How I Bleach My Hair

AND as promised! I'm gonna be sharing how DIY my hair color, bleach and everything in between!  But, before I go ahead and start rambling, don't forget to follow me on Instagram and checkout my #hairventure highlights!

DISCLAIMER: I AM NO EXPERT or PROFESSIONAL.  Everything you see or will see in this blog about my #hairventure is based solely on personal experience.

ALSO, before I started bleaching my hair I came from being a red head.  Red pigments are hardest to remove and I knew it won't come off with the bleach, but yeah, I was excited :P

If you've known me for a long time you would know that if there is any part of my body where I really spend on, it's my hair and always the hair.  I've always been fond and obsessed with coloring my hair, but of course while I was having fun, my wallet was suffering.  

And so, with the help of my Mom from years back, we both learned the art of DIY hair care and coloring.  It's been years since mom went on to the other side and I haven't colored my hair (loud) since then.  Going back to it now is so meaningful to me that I just want to share what I learned from before and now to everyone.

(Wish you were still here, Mommy)

Back to the title of this post --- How I Bleach My Hair.  While this process is already common, I know some people who are still afraid to do it because everybody knows it fries your hair.  Specially if you don't know how to do it correctly.  A few years back, I remember my hair felt like a broom from too much bleaching!

For first timers, I would always suggest having this done at the salon or with experts.  If you are on a budget however, I know the first thing that would come to mind is doing it on your own or with a friend.  Now, before you start hoarding stuff to bleach and color your hair, make sure you read through this post to see how I do it with as minimal hair damage and and as cheap as possible.

1) Believe in the power of VIRGIN COCONUT OIL (VCO)

A lot of people ask me how is my hair is still manageable after all the bleaching and coloring.  This is the answer.  Before I bleach my hair, I soak my hair in warm Virgin Coconut Oil.  If your VCO is in a bottle, just heat water and put the bottle and the warm water in a cup to or you can just pop just enough amount for your hair in the microwave.

How long I soak it in VCO depends on my schedule, but it is advisable to soak it in for at least 5-6 hours or more.  When I am on my lazy days, I soak it overnight and bleach when I wake up in the morning. NO WASHING.

2) Tools for Bleaching

Now, bleach is a very powerful compound and so is the oxidizing lotion/cream we use to mix it so we need to make sure we are well equipped! You will need a plastic mixing bowl, applicator (with or without comb), a towel or a robe and gloves.  These four items are a must! If you have the budget, you can also go and invest on ear covers and some salon clips to help in sectioning your hair.

3) Bleaching Materials

Now the bleach! I used to by my bleaching powder in large tubs, but since I stopped and is just starting again, I buy mine in repacks and just enough to cover the length of my hair now.  Good bleaching powders are light blue in color.  I don't trust the ones that are white because, in my experience, they stink and are a waste of money -- it doesn't work for me.  Anyway, along with the powder is the oxidizer (9%) to make it into a mixture.  I got my Keratin Oxidizer from @pimpmyhairph --- this is the best oxidizer I've tried since it doesn't make my hair too dry.

3) Mixing the bleach and oxidizer

I have short hair now.  I use about 30 grams of bleaching powder and mix it with 100ml 9% Oxidizing Lotion.  What you're supposed to have is a light blue mixture with just the right amount of thickness.

4) Sectioning The Hair

I do quadrants when sectioning my hair and I bleach by section, starting with the ones in front onto the back ones.  You can use hair ties or salon clips to do this.

5) Applying the Bleach

As I said, I bleach one section at a time.  Remember to start bleaching your hair at least an inch away from the roots since the roots tend to lighten faster than the rest of the hair strand.  After bleaching the your hair, then you can start with the roots.  After applying all the bleach, I massage the bleach a bit on my head to make sure I got it all covered.

6) Waiting Time

Waiting time depends on how light you want you hair to be, BUT REMEMBER do not go over an hour!  Any bleach or hair color just stops working after an hour.  Also, don't make your hair suffer that much.  Since I need a lighter base for all the coloring I'm planning to do in the future, I let it sit for 45mins. 

7) Rinse & Condition

When rinsing, I make sure that I got all the bleach out.  Dried bleach on your head will irritate your skin more.  Your scalp has suffered enough during the bleaching process so make sure your you've washed out all the bleach.  After which, I shampoo with my regular shampoo and CONDITION!

As I said, I came from a red hair before bleaching and so the bleach only lightened my roots and made my red hair a cute shade of peach pink ---- which was something I did not expect, but I love it. 

Well, there you go... I hope you learned a thing or two about bleaching your hair.  Remember, if you're not sure -- GO TO THE SALON! Or, if you're as obsessed as I am with DIY hair stuff,  share with me your bleaching/coloring routine too!

PS. I'm still trying to figure out how to remove ALL the red pigments on my hair.  Will share it here on the blog when I get it. :P