Whether you’re recoloring your hair or having a moment of serious regret after going through this mega color transformation, you’ll soon realize that blue is one of the hardest things to say parting words.
If you’re eyeing Color Oops but still wonder if it works with this hair dye, you’ve come to the right place!
Color Oops hair color remover
Will Color Oops Remove Blue Hair Dye?
Color Oops does not completely remove the blue color from your hair, but it can turn the blue tone into a lighter shade.
You can easily notice that the label reads: the product is not meant to work with direct-application dyes and bold hues such as blues, pinks, purples, greens, etc. However, this color stripper can turn your blue hair into a lighter shade if used correctly.
Blue hair dye removal with Color Oops after one application
Color Oops is a great way to get rid of unwanted shade without bleach. When hair dye is applied to your hair, it lifts some of your natural hair colors while depositing the color pigments into the hair shaft.
Color Oops color stripper contains hydrosulfite, which breaks down these color pigments into smaller ones so they can be rinsed away more easily.
Here is the thing: Blue hair dye is a dark and heavily pigmented color, which explains why people consider it “one of the toughest to remove”.
Due to a large number of pigments, you might find Color Oops less effective with blue dye than many other shades. In the end, you’ll get a lighter shade of blue.
The result can disappoint some people. They might be wondering, “Doesn’t it get rid of the blue altogether?”.
The hard truth about this color stripper is that it does not restore your hair to its virgin color. This applies to all shades, not just tenacious blues, pinks, or greens. If you want a heavy-duty solution to remove blue hair dye for recoloring or whatsoever, we have suggestions below!
How Does Color Oops Work?
Hair color removers work to eliminate unwanted color in 2 mechanisms:
- Oxidation: Hair color removers that use the oxidation method are the most common. They penetrate into the hair shafts to fill the dye molecules with oxygen. These oxygen-infused molecules then expand to the point of breaking out and shattering. Finally, they escape from the hair shaft, and the hair ends up with a lighter hue.
- Reduction: Color removing products using the reduction mechanism works by shrinking or reducing the color molecules into tiny pieces. These pieces are small enough to get out of the hair cortex and leave your hair a lighter shade.
Color Oops belongs to the second category. The product is among a few of the products that use the reduction method, and does quite a good job of removing the darkest dye color pigments.
In addition, Color Oops also has another secret weapon up their sleeve. It also contains hydrosulfite, which works effectively to break down dye color molecules without using peroxide or ammonia.
Another thing is that this color stripper also reverses the oxidation process, and makes the molecules smaller and returns them to pre-oxidized state. This also further contributes to a lighter color.
The key to using this product is to rinse vigorously to remove the remaining color residue. If not, your hair only becomes lighter yet is not free from all the dye.
All in all, YES, Color Oops does not completely remove blue hair dye, but can turn it into a lighter shade of blue.
Will Color Oops Damage My Hair?
Color Oops does not damage your hair. It’s free of two harsh chemicals: ammonia and bleach. All it does is shrink the color molecules so they can be easier to wash out.
It’s worth mentioning that this product does strip the hair of natural oils and moisture and leaves your hair relatively dried out after the application. Yet, it does not dry out your hair as much as the Vitamin C treatment or a bleach bath.
See also:
Tips To Use Color Oops To Remove Hair Dye
Make Sure You Rinse Your Hair Really Well
Rinsing is key when it comes to using Color Oops! This is an important step to make sure to remove all the small pigments as well as the rotten-egg smell. Color Oops Contains a sulfur base, which leaves a pungent, unpleasant smell that can linger for several weeks.
It is important to rinse off this hair dye remover from your hair. If there’s any residue, your hair will start to dry out and be more prone to frizz, breakage, and hair loss.
When you do not rinse your hair well to eliminate all the remnants, your hair can darken.
The dye molecules will enlarge over time if not thoroughly flushed out. Therefore, there is a high chance of your hair re-darkening after using the product.
The remaining color molecules will settle back into the hair shafts, and what is so-called re-oxidation happens. This causes your hair to return to its previous color. For this reason, you’ll need to put a lot of elbow grease for the rinsing stage.
Therefore, keep rinsing your hair in hot water for the recommended 30 minutes to get rid of the unwanted color as well as the hair remover. The longer you rinse your hair, the more you remove the hair dye.
Besides, you don’t need to use shampoo or conditioner in this session.
Rinse your hair well with Color Oops
So, rinse as much as possible, preferably, until there’s no smell! The smell indicates that there are still chemical residues in the hair, and you need to wash it out completely.
If you’ve finished rinsing but still smell the stink of the product, go back into the shower and rinse once more time until the smell vanishes.
Be warned: Never leave Color Oops for any longer than 20 minutes on your hair or you’ll risk the chemicals ruining your hair.
Use Hot Water
The water needs to be scolding hot for Color Oops to work its magic. The hotter the water, the better it works to open up the cuticle to allow more color molecules to break free, and thus the more effective the color removing job.
So, you should apply and rinse the product in a steaming hot shower or prepare plenty of hot water if you do it outside the shower. Use the water as hot as you’re comfortable rinsing with (be cautious of skin burning).
Put On A Plastic Wrap
For better results, it is recommended to cover your hair with a shower cap or nylon bag while you leave the color remover to process. You may want to roll a towel over the cap to facilitate the color reaction between your hair and the color remover.
Exposure to cold air can prevent the color remover from activating, and disrupt the process, rendering the product ineffective. So, try to keep the room warm and stay away from cold rooms or any sources of cool air such as fans or room vents.
Avoid exposing your manes to a draft, either. Thus, it’s best to cover your hair thoroughly to avoid the cold air.
Be Prepared To Do 2 Or More Applications
Color Oops removes hair dyes in layers. This means that your hair might only fade a bit after your first attempt. For an effective color removing job, it likely takes you 2 or 3 more rounds.
Choose A Well-Ventilated Place
This color stripper stinks due to the chemicals in the formula. Some people describe the smell as a perm solution, while others feel like rotten eggs.
Whatever it is, you should rinse your hair in a well-ventilated space. If your bathroom has windows, open them out to get rid of the smell faster. Inhaling the smell of coloring or color-removing products is also detrimental to your health.
Wait For 2-3 Days To Wash Your Hair And 5 Days To Re-Color
You should wait for at least 2-3 days before washing your hair again. Use the regular shampoo and condition as usual. Plus, wait for another 2 days before you can apply a new hair dye to your hair for the best results.
Read more: How Soon Can You Recolor Your Hair?
Apply Color Oops On Dry And Dirty Hair, Preferably
This color removing product works best on dry and dirty hair. It should be applied on dry hair to eliminate color molecules without drying out your hair. Plus, we strongly recommend avoiding washing your hair for at least 2 days for the best color removing results.
Massage When Applying
Message your hair to distribute the mixture more evenly, add a bit of heat to the process, and thus, help Color Oops to penetrate quicker to your hair to work its magic.
Choose Color Oops Based On Hair Tone
The choice whether to go for strong or extra strong Color Oops entirely depends on your hair tone.
- Color Oops extra condition is ideal for removing hair color for light hair tones, such as dark blonde 6, orange 5.4, 6.4, and light brown 5.
- Color Oops extra strength should be used to reverse undesirable color application on darker tones, including red 6.6, dark brown 3, dark brown 4, and black 1.
It is important to choose the right version of Color Oops for your hair tone. If not, the product won’t effectively remove the color from your hair. Even worse, when you use the “extra strength” version for a lighter tone, the strong chemicals in the product can burn your hair.
Stock A Few More Boxes If You Have Thick And Long Hair
If you have a lot of hair, chances are one or two boxes of Color Oops won’t provide a full coverage. This means that, without having several boxes at hand, you will be caught up in the middle of the process and end up with a futile attempt.
You cannot run to the store to buy the product (remember that it’s a big NO to expose your hair to cold air or draft after the application?). So, it’s better safe than sorry to purchase at least two boxes if your hair is long and thick.
And bewarned: the cost of running out of the color remover in the middle is higher than you might expect!
When the color removing process comes to a sudden, unexpected halt, you have no choice but to go to the hair salon and have your hair bleached. This is even more expensive than using the Color Oops, as it is so much more damaging!
Home Remedies To Remove Blue Hair Dye
Here are some effective ways to remove blue hair dye from your hair that you can give a try.
Bleach Bath
A bleach bath is basically the combination of bleach and shampoo. Bleach is a potent chemical to remove hair dye of any shade, so you can expect noticeable results at the end.
The trade-off is that it can cause great damage to your hair if not used correctly. So, if you’re doing a bleach bath yourself, follow these instructions carefully:
Essential Items
- Developer
- Bleach
- Clarifying shampoo
- Shower cap or cling wrap
- Gloves
- Tint bowl
- Brush
- Wide-tooth comb
How To Use:
- You’ll need a bleach powder (or cream) and 20 vol hydrogen peroxide for this method. Mix them well at a 1-1 ratio.
- Adjust the amount of the mixture according to your hair’s length and thickness.
- For thick and long hair, you might want to double the amount of the mixture by mixing 2 portions of bleach with 2 portions of developer.
- For thin and short hair, however, use only 0.5 portion of bleach and 0.5 portion of developer.
- Add roughly double the amount of your everyday shampoo to the mix.
- Wet your hair with water. Then, towel-dry to remove excess water. The bleach bath works best on damp hair.
- Apply the mixture. Walk your way up from the ends and leave the roots for last. Grab a wide-tooth comb to distribute the paste evenly.
- Clip all the hair and put on a shower cap. This seals in the heat from the scalp, which can speed up the process.
- Wait for around 30 minutes. Go back and closely inspect how the color-removing product processes in your hair every 5 minutes by scraping a bit of the mixture off your strands. Never let it sit in your hair for more than 45 minutes.
- Rinse off all the paste with water.
- Use a conditioner or hot oil to add some extra moisture back.
Related:
Anti-Dandruff Shampoo
The anti-dandruff shampoos contain clarifying properties, which can zap away the stubborn blue pigments in your hair. They are less harsh than color removers and require no extra effort than what you would be doing every day.
However, this is not a quick fix, as it would take several washes before all the color fades away. Our favorite is this Head and Shoulders Green Apple, as it both works and smells amazing.
How To Use:
- It is recommended to only use anti-dandruff shampoo for your scalp, and use your everyday shampoo for your hair.
- Start with wetting your hair with water. The water should be as warm as you’re comfortable doing to open up the cuticles so that the shampoo can seep into them.
- Pour a healthy dose of shampoo into your palm, and then massage it into your scalp.
- Put on a plastic cap and let the anti-dandruff shampoo sit there for 5 minutes.
- If your scalp is dry, it’s essential to let the shampoo settle on your hair for 30 minutes.
- In case your hair is too dry, to avoid further damage, apply a generous amount of coconut oil to your damp hair for at least 30 minutes before proceeding to use the anti-dandruff shampoo.
- When the time’s over, rinse out all the shampoo with warm water to remove more color pigments. This also means you need to seal in all the cuticles by finally rinsing hair with cold water.
- Apply a deep conditioner, mask, or moisturizer to keep your hair hydrated, soft, and healthy.
Clarifying Shampoo
Clarifying shampoos work just as well as anti-dandruff formulas to remove the blue dye. It will take between 10-15 shampooing sessions to wash away all the dye from your hair.
In addition, this type of shampoo can get rid of residue and buildup on your scalp and hair. For this reason, it gives hair deeper cleaning than the regular maintenance shampoo.
Clarifying shampoo should only be used 1-2 times a week. After applying the product thoroughly, make sure you let it sit for only 30 seconds to dissolve the blue dye.
Because this shampoo is formulated to be used as our normal shampoo, there’s no need to let the shampoo hang out for as long as the anti-dandruff shampoo.
Also, follow with a deep conditioner to prevent your hair from drying out.
How To Use: Apply and rinse just as you would with an anti-dandruff shampoo. Since it takes multiple applications to fade the blue dye bit by bit, you may want to repeat this process. Yet, make sure you leave at least 48 hours between rounds to minimize hair damage.
Vitamin C Treatment
Vitamin C is also a common way to get rid of blue dye thanks to its anti-pigmentary properties.
It works with both semi and permanent dyes, and the hair color should be lightened after each wash. However, vitamin C can strip your hair of moisture after application.
How To Use:
- Pre-soak your hair in hot water before applying the product to your hair. When applying, pay close attention to the ends and roots.
- Smash your vitamin C 1000mg tablets and mix with 3-4 tbsp of regular shampoo (or dye-free clarifying shampoo). Give the mixture a good stir until you get a paste-like consistency. (If you want more lifting power from this mix, add a tiny amount of dish soap.)
- Apply the mixture to your damp hair and massage thoroughly to ensure all the strands are covered. Next, cover all of your hair with a shower cap to prevent dripping suds from getting into your eyes.
- Let the paste sit for around 30-60 minutes.
- Rinse your hair well with lukewarm water.
- Condition your hair as normal to replenish the moisture.
FAQs
Can I Dye My Hair Immediately After Using Color Oops?
The color stripper opens up the hair cuticles to do its job, leaving your hair very porous at the end. For this reason, hair can soak in anything that it comes into contact with. So, if you’re recoloring immediately, expect the hair will be darker than expected.
We recommend letting your hair rest for at least 48 hours before treating it with color for the best color payoff. Alternatively, you can go ahead and spread the dye onto your hair. Nevertheless, shoot for two shades lighter to get the hue you’re after.
Is Color Oops Bad For Hair?
Color Oops typically don’t cause much damage to your hair, especially when your hair is in good condition. On the other hand, if you use them on already damaged hair, your hair condition won’t improve or even get worse. Yet, the damage is normally not irreversible.
For one thing, this color removing product doesn’t contain harmful ingredients such as peroxide, bleach or ammonia. Instead, it has a special component called hydrosulfite.
Hydrosulfite quickly shrinks the size of the dye molecule without the help of bleach, ammonia, or peroxide. In other words, they break down color molecules and these molecules can be washed out by shampooing.
This means that there should not be any damage to your hair if you use the product properly and your hair is in good condition to go through this chemical process.
Why Color Oops Turn My Hair Orange?
This often happens when you use Color Oops to remove darker tones, such as black or dark brown.
It is because these dyes carry way more color pigments in them, so it’s unlikely for the color remover to eliminate all of them at once. The result is that some orange, yellow, or red tones show up in your hair after applying the product.
Related: How To Fix Orange Hair After Bleaching?
Final Thoughts
Now you know that your hair should be a lighter shade of blue after one or more applications of Color Oops.
However, to make the most out of this color stripper, keep in mind to rinse your hair very well, or you’ll be faced with the return of the color due to the leftover molecules.
We hope our tips will help you use this color remover more effectively. You may want to try other ways to ditch that stubborn blue hue from your hair. Whatever you choose, moisturizing should be your top priority as your hair is very likely to dry with most of these methods.
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