10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (2024)

10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (1)

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No matter how extensively you research store-bought hair dye or how thoroughly you go over those inspo pics with your stylist, sometimes, your hair color simply doesn’t turn out how you expected it to. But whether it’s an at-home dye job gone wrong or you’re just not in love with your latest salon highlights, hair color blunders can be fixed—and, no, you don’t have to grow your hair out or wait months for the dye to fade.

“The biggest request to remove color is when results are too dark or off-tone,” explains Mark DeBolt, a celebrity colorist and co-founder of Mark Ryan Salon in New York City. Clients also might seek color removal when highlights have been toned too cool or too dark, leading to a grey or greenish tint, he explains.

Meet our experts: Mark DeBolt is a celebrity colorist and co-founder of Mark Ryan Salon in New York City; Rita Hazan is a celebrity colorist and owner of Rita Hazan Salon in New York City

While our experts recommend leaving color removal to the professionals, especially if you’re looking to avoid unpredictable results, there are a number of at-home products that can help ease the process along for the determined. Read on for some top picks.

1

Best On Amazon

Extra Conditioning Hair Color Remover

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10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (9)

Pros
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (10)Good price
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (11)Moisturizes hair
Cons
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (12)The process of removal takes a while

Coloring hair can be incredibly drying, and that’s even more true when removing color, so it’s important to keep your locks as hydrated as possible. That’s what makes this bestselling remover from Color Oops so great. With moisturizing ingredients, like soy protein and aloe vera, the formula will keep hair from getting damaged, as it quickly and effectively removes semi-permanent and permanent color.

2

Best For Glosses

Malibu Quick Fix for Color Correction

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Pros
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (14)Single step
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (15)Reasonable prices
Cons
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (16)One treatment per pack

A favorite of DeBolt’s, Malibu C’s Color Correction is designed to fix color that’s a little off rather than remove it completely. “The crystals work to subtly remove glosses that processed too dark or to start to slowly slough off the excess color deposit,” the colorist explains. “All of the Malibu products contain vitamin C that uncouples permanent dye molecules, which works brilliantly for many correction scenarios and leaves the hair in great shape.”

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Pros
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (18)Will see results on even bright shades
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (19)Infused with strengthening keratin
Cons
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (20)Odor is unpleasant to some

Formulated to erase even the most stubborn and vivid of colors, this one-step remover is enriched with Keratin to deeply hydrate and strengthen hair while it lifts dye. Just apply to your locks and leave on for 30 minutes to remove color and leave hair healthy and ready for its next dramatic transformation.

4

Best Gentle Formula

Hair Colour Remover

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Now 30% Off

Pros
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (22)Free of bleach and ammonia
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (23)Also removes product buildup
Cons
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (24)Subtler results

Free of bleach and ammonia, this kit is perfect if it’s not your first hair color rodeo. The remover tackles not only unwanted semi-permanent and permanent dye but also product buildup and pollution, and the included conditioner leaves hair nourished, thanks to moisturizing baobab oil.

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5

Best for Permanent Dye

Scruples Color Delete Permanent Haircolor Remover

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Pros
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (26)Contains moisturizing oils
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (27)Strong formula
Cons
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (28)Can be stripping on some hair types

This heavy-duty color remover from Scruples is great for hard-to-get-rid-of permanent dyes, be it a bold, bright pastel or a dark black. As strong as it is, though, the remover also calls upon the powers of avocado oil, bamboo oil, and a protective complex to minimize damage and dryness. You can cater this product to your exact needs by tweaking the mixing ratio, with more water for a slight color removal or less water for a total color removal.

6

Best Overnight Treatment

Phase-Out Gentle Dye Decolorizer + Intensive Hair Mask

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Now 17% Off

Pros
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (30)Removes stubborn color
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (31)Can re-color after using
Cons
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (32)Two-step process

Akin to a leave-in conditioner, Color X-Change’s decolorizer and hair mask is ideal for those looking to remove one color before recoloring with another. Simply mix the decolorizer crystals with water to form a gel, and then apply it to freshly-washed, towel-dried hair, and leave on overnight (or at least eight hours). After that, you can leave hair as is or apply a new color and then use the intensive hair mask to lock everything in.

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7

Best With Argan Oil

Argan Oil Colorfix Hair Color Remover

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Pros
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (34)Contains nourishing Argan oil
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (35)Customizable
Cons
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (36)Three-step system can be unwieldy to use

Specially formulated to remove permanent dye, this three-step system is strong enough to target color that’s fresh or color that’s been in hair for a while. With customizable options based on the length and density of your hair, as well as your removal goals, One ‘n Only Colorfix can offer full or slight color corrections, and it will leave hair healthy and conditioned, thanks to added argan oil.

8

Best For Clothing Stains

Clean Touch Hair Color Stain Remover

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Pros
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (38)Removes clothing stains
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (39)Great for too-dark ends
Cons
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (40)Can be harsh if used all over

Perfect for the multitaskers among us, this remover accomplishes two things: removing color build-up from your ends and cleaning up any dye stains on your skin or clothes. Carefully rub the creamy formula through your ends to lift extra dye so they don’t look darker than the rest of your hair, or dab it on your scalp, hairline, neck, or clothing to quickly get rid of any stains. Try not to overdo it with this one, though, as the remover contains ammonia and shouldn’t be used all over your hair.

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9

Best For Hair Color Stains

ion Hair Color Stain Remover

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Pros
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (42)Removes hair color from skin
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (43)Cheap
Cons
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (44)Darker colors may be harder to remove

If you frequently dye your hair at home, you're likely very familiar with the pesky stains that dyes can leave on your. forehead, hands, and neck. This gel formula is specifically designed for stain removal to help you get any unwanted color from your dye job off of your skin.

10

Best For Semi-Permanent Dye

oVertone The Fader Shampoo

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Pros
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (46)Fades color one to two shades
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (47)Vegan and cruelty-free formula
Cons
  • 10 Best Hair Color Removers You Can Use At Home (48)No immediate results

If you’re looking to fade your color to a lighter shade but don’t want to remove it entirely, this fading shampoo is exactly what you need. The vegan and cruelty-free cream formula fades color while hydrating the hair with rosemary oil.

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What should I look for in a hair color remover?

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When shopping for hair color remover, it pays to:

  • Select based on dye type: Not all hair color removers are created equal, so look for labeling that can help guide you based on the type of dye you're trying to remove. For example, people attempting to remove temporary or even semi-permanent dye won't need to use something as strong as those trying to remove permanent color.
  • Avoid products with bleach or ammonia: Stylists warn that hair color remover can be very damaging, especially when used by newbies. If you're forging forward at home, opt for formulas that don't contain any bleach or ammonia, since they're inherently very drying and damaging.
  • Look for enriching ingredients: Some formulas contain proteins like keratin or oils like avocado or argan to help counteract the damaging effects of color stripping products.

How is hair color remover different than bleach?

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Both bleach and hair color remover can strip strands of color, but generally the difference is that color removers are designed to be gentler than bleach. These products can help fade—and even remove—color without the same harsh chemicals as bleach.

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Are some colors harder to remove than others?

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It’s usually not a problem to remove most color, but black dye and vibrant dyes, like blue, green, and purple, are typically more difficult, if not impossible.

When to see a colorist

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If you're trying to remove very dark color, it's a good idea to see a stylist. “Black hair color is the hardest, and sometimes, it will break off before it completely disappears, so you have to be very careful,” warns celebrity colorist Rita Hazan. “If removal is done properly, it should not damage your hair.”

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Can you color again once you use a remover?

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In most cases, when hair is healthy, it’s okay to color it again immediately after removing color, but it can skew the color and make hair feel too dark. “It’s never a pretty color underneath, and it usually takes a lot of corrective color after,” Hazan warns.

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Gabby Shacknai is a New York-based journalist and editor who produces high-quality content for a wide variety of outlets and brands across various industries.

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