How to Bleach Hair with Hydrogen Peroxide and Baking Soda

Washing and Sectioning Your Hair

Wash your hair just before you bleach it. Your hair needs to be as clean as possible when you apply the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda so that they soak into your hair. Use your normal shampoo and conditioner to cleanse away dirt and oils. After you wash it, don’t apply any additional products, such as a leave-in conditioner or styling cream. You don’t want to have any product or oils on your hair, as this can prevent the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda from penetrating your hair.

Let your hair air dry until it is just damp. When you apply the hydrogen peroxide-baking soda paste, your hair will absorb the lightener better if it's damp but not wet. In most cases, you should let your hair air dry for about 30 minutes. However, you may not need to wait as long if you have fine hair, and thick hair may take a little longer. Don't use a hair dryer to speed up the process because heat is damaging to your hair. It's best to give your hair a break since you're about to do a lightening treatment, which can also be damaging.

Wear an old t-shirt and drape an old towel across your shoulders. Since hydrogen peroxide can bleach fabrics, it’s best to use old clothing and towels to protect your skin. Choose items that you don’t mind ruining, just in case they get stained. As another option, you could cover your skin with a hairdresser’s cape or even a garbage bag that has a head and arm holes cut out of it. Cover your work surfaces with newspapers, old towels, or garbage bags to protect them from the paste. Although your hydrogen peroxide-baking soda paste won't stain like hair dye, it could discolor some surfaces.Tip: If you lighten or dye your hair often, you may want to get a hairdresser’s cape to protect your skin and clothing. They are fairly inexpensive and easy to find at a beauty store or online.

Clip your hair into 4 even sections. Divide your hair down the middle to create 2 sections. Then, divide your hair from ear to ear to create a total of 4 sections. Secure each section with a hair clip until you’re ready to bleach it. If you have very thick hair, you may want to create additional sections. For instance, 6-8 sections may make it easier to ensure that the paste goes on evenly. If you only want to create highlights on the top layer of your hair, then you may not need to section it.

Mixing Your Paste

Put on gloves to protect your skin. Although gloves are optional, exposing your hands to hydrogen peroxide for too long can cause skin redness and irritation. Plus, you may accidentally bleach your nails or fingers. It’s best to wear gloves to protect your hands. Use disposable gloves or reusable kitchen gloves.

Pour 1 cup (230 g) of baking soda into a large plastic or ceramic bowl. Measure out the baking soda, then transfer it to your bowl. After you put the baking soda in the bowl, shake it a little to break up any clumps.Tip: Use a plastic or ceramic bowl to mix your dye. It’s best not to use any bleaching products in a metal bowl, even a natural product like hydrogen peroxide, since it may cause a chemical reaction.

Add 3 tablespoons (44 mL) of 3% hydrogen peroxide. Measure the 3% hydrogen peroxide and pour it over the baking soda. You may notice it fizzing, but you don’t need to worry. This is a normal reaction between the hydrogen peroxide and the baking soda. Since you’re not using much hydrogen peroxide, it may not fizz. Don’t use higher than a 3% hydrogen peroxide, as it may damage your hair.

Stir the mixture with a plastic spoon until it has an even consistency. Use your spoon to break up any clumps that form in your paste. Keep stirring it until the ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Don’t use a metal spoon, as it’s best to avoid using metal with bleaching agents. It’s possible for bleaching agents to react with metal.

Applying the Paste

Do a strand test before you bleach your hair to see how your hair looks. It’s best to do a strand test before you lighten your hair to see how the results turn out. To do a strand test, coat a few strands of hair in an inconspicuous area, such as behind your ear, with the hydrogen peroxide-baking soda paste, then wait 30 minutes before rinsing. This will show you how the paste affects your hair and the strands won’t be visible if you don’t like the color or if you have a reaction to the mixture. Based on your strand test, you can decide if you want to lighten your hair with hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Additionally, it will help you decide if you need to use less or more paste on your hair to get your desired look, as well as how long you need to wait to see results. You will need to mix up more paste before you bleach your hair, as the paste you use to do the strand test will dry out.

Expect your hair to lighten 1-2 shades. Hydrogen peroxide and bleach typically lighten your hair 1 or 2 shades, so you won't go from dark hair to blond. Keep in mind that it may bring out red, orange, or yellow tones in your hair, especially if your hair is dark. If your hair takes the hydrogen peroxide and baking soda well, you may see the following results: Blond hair will usually turn a lighter blond. Light brown hair may look dirty blond. Medium brown hair usually looks light brown. Darker browns should turn medium or golden brown. Black hair usually turns dark or reddish brown. Red hair may turn orange or strawberry blond.

Use a brush applicator to coat each section to lighten all of your hair. Start with the bottom sections to make it easier to coat your hair evenly. Make sure you apply the paste to all of your hair, as missed spots will be very obvious. If you have thick hair, then you will need to separate your hair into more sections to get even coverage. When you finish a section, comb through your hair to help distribute the paste in an even layer. Cover your head with a shower cap to keep the paste from dripping onto your body or your clothes. Additionally, the shower cap will trap in your body’s natural heat, which will help the paste bleach your hair.

Coat just your ends with the brush for an ombre effect. Start applying the paste on the ends of your hair, which will be the lightest. Then, bring the paste up the shaft of your hair, stopping part way up your strands. Don’t try to stop the paste at the same spot each time, as this will create a blunt line that may look weird. Instead, vary your stopping point so that your hair blends well from dark to light. Apply a thicker coating of paste at the bottom of your hair, then thin it out as you get near the top of your bleached area. This will help create a better fade into your darker hair at the top of your head. Make sure to use vertical strokes to apply the paste along the hair shaft rather than horizontal strokes.

Apply streaks of paste with an old toothbrush for highlights. Pick up a section of hair that’s no larger than ⁄4 inch (0.64 cm) across. Then, place a piece of foil below it. Starting at your roots, coat the length of the section with the paste, then fold up the foil to keep the bleached section separate from the rest of your hair. Continue to apply the paste to small sections of hair until you finish all 4 sections. If you just want to apply highlights to your top layer, then you don’t need to worry about sectioning. However, doing highlights throughout your hair will make it look more natural, especially if you wear your hair up a lot.

Leave the paste on your hair for 30-60 minutes. Check your hair after 30 minutes by wiping the paste off of a tiny section of hair in the back of your head. If you’re happy with the color, go ahead and rinse. If it’s not light enough yet, wait up to 60 minutes total before rinsing.Warning: Don’t leave the paste on your hair for longer than 60 minutes, as it may damage your hair.

Removing the Paste

Rinse your hair with cool water to remove the paste. Wet the paste to loosen it, then use your fingers to work it out of your hair. Stand under the shower jet to wash the paste out of your hair. It’s best to use cool water because it will seal your hair shaft, making your hair look shinier. Don’t use shampoo on your hair right after you bleach it, if you can avoid it. You don’t want to stress your hair too much after lightening it.

Condition your hair, then rinse it with cool water. Apply your normal conditioner or a toning conditioner if your color is brassy, then massage it into your scalp to help ease any irritation you may have from the hydrogen peroxide-baking soda paste. Then, let the conditioner sit on your hair for about 3 minutes before rinsing with cool water. The cool water will close your hair shaft and make your hair look shiny.Tip: You may prefer to use a deep conditioner after you bleach your hair. This can help restore some of the moisture you lost during the lightening process.

Air dry your hair after you bleach it to avoid damaging it. Using heating products, like a hair dryer or straightener, can damage your hair, so it’s best to skip them after bleaching your hair. Give your hair at least several days to recover before you resume using heat treatments, if you do at all. When you heat style your hair, use a heat protectant to minimize damage. Bleaching your hair can dry it out, so take extra good care of it afterwards.

Wait at least a week between treatments if you want lighter hair. You’re likely eager to get the look you want, but it’s best to take your time. While hydrogen peroxide and baking soda are safe to use, they can cause damage if you use them too often. If you want to lighten your hair more, wait at least a week before you bleach your hair again. However, waiting 2 weeks is even better. This will help you keep your hair as healthy as possible while you create your new look.