Is your blonde hair looking more yellow than luminous? You’re not alone – and the good news is, it’s completely fixable. Yellow tones appear when the underlying warm pigment in your lightened hair starts to show through, often triggered by fading color, heat styling or UV exposure. The key to correcting it isn’t covering it up – it’s neutralizing it with the right tone. So, keep scrolling to discover how to get yellow out of your hair in the salon and at home...
Why Does Blonde Hair Turn Yellow?
There are a range of causes behind blondes turning yellow, including:
- The underlying tone. If you have a lot of natural warmth in your hair, this can be exposed when your shade is in need of a touch-up.
- Fading hair color. Without the right care regimen – think color-safe shampoos, conditioners and heat/UV protection – hair color can fade fast, revealing brassy tones.
- Product build-up. Styling products can 'stain' blonde hair if they're not washed out effectively. If you regularly use rich formulas, make sure you're removing build-up by double-cleansing with your shampoo of choice.
- Heat and UV damage. Too much heat, too much sun, and not enough protection can cause your blonde hair to shift, resulting in unwanted brassiness and yellowing.
- Pollutant particles. Microscopic aggressors, like metals in the water you wash with, can cling to your hair and disrupt the color – especially if you have highly porous (meaning highly absorbent) hair.
What Level of Brassiness Am I On?
Yes, there are different levels of brassiness – so where is your hair right now? Here's how to identify your level of brassiness:
- Level 5-6 (darker brass): Your hair features unwanted coppery or orange tones. This is common in dark hair that's been lifted to a light brown/dark blonde shade, and usually requires a blue shampoo to remove brassiness.
- Level 7-8 (medium brass): Your hair reflects hints of yellow-orange or gold. This is common in lightened, dirty blonde hair – and this is exactly where you need our tips to reduce yellow brassy tones.
- Level 9-10 (lightest brass): Your hair appears pale yellow, like the inside of a banana peel. This is common in light blonde hair, and can usually be fixed quite easily with the right toning steps.
How to Get Yellow Hair Toned in the Salon
Your Wella colorist has yellow tones under control, and if you want a truly reliable, pro finish, heading to the salon is your best approach. They'll know exactly which colors to mix up to tone down your level of brassiness. Here's what to ask for, and what to expect from your salon appointment...
1. Ask for a Toner Service
When booking at your nearest Wella salon, ask for toning and explain that you're looking to correct yellow tones in your hair. This lets your colorist know how much time they need to block out for your appointment.
2. Expect a Consultation First
At the start of your appointment, your colorist may want to carefully assess your hair to ensure they're choosing the best approach for your correcting service. They might ask you questions about your hair history, care regimen, and the dream outcome for your shade.
3. Receive a Bespoke Toning Session
To cancel out yellow tones, your colorist will typically use a violet-based toner (or sometimes a blue-based toner if they notice any orange tones). The exact mix and strength will depend on how warm your hair is and how light your blonde needs to be.
A SHINEFINITY Acidic Color Glaze is perfect for this kind of correction, as it gives hair a translucent veil of color – ideal for toning down yellow tinges – while leaving you with 3x shinier hair¹. The result: a brass-free base with a lustrous, healthy-looking sheen.
How to Get Yellow Out of Hair At Home
A salon should be your first port of call, but if you're seeing mild yellowing and want a quick fix, here are some of the ways you can tone brassiness at home:
1. Understand the Color Wheel
Correcting yellow tones isn't about covering them up – it's about balancing them out. So, instead of applying a fresh coat of color on top, you should aim to neutralize the unwanted warmth.
Your first step is understanding how the color wheel works. Professional colorists learn this early on in their training, as it's crucial for correcting any kind of unwanted tone, from green tinges to dull, coppery hues. The theory is simple: colors that sit opposite each other on the wheel cancel each other out. Blue sits opposite orange, red sits opposite green, and – most crucially for you – purple sits opposite yellow.
This is why you need violet pigments to tone down yellow hair. Even if you are applying a fresh coat of color, the correction should always come first to achieve the best results.
2. Use Specialized Toning Products
Now you know how important purple pigments are, it's time to put them to work. One of the most common ways is with specialized toning products, like a purple shampoo or color-depositing treatment. We recommend Color Fresh Mask in Pearl Blonde or Lilac Frost. The cool-toned pigments help to tackle brassy tones while caring for hair with a dose of Argan Oil. To use it, simply:
- Wash hair with your shampoo of choice first. We love ULTIMATE COLOR Shampoo.
- Squeeze out excess water.
- Apply Color Fresh Mask in Pearl Blonde or Lilac Frost through blonde hair, and distribute with a wide-tooth comb.
- Allow it to absorb for 10 minutes.
- Rinse thoroughly to reveal your refreshed blonde.
This is one of those staple hair care products every blonde needs in their kit, allowing you to target brassy tones the day they show up, so yellow undertones remain at bay.
"THE COLOR FRESH MASKS ARE SO FUN AND EASY TO USE! THEY HELP KEEP MY CLIENTS' HAIR LOOKING JUST LIKE THEY'VE LEFT THE SALON. THEY ARE ALSO GREAT TO HAVE IN MY KIT FOR AN ON-THE-GO REFRESH OR QUICK COLOR CHANGE-UP."
Briana Cisneros (@brianacisneros), Wella Professionals Global Ambassador
3. Are the Yellow Tones Mild? Clarifying Shampoo Might Help
If you don't feel toning is needed for the level of yellow hair you're seeing, very mild hues may be balanced out with a clarifying shampoo. This is especially true if you think you're seeing yellowing residues from product build-up. A more powerful wash (only as and when needed) with a deep cleanser could be enough to restore balance to your blonde.
How to Maintain a Brass-Free Blonde Between Treatments
Once you've removed yellow undertones, take the right steps to keep them away. Following these colored hair care steps will help your blonde stay salon-fresh for longer…
1. Wash with a Sulfate-Free Shampoo
On the days when you're not using a purple or clarifying shampoo, use a color-safe shampoo. A sulfate-free formula is ideal, as it cleanses without stripping color molecules from the hair cuticle. We love ULTIMATE COLOR Shampoo, which is specially formulated for all hair types and all hair colors. It even removes shade-distorting metals with its Metal Purifier, so you enjoy up to 10 weeks of color vibrancy².
"ULTIMATE COLOR CELEBRATES THE COLOR: IT'S GREAT FOR VIBRANCY, FOR LONG-LASTING COLOR RESULTS AND AN AMAZING SHINE FINISH ON THE HAIR"
Jordanna Cobella (@jordannacobella), Wella Professionals Color and Trends Ambassador
2. Use a Water Filter in the Shower
Attach a shower filter, and wash your hair with lukewarm water – not hot. The filter will minimize the brass-boosting effects of hard water and mineral exposure, while the warm temperature will effectively remove shampoo residue without being too harsh.
3. Reduce Your Rinsing Steps
Exposure to water is one of the biggest culprits behind fading color, and if you're blonde, too-frequent washing can speed up the appearance of yellow tones. But, of course, you have to wash your hair – so what's the solution? Try leave-in treatments, which allow you to reduce your rinsing steps, so your color stays fresher for longer.
This was the thinking behind ULTIMATE COLOR Miracle Leave-In Mask, a deep conditioning treatment with a difference. The rich, creamy mask is designed to be applied to clean, damp hair and left in, so you're not putting your blonde through yet more rinsing. Plus, you can use it on every wash day – not just as a weekly treat. It keeps hair beautifully moisturized and soft, with built-in UV protection helping to shield your color from sun-induced fading and brassiness.
4. Protect Hair While Heat Styling
While ULTIMATE COLOR Miracle Leave-In Mask has UV protection covered, it's important to add a heat protectant to your daily regimen if you regularly use hot tools.
5. Always Wear a Swim Cap in the Pool
Blonde hair + ocean or pool water doesn't always = summery, sun-kissed, tousled waves (unfortunately). In most cases, it's a recipe for brassiness, dryness and dullness. So, aim to always wear a swim cap when you go in the pool or sea. Or, if that's wrecking your carefree summer aesthetic, try this protective trick instead:
- Soak your hair with clean water before you swim. Your hair can only absorb so much water at once, so if it hits saturation level, it won't be able to absorb as much salt or chlorinated water.
- Apply a small amount of leave-in conditioner through the lengths. We recommend ULTIMATE REPAIR 5-in-1 Protective Leave-In for a boost UV protection if you're swimming outside.
Achieve Salon-Quality Blonde with Wella Professionals
Ready to get your perfect blonde – and keep it brass-free? When it comes to keeping blonde colors bright, Wella Professionals gives you the best of both worlds: in-salon toning services, and high-performance at-home care designed to maintain your dream shade.
So, let's get you started. Find your nearest Wella salon now, and discover your brightest, purest blonde yet.
¹ Vs. pre-damaged hair in an instrumental test.
² With regular use of ULTIMATE COLOR regimen from salon to home.