1 Garnier Nutrisse Bleach Hair Dye.
Features & ingredients:
- This is a natural looking hair color result, rich and long-lasting hair color performance.
- The pack contains Purple 4 oils conditioner to lock in your color and take the edge off any brassiness.
- Protects again hair dryness for up to 8 weeks.
- They also say go for the lightest color if you’re not sure – don’t listen to them! Stick with one shade lighter than you are or it’s the salon for you.
Reviewers say:
“My favourite drugstore hair bleach is the Garnier Nutrisse one in the palest color, it comes out a pale creamy blonde, not at all brassy, and I like the brush application.”
“I had my hair lightened at a hairdressers and decided to try and do roots myself once they grew. I have dark brown hair naturally, but had it dyed light blonde. I am amazed how this product lifted my dark roots to the same blonde as my hair and no horrible orange tones in it.”
Our experience:
You have to apply the mix, starting with your roots and working through to the ends and then leave it on for 30 minutes. We left it one for a little less as our already light blonde hair was going almost-white.
On washing, it looked fab, we did only thin sections of the hair along the hairline and where the sun naturally lightens our hair for the most natural effect.
The four oils, to help nourish hair after coloring, smells divine and left out hair very soft but doubtful this keeps working for eight weeks! We used it all in one go!
Best for: Going platinum blonde.
#2 Schwarzkopf Live Intense Lightener
Features & ingredients:
- An intense lightener and permanent color with an oil booster that lightens your hair up to 9 shades.
- Guarantees less brassiness by neutralising unwanted yellow undertones
- Easy to apply and leaves hair touchably soft with a glossy shine
- With a brightening Oil Booster for up to 9 levels of lift (yeah right).
Reviewers say:
“I bought this drug store bleach as I wanted to lighten my hair- it definitely worked but the results were not the color on the box! I have dark brown hair and have colored it in the past- be prepared to colour twice if you want the color you can see on the product box.”
“This is the best drugstore bleach and much better than others at lifting roots to match the rest of my hair. I’ve tried a lot of the other brands and this is the one I would most recommend.”
“First time I’ve used this and can honestly say it does the job. My hair was already quite blonde and I just wanted to add a few highlights. This worked great. I was worried about my hair being frizzy and dry but it wasn’t. Well happy with this.”
Our experience:
We’ll be honest, with this one, our light brown hair did go quite yellow. The toner it comes with didn’t cancel out the brassiness as it mentions but did leave our hair feeling super soft.
Fortunately, we are always prepared at Coloured Hair Care HQ and had our purple shampoo handy. Once we’d apologised to our hair with an infusion of this, the yellowness disappeared.
After a couple of days, it calmed down and the results were much better This is worth a go if you want medium blonde tones and you have a good toner ready.
Best for: Subtle color lift.
#3 L’Oreal Colorista Effects Bleach Lightening Kit
Features & ingredients:
- This is a kit to create Bleach effects
- A gentle formula that lightens hair without brass or harshness
- After-care conditioning formula nourishes hair and eliminates brass
Reviewers say:
“I’ve been bleaching my own hair for many years now and have used lots of different products so I was a bit hesitant at using a new one. I had so many colors of purple in my hair and using this my hair went to a light blonde!”
“Considering my hair was previously dyed a dark silver grey, I didn’t really know what to expect. So I followed the instructions, and left it on for the instructed time, and within minutes. i could already see it turning a perfect platinum blonde. “
“I love this bleach! I normally have a balayage done at my hairdressers but my ends underneath had started to go brassy. I used this & then toned after and it looked like I’d had it done in salon!”
Our experience:
L’Oreal have home hair dyeing nailed with the Colorista range. We’d already tried some of their other awesome washout colors so we were excited to see what this could do.
We tried this bleach kit on wet hair to give our natural blonde hair a lift, and the results were a cool head of icy blond hints.
It’s powerful stuff so keep a check on it in development time or you might go way too light.
It dulled down after a couple of washes and is starting to look even more natural as time goes on.
Best for: Extra lightening fast results.
#4 Schwarzkopf Professional BlondMe Premium Brightener.
Features & ingredients:
- The BLONDME Bond Enforcing Premium Lightener 9+ offers an unbeatable 9 levels of lift, making it the most powerful lightener on the market.
- Creates new bonds within the hair fibre to leave hair feeling stronger and looking healthier.
- Revives and protects the hair for healthy-looking, bright blonde results.
Reviewers say:
“I got the BlondMe range!! Just about to use it. Strand test came out totally luscious! Lovely. Really does lift stronger than any other product I’ve used. And the texture of the strand test after was beautiful!”
“I’m obsessed with this bleach!!! It works wonders, doesn’t hurt my head and lifts so well and beautifully. This product has done wonders for me.”
“This is definitely a keeper! I recently switched over to this and let me tell you- the integrity of my hair is amazing!”
Our experience.
This is the hard stuff. This is extra strength bleaching powder that professional hair colorists use.
If you want your hair to be a few shades lighter than your base hair color, use this.
With caution – it can lift even black hair to bright white blonde and you’ll need to pay special attention to the mixing instructions.
You need to mix it with the BlondMe Premium Developer and we also add in Olaplex for extra strengthening.
We used this on ash blonde hair to achieve an icy white-blonde shade and the results were stunning, fast.
This is powerful stuff so only use if you consider yourself an experienced hair dyeing pro and/or other at home kits haven’t achieved the lightness you were looking for.
Best for: Going a few shades lighter than your base.
#5 Garnier Olia Permanent Bleach Super Blondes Extreme
Features & ingredients:
- With Olia, coloring your hair is easy and pleasant.
- Instantly mix the developer and colorant cream in the applicator bottle and apply the mix.
- Use the multi-application conditioner to keep your hair feeling soft and looking shiny.
- After application apply Garnier Olia Super Shine Hair Oil for exceptional everyday shine.
Reviewers say:
“My favourite bleaching kit is the Olia one in the palest color. It comes out a pale creamy blonde, not at all brassy, and I like the brush application.”
“ I have dark brown hair naturally, but wanted to try ombre ends. I am amazed how this product lifted my ends and no horrible orange tones in it.”
Our experience:
This is a strong hair lightener from Garnier that we wanted to try to lift our hair from mid-brown.
The formula is quite generous in the box so you could get away with just one box here if your hair is not too long or thick.
After the first process, our hair was lightened more than we expected and only a slight orange tone to it.
The nourishing conditioner, smells divine and left our hair very soft.
Our purple shampoo of dreams did the job in combating the orange. This is strong stuff for darker shades.
Best for: Lifting darker shades.
TOP PICK!
L’Oreal Colorista Effects Bleach Lightening Kit
Best for: Extra lightening fast results.
We tried this to give our natural blonde hair a lift, and the results were a cool head of icy blond hints.
It’s powerful stuff so keep a check on it in development time or you might go way too light. It dulled down after a couple of washes and is starting to look even more natural as time goes on.
Buyer’s Guide: How to choose the best hair bleach kit for you.
Whether you’re looking to go platinum, pastel, or just want to lighten up a few shades, the right hair bleach kit can make all the difference. But with so many options on the market, it can be overwhelming to choose the best one for you.
Here’s what to look out for to help you choose the best box bleach kit for you.
#1. Base Hair Color
When choosing a hair bleach kit, your starting hair color or base color is the most important thing to take into account.
A bleach kit that works great on naturally blonde hair might cause serious damage to dark hair. Here’s how to make sure you choose the right kit for you:
If you have dark hair: Look for a bleach kit that is specifically designed for dark hair. Dark hair will require a stronger bleach and a longer processing time. Make sure you follow the instructions carefully to avoid damaging your hair.
If you have medium hair: A medium hair color can be lightened with most bleach kits, but you’ll want to be careful not to overdo it. A lightening kit that’s formulated for medium hair will help you achieve a natural-looking result.
If you have light hair: Lucky you! Light hair is the easiest to bleach. Most standard hair bleach kits will work well on light hair.
#2. Hair Type & Texture
Hair type and texture and what condition your hair is in is also a big factor in helping you choose the right hair bleach kit for you.
Here’s what to keep in mind:
If you have thick hair: Look for a bleach kit that contains a higher volume of developer. This will help the bleach penetrate your thick hair more effectively.
If you have fine hair: A lower volume of developer like volume 10 is better for fine hair, as it will help prevent damage. Be sure to follow the instructions carefully and be gentle when applying the bleach.
If you have curly hair: Bleaching curly hair can be tricky, as the bleach can sometimes cause curls to lose their shape. Look for a bleach kit that includes a conditioning treatment to help keep your curls healthy and bouncy.
#3. Lifestyle
Finally, your lifestyle make all the difference when choosing a hair bleach kit:
If you’re on a budget: Look for a hair bleach kit that is affordable and includes everything you need to get started. Keep in mind that some cheaper kits may be harsher on your hair, so be sure to check reviews before making a purchase.
If you’re short on time: Some hair bleach kits require longer processing times than others. If you’re short on time, look for a kit that promises fast results.
If you want to maintain healthy hair: Bleaching can be tough on your hair, so it’s important to choose a kit that includes a conditioning treatment or uses ingredients that are gentle on your hair. Use a weekly hair mask to help keep your hair healthy and free of frizz.
Bleach Bath Hair 101
Hair bleach kits FAQs
Why do I need to bleach my hair?
If you want to dye your hair a lighter color than it is, you need to lighten your hair first to get the desired shade.
Color can’t lighten color so you need to remove all of it before you dye it the color of your dreams or the hair dye will just not take.
If you want to go blonde or blonder, you might need to do more than one process to get the lighter color you’re after.
More bleaching means more damage so space out these sessions to give your hair time to recover in between.
If you’re worried about the damaged it can cause, you can look at how to lighten your hair naturally.
Highlights, balayage, and ombre are bang on-trend styles lend themselves to having only parts of your hair lightened too.
Check out our awesome guide, How to bleach your hair at home, DIY style for a step-by-step guide to a safe and successful process!
Can I bleach dark hair?
Bleaching dark hair might sound like an intimidating process, but it can actually be a great way to add highlights or dimension to your hair without having to commit to a full hair color change.
And yes, you can definitely bleach dark hair!
However, if you are not a beauty expert, we recommend approaching this project with caution and getting a hair bleach kit that’s specifically strong enough for dark hair – like Schwartzkopf’s BlondeMe above.
When bleaching dark hair, it’s important to use the right products and follow instructions carefully in order to get the right results. You may need to repeat the bleaching more than once, which can and will damage your hair.
But with some extra care and attention you can master this technique and have shiny highlighted strands in no time!
How do I care for my bleached hair?
The reality is, bleached hair needs a little extra attention to keep it looking and feeling its best.
To maintain soft, healthy locks after a bleach job, there are some products you should turn to on the regular.
Reach for products made especially for bleached hair (they know how to pull moisture from deep within) and use hydrating conditioners regularly.
Gentle healing hair serums containing argan or jojoba oils make an excellent addition to any haircare routine.
Also key? Avoid the temptation of daily washes and metal combs – both will strip the bleach faster than you can say “bye bye damage.”
So don’t be afraid of your new ‘do, just follow our bleached hair advice and make sure you take the time to provide it with some loving care and you’ll have beautiful, soft and healthy bleached hair in no time!
Parting words.
And there you have it! Your ultimate guide to at-home hair bleaching.
As with all DIY beauty projects, remember that this is a delicate process and should be done with care.
Follow the instructions closely for best results – or consult your hairdresser before embarking on any of these methods if you’re unsure about how they’ll work out for you.
Whatever color you want your locks to be, the perfect product is just waiting for you!
Found your perfect shade? We’d love to see it! Tag us on Instagram @colouredhaircare or Facebook and share your hair dye success stories. Looking for more hair care tips? Check out How to Look After Colored Hair: 11 Expert Secrets For Long-Lasting Color.
Our Research & Review Process
To ensure our recommendations are as comprehensive and reliable as possible, we’ve undertaken an extensive research effort.
We cite scientific evidence and journals, collect real user reviews and gather impartial perspectives from hair stylists, users, and experts in the field.
Additionally, we conduct hands-on testing by using products and applying hair dyes not only on our own locks but also on real human hair extensions and hair pieces of different hair type, textures and lengths.
This rigorous approach allows us to provide you with insights into which products genuinely live up to their promises.
As always – please consult with a professional hair colorist or stylist for advice on how to color your own hair at home. It’s different for everyone!
