[Sticky] Bleach Bath tutorial - with pictures!

It smells exactly the same as normal bleach or dye.

Dammit! Ok, thank you 🙂

I've had the bleach, shampoo combo on my hair for about 15 mins, went to check the bottle & pack for developing times & there are none :-/ Would we say 30 mins is enough time until rinsing? My hair is/was a washed out Adore Violet Gem.

I have no idea! What are you aiming for?

All good, left it in for about 35 mins & I've got super pale pinky/lilac hair 🙂 Love success!
Thank you muchly for the thread!

Ok, I read all of this and it was sooo helpful! I've been bleaching little bits of hair at a time to get used to mixing, timing etc, and it gives me a way to play around without ever doing the same places twice. So I just did a chunk using the bleach bath method (actually I started with bleach and then remembered and added shampoo). It sort of feels the same as regular bleaching once it dried. I don't know why, I left it on the normal time.  It did lighten it less, which may be good since the color I want to add might not need a lot of lift.

But here's a question, this has been asked before, why do we use shampoo when you could use conditioner? Is it because the shampoo lifts off more color? Conditioner seems like a good idea because of it's moisturizing properties. But the consensus seems to be to use shampoo instead of conditioner. Is it better to do it that way?

But here's a question, this has been asked before, why do we use shampoo when you could use conditioner? Is it because the shampoo lifts off more color? Conditioner seems like a good idea because of it's moisturizing properties. But the consensus seems to be to use shampoo instead of conditioner. Is it better to do it that way?

Conditioners block the ability of bleach or permanent dyes to react with the hair.  We often use conditioners as masques on hair we do not want to process with bleach or permanent dye for that reason.  Shampoo doesn't affect the ability of bleach to do what it's intended to.

But here's a question, this has been asked before, why do we use shampoo when you could use conditioner? Is it because the shampoo lifts off more color? Conditioner seems like a good idea because of it's moisturizing properties. But the consensus seems to be to use shampoo instead of conditioner. Is it better to do it that way?

Conditioners block the ability of bleach or permanent dyes to react with the hair.  We often use conditioners as masques on hair we do not want to process with bleach or permanent dye for that reason.  Shampoo doesn't affect the ability of bleach to do what it's intended to.

Ok cool! Thanks! Yea I knew that but it was said that you could use conditioner so I wasn't sure. I always thought you couldn't add water to bleach either, but it's recommended to add for the dry hair bb. Also, not really related to bb but to the convo, I thought conditioner + dye would block the color but lots of people get a nice lighter version that's still bright! I just did a few swatches on my hair and the purple straight was very dark but with conditioner it came out bright and even! So I'm not sure what to think anymore -_-

Ok cool! Thanks! Yea I knew that but it was said that you could use conditioner so I wasn't sure. I always thought you couldn't add water to bleach either, but it's recommended to add for the dry hair bb. Also, not really related to bb but to the convo, I thought conditioner + dye would block the color but lots of people get a nice lighter version that's still bright! I just did a few swatches on my hair and the purple straight was very dark but with conditioner it came out bright and even! So I'm not sure what to think anymore -_-

Where are you seeing that you can use conditioner in the bleach bath mix?  I just had a look at the original post tutorial and I only see shampoo mentioned?

As for using conditioner to dilute semipermanent dyes for lighter shades - we do it all the time.  You shouldn't use conditioner ON your hair prior to application of dye.  Preferred method is to use clarifying shampoo prior to dying which slightly lifts the cuticle of the hair.  If you condition the hair immediately after shampooing, then it smooths the cuticle back down.  Drying it up without conditioning leaves the cuticle slightly lifted, so when you apply your dye (even diluted with conditioner), the cuticle is rough instead of smooth and it helps the colour grab better.  Does that help make sense of it better?

Somewhere in the past 11 pages. I'll try and find it.

Ahh Looks like someone said they did, on page 3, but no one else did. Someone on page 7 asked but it wasn't answered. So I guess that's where I got it from. My bad! I used shampoo anyway 😉

And YES!! Thank you so much! I think that does help with some colors. The one purple I had was much nicer with conditioner, but another brand turned grey! I'm still having a hard time with the color I want, I posted a thread in the color forum if you can help at all?  🙁 Thanks!

I don't agree that conditioner in the bb would block the bleach to be honest (I've never found its worked for me as a barrier anyway). It's really just working as a carrier and thinner and if it can get through coconut oil without a problem (which I'm going to use and let cool next time I want a barrier!) I doubt conditioner as a thinner would. I could be wrong of course.

But, I still think shampoo is more effective. I don't think conditioner is likely to have any effect of moisturising while there's bleach there. Shampoo in the mix makes its so much easier to remove as well!

Well yes, I guess bleach can eat through just about anything.  I don't think it would entirely block it - but I can't imagine it being helpful in the mix.  I have used thick conditioner as a barrier when I was two toned.  I had a helper, and we were always careful not to overlap... so I suppose I wouldn't know if it did it's job properly (as we intended) or not. 😉

Another Q, this may be silly, but why 2 parts shampoo? To be less damaging? Could you theoretically do 1:1 to get a stronger result as long as you don't do it weekly? (Maybe ever two or once a month?) I doubt I'd need that much or even bleach that often (I have no patience to wait, I usually dye right away) But just out of curiosity could it still prevent as much damage as full bleach but get a good lift?

Yes, you can vary the amount of shampoo used to suit. Basically you are diluting the peroxide, so it works a bit more slowly, and making it an easier consistency to apply, so you can apply it much more quickly. The secret to getting a nice even base is getting all the bleach mix on as quickly as possible, so a bleach bath with shampoo is much more easily applied (I just squidge it through with gloved hands) than a regular bleach mix which has to be carefully applied with a tint brush.

Just a quick THANK YOU for this tutorial! I did my very first BB on Sunday and it worked a treat!

I did it over faded Crazy Colour Cyclamen and it lifted right out. Not completely, as there is still a slight pink sheen if you look closely in the right light lol. So now I'm working towards fading out my patchy brown bits!

My transition from brown back to pink was very slap-dash, which left lots of brown all over the place but now after a BB they are fading and barely noticeable, so after a few more weeks I should be even 🙂

Sooo pleased with the result and much less scary than a full on bleach. CO'd for 2 hours before the BB with a development of 40mins and my hair feels great. Oh, and a quick snip using the pony-tail method - another thank you for that tutorial!!

So, thank you to OP and HDF for being so great 🙂 I'm now feeling brave and will be attempting Platinum as I feel so confident about BB now. So glad I found this forum!!