7 Ways To Rescue Your Bleached Blonde Hair

Bleached hair, don't care.

Rebecca Hendin / Getty / BuzzFeed

Hi! I'm Ailbhe and I've had bleached blonde hair for the past five years.

Ailbhe Malone/ BuzzFeed

Ailbhe Malone/ BuzzFeed

As you can see, over the years I've gone from "honey tones" done at home, to profesh platinum and now, currently a silver/grey dye job.

My hair is naturally very dark (same colour as my eyebrows), fine and I have a sensitive scalp. So you'd best believe that I have tried a WIDE range of products in my quest to find something that will keep my blonde hair away from brassy tones, and also not make my scalp cry out for mercy.

So, here are the products that I would recommend if you're a bleach blonde newbie, or a seasoned pro who's looking to add a bit of omph to your do:

Where possible, I've tried to include products that will work for all hair types. But if there's a product or a tip that really works for you, let me know in the comments and I can update the piece!

1. Fudge Clean Blonde Violet Toning Shampoo, £9.89

amazon.co.uk

I have tried my fair share of toning shampoos, and this one is perfect for ashy blonde or grey/silver hair. I leave this on for 5 minutes in the shower (longer if I have time), and it keeps the grey tones in my hair looking vibrant. If you want less on a silvery tone, you could use it once a week or just mix a small amount in with your normal shampoo.

A little goes a long way, and the smell is nice too. A word of warning, it is VERY purple and sometimes stains my fingernails. I think it's worth it though.

Some reviews:

"I bought my first bottle at my hairdressers. I have platinum blonde hair and I use this every time I wash my hair which is usually every 2-3 days. It keeps my hair looking like it has just been coloured. Out of all the purple shampoos I have used this is the best so far. It also makes my hair really soft" – Lynette Wilding

"The pigment and consistency of this shampoo makes it basically a toner. After a horrible bleach job done by my friend at home, the Clean Blonde shampoo saved my butt and instead of my hair being yellowy orange, its now a nice ashy blonde." – Lisa from AB

2. Bleach Reincarnation Mask, £6

boots.com

So, the directions for this mask are extensive, and I do not follow them. I mean: "Apply to pre-shampooed hair, comb through and massage in. To enhance the super conditioning effect wrap your hair in a warm towel. Leave on the hair for 10-20 minutes".

Instead, I use this as a regular conditioner and it works a treat. It's not too heavy and makes my hair very shiny. By the way, the Bleach silver shampoo is also brilliant if you want a nice bright blonde tone. I used it up until I swapped it for the Fudge product.

Some reviews:

"My hair is bleached so can get quite dry but some conditioners are too heavy and leave it limp and weighed down. Not this one - my hair felt in amazing condition but still full of volume and without that overloaded, lank feeling." – Enoble

"I bleached the (very dark brown) tips of my hair to a light blonde shade, which left it feeling very coarse and brittle. After applying the reincarnation mask to my hair it felt 10x better and even looked shiner." – Avarion

3. Lush Marilyn Hair Treatment, £9.75

uk.lush.com

I first used this treatment as part of a larger piece about blonde hair products. At the time, I wasn't the biggest fan, but since using it on and off for the past few months, I've come around to it. Again, the instructions say to leave this on for 30 minutes, but I tend to just pop it in my dry hair for 10 minutes before I have a shower.

It's very gentle, and leaves your hair shiny and your highlights popping. The scent is quite strong, and the product is annoying to scoop out of the the pot though.

Some reviews:

"I love the smell and the texture of this and it definitely conditions my dark blonde hair so I reach for it when my hair is feeling stressed." – SusieHuntington

"I have short bleached hair and have never found a treatment so good. I use a little every other day for about 20 minutes along with Daddy-O shampoo. I love the way my hair looks shiny, glossy and over the months I have been using it much blonder." – anon

4. Argan Oil, £3.99

superdrug.com

To be truthful, you can use any kind of oil you want. I had some Argan oil left over from a trip to Morocco, so I've been using that. This Superdrug hair oil does the job though, and it's pocket-friendly. But coconut oil would be fine – and sometimes if I have excess face oil on my hands (like this Kiehl's one), then I smooth it over my hair too.

I find that my bleached, fine hair soaks up the oil and is shinier and less frizzy after. As my hair is short, I apply it throughout and then wash it the next day. If you've got longer hair, then just apply to the ends if you want to avoid an extra wash.

Some reviews:

"Cant recommend this enough. I have thick/course/frizzy hair and this stuff makes it feels so soft and silky, also gives it a great shiny without it looking greasy." – PinkNikNaks

"I found that my hair looks really sleek with a nice shine and most of my flyaways and obvious damage has been tamed. It’s not a product that I use every day but it’s nice to use it once or twice a week to keep my hair looking healthy." – CharmofLove, reviewing Superdrug's Macadamia Oil version

5. Scalp Toner, £9

marksandspencer.com

At this point, I should talk about flaky and sore scalps. The last time I got my hair bleached, my scalp became really sore and irritated. I have sensitive skin, so it wasn't really a surprise. I reverted to using baby shampoo for a few days, but I wish I had bought some of this scalp toner by Phillip Kingsley. I've stocked up now in advance of my next root touch-up.

Some reviews:

"This scalp tonic is very soothing. I use it for irritated scalp after hair colouring . Good m&s are now stocking this range." – zebadeecat

"I have bought this product time and time again. In my opinion, it is the star of the show. It works like nothing else i have tried. I have an itchy, sensitive, sometimes oily sometimes dry scalp and this soothes, protects and calms itching immediately." – anon

6. Lee Stafford Bleach Blonde Hot Shots, £7.39

boots.com

To quote one of the funniest articles I've read about bleached hair: "Bleach is a bitch that wants to turn against you. Toner is how you defend and protect your hotness".

These Lee Stafford pocket rockets are boosts of toner. I haven't used them personally, but a friend with thick bleached hair swears by them. You get four shots in a pack, and each shot is to be used between shampoo and conditioning – every other wash.

Some reviews:

"I have highlighted blonde hair which can get a bit yellowy, this took the yellow tones out and hair looks amazing again, I will be buying this again." – Amazon Customer

"Wasn't expecting great things from these because I have used products like this in the past and they haven't done a great deal but thought I would give them a go anyway. I'm so glad I did! It turned my yellow-toned hair into a lovely refreshed white blonde colour. Really good for between trips to the hairdressers." –Niki1234

7. Batiste Blonde Dry Shampoo, £4.62.

amazon.co.uk

This recommendation is less about the product and more about the method. As I have fine, short hair, I wash my hair every day. But at the weekends, I try to let this go and just use dry shampoo. Leaving my hair slightly greasy gives it a break from all the products (and heat styling), and it really works for me.

I'm a big Batiste fan, and their blonde one means there's no white particles hanging out on your scalp.

Some reviews:

"When I first sprayed it on, I was horrified as it is really yellow. But after rubbing it off with a towel, I must say it looks natural in my blonde hair, and much better then the usual white/grey dust from the previous sprays." – Fietje

"This product is ideal for me as my hair is highlighted and I have greasy roots and try ends. Washing every day will dry the ends more so I use this every other day. This one is especially good for hair with root growth as it is slightly tinted." – jainb