Store Bleach recommendations

LeCurlyCub

So I've bleached my hair plenty of times before (years ago)
and am just kind of bored with my current hair color now...
I'm not asking for advice on how to bleach, and I don't want to hear all the rants about damage, bleach and peroxides are damaging, obviously, I'm not questioning that, I just want to hear about tried and true brands for bleach that I can get in store (like Sally's).
And please please please don't suggest I go to the salon, I really dont have the money for it, and to be honest if I dont like my bleaching, big deal, I can shave my head, hair will grow back.
Thanks for your patience and recommendations.

CurlyShorty3405

LeCurlyCub wrote: »

So I've bleached my hair plenty of times before (years ago)
and am just kind of bored with my current hair color now...
I'm not asking for advice on how to bleach, and I don't want to hear all the rants about damage, bleach and peroxides are damaging, obviously, I'm not questioning that, I just want to hear about tried and true brands for bleach that I can get in store (like Sally's).
And please please please don't suggest I go to the salon, I really dont have the money for it, and to be honest if I dont like my bleaching, big deal, I can shave my head, hair will grow back.
Thanks for your patience and recommendations.

Fresh squeezed lemon juice in a spray bottle with water, spray it on your hair and let the sun do its work.

CGSince2002

You didn't mention how big of a change you're looking to make this time, your present haircolor, if it's been colored at any point and its present condition, so please come back with that info and I'll give you a rec from Sally's.

seamelody14

Best one I've ever used was the ion bleach available at Sally's. Prior to that I've had bleach at the salon (awful), used clairol kaleidecolors (sp?) also awful, and high lift color (ok) but the ion bleach really seemed less damaging somehow, which seems crazy because beach is bleach, right? I don't bleach anymore, but if I did I'd go straight back to that one. I don't advise using lemon juice unless your hair is naturally light. Works great for blondes but will most likely turn dark hair orange.


Sent from my iPod touch using CurlTalk

CGSince2002

Since you mentioned it, Ion is what I had in mind, but the creme bleach which is easier on the hair than powder bleach (so, no, technically "all" bleach is not quite the same).

CurlyShorty3405

seamelody14 wrote: »

Best one I've ever used was the ion bleach available at Sally's. Prior to that I've had bleach at the salon (awful), used clairol kaleidecolors (sp?) also awful, and high lift color (ok) but the ion bleach really seemed less damaging somehow, which seems crazy because beach is bleach, right? I don't bleach anymore, but if I did I'd go straight back to that one. I don't advise using lemon juice unless your hair is naturally light. Works great for blondes but will most likely turn dark hair orange.


Sent from my iPod touch using CurlTalk

I never had that experience with lemon juice at all. Lemon juice never turned my brunette hair orange. You have to use fresh, unconcentrated lemon juice mixed with water.

RideTheLightning

It really depends on what you want to do as to what bleach you could use. I have a section of hair that i bleach to add bright colors into (plums/purples/pinks).

For that i lighten it to a lemon-rind yellow (from my dark brown almost black hair) using the L'Oreal Quick Blue bleach powder mixed with a Sally's Brand 30-developer (a 1:1 ratio). I don't tone it since I'm dying over it and not going for a color the slight yellow-ness would effect really.

CGSince2002

I just learned a very simple "trick" to prevent bleach damage, it's been around for a few years but it's new to me: oiling your hair with coconut oil the night before or at least 1 hr. before with a plastic cap on to allow the oil to penetrate the hair (I'd say at least 90 min. to make sure). I read many reviews/reports of women who'd done this and said this saved their hair.

myhairalbum

I bleach my hair with l'oreal quick blue from sally's! I never heard about the coconut oil treatment before bleaching!! I'll try it for sure!!!

follow me on instagram
@myhairalbum

myhairalbum

I just searched about coconut oil before bleaching and everyone says it's like magic!!! So happy I found about that!!

follow me on instagram
@myhairalbum

Firefox7275

There is published research indicating hydrolysed soy and wheat proteins have a modest protective effect against persulphate bleach damage. There is only evidence for coconut oil reducing structural protein loss when applied AFTER bleaching AFAIK, however the anecdotal evidence for pre-treatment is interesting. I add the oil to a bottle of peroxide-only box dye.

CGSince2002

I believe it's more than anecdotal. I stumbled upon a thread in the LHC on the subject where a person identified as "ktani" did some research on this and she posted everything she found on the subject, all the studies and related information. The initial suggestion was to use a strong infusion of chamomile tea because of certain antioxidants in it that were found to counter the effect of hydrogen peroxide in the body. The next thing she found was referring to coconut oil, so a combo of both was suggested, but then the conclusion was that c.o. by itself did a better job. It all has to do with the copper and iron in the hair and how the h.p. in bleach or oxidative hair coloring reacts to them.

Here's ktani's blog page about it which I believe provides a link to the forum discussion: Ktani's Hair Sense: Part 1 of a 4 Part Series on Innovative Approaches to Hair Care: How to save money and help save your hair from damage caused by hair dye or bleach

Firefox7275

AFAIK there are no studies published in reputable journals demonstrating coconut oil reduces persulphate bleach damage when used as a pre-treatment.

As a scientist and regular on LHC I am familiar with both Ktani's blog and that thread: whilst enthusiastic her research tends to be patchy in quality, check her sources for yourself.

CGSince2002

Firefox7275 wrote: »

AFAIK there are no studies published in reputable journals demonstrating coconut oil reduces persulphate bleach damage when used as a pre-treatment.

As a scientist and regular on LHC I am familiar with both Ktani's blog and that thread: whilst enthusiastic her research tends to be patchy in quality, check her sources for yourself.

I do not need to check her sources. I am not the kind of person who needs scientific proof for everything, thank you. The fact that others used it successfully, and I myself just did last week is more than good enough for me.:iconbiggrin: Besides, Procter & Gamble, one of the largest corporations here in the U.S.A. was apparently involved in a related research.

In the course of my rather long life I've seen a ton of things that lots of other people met with disbelief and needed "studies" to back them up, but I accepted them readily after being satisfied with my own informal research, and in time I was always proved right. It just takes time for the skeptics to be convinced. Take co-washing for example, back in '02 I had to constantly explain to all those that freaked out about the mere thought of someone not using shampoo that it was a rather recent invention in the whole of human history. And humanity has always managed to survive without all those scientific studies that very often are not reliable at all.

The only thing I lament is not having heard of this sooner. Since you color your hair, you could try it for yourself and decide whether you've missed out on something or not. As for me, I won't be surprised if not long from now the big companies start including coconut oil or lauric acid in their hair coloring formulations.

Firefox7275

If you are going to correct or dispute my phraseology ("anecdotal evidence") then you do need studies to back that up. If you are going to use yourself as a test subject (as I do with CO-washing and coconut oil) then of course you do not need scientific proof.

I ought to ask Wendy (IAGirl/ Sciencey Hairblog) if she will examine some coconut oil pre-treated and non-treated hairs under the microscope and/ or test them for porosity or response to overly alkaline/ acidic solutions.

CGSince2002

I didn't even know that you were a scientist so it was not my intention to dispute your "phraseology". As a "lay person" and a cosmetologist, the studies that she mentioned were good enough for me, that's all. Besides, this is not like someone would be putting themselves in danger by doing an overnight coconut oiling for Pete's sake! Nothing's lost, not even the oil, by doing this, but much could be gained, so I think it's still good advice to try it and see for themselves, because as we say here "the proof is in the pudding".

Firefox7275

CGSince2002 wrote: »

I didn't even know that you were a scientist so it was not my intention to dispute your "phraseology". As a "lay person" and a cosmetologist, the studies that she mentioned were good enough for me, that's all. Besides, this is not like someone would be putting themselves in danger by doing an overnight coconut oiling for Pete's sake! Nothing's lost, not even the oil, by doing this, but much could be gained, so I think it's still good advice to try it and see for themselves, because as we say here "the proof is in the pudding".

If you check my signature plus previous posts on this and other threads I do a heavy coconut oiling myself prior to lightening, often suggest using it AND said the anecdotal evidence was "interesting". Agree it is unlikely to be harmful and may be beneficial, although some do report accelerating of the lifting process.

You are referring to studies you haven't read for yourself, just assuming they say what Ktani claims, and assuming they are actually proper studies. This is sometimes not the case which is why several scientists posting on forums have expressed concerns over the quality of her research and thus validity of her theories.

Hope that clarifies my position.

CGSince2002

I usually only look at people's signature when they're asking for advice and I want to know what they are using. I just looked at yours and I don't see anything there about it, and I didn't have any reason to track your previous posts so idk why you bring that up.

I read some of the studies and they were published by what is considered a reputable source here. Besides, I didn't have any reason to distrust her findings as she gave lots of detail about them and was rather repetitious, IMO she seemed very meticulous about it.

And again, this is not something where any negative risk is involved by experimenting with it, to the contrary; therefore, I see no reason to depend so much on studies. Please remember that just because you are a scientist the rest of us don't have to see things the way you do.