Best Vegan Hair Bleach & Lightening Products in 2023

Vegan Hair Bleach

Bleach is a strong chemical process that breaks natural or artificial hair color. Color pigments are broken down and “removed” from the hair. That’s how a formerly dark hair color can appear so close to blonde (and sometimes even white in case of heavy hair bleaching process).

But besides the magic of turning a brunette into a platinum blond, bleaching is aggressive, and your hair is hurt in the process. Peroxide and powder bleach mixed together can lead to hair breakage and even hair loss if done too frequently.

Hair Bleach Pros

• Awesome results with just a single application
• One single application means no need for a second application that could further damage your hair
• The highlighting capability of bleach is impressive: some bleach powders can lighten your hair up to 9 shades

Vegan Hair Cons

• If you don’t know what you’re doing, go and see a professional!
• It should not be applied on dry, damaged hair (subject to breakage / split ends)
• Once bleached, leave your hair alone and forget any further chemical procedures
• Certain weather conditions, like winds or extreme sun, suck for bleach hair

Best Vegan Hair Bleach Products

Most hair growth experts advise against bleaching more than once. So, what if you want more frequent color change? Well, simply consider a more gentle decolouring solution, like a vegan hair lightener.

Vegan Hair Lightening

Hair lighteners are kind of hybrids, between color and bleach. Designed to highlight the hair for a sun-kissed, natural look, they don’t remove its natural pigment. That’s why they are usually less aggressive than their bleaching counterparts, but also less effective. In other words, hair lighteners don’t have the potential to turn you into a platinum blonde, especially if you have dark hair.

Hair lightening products can be formulated with various ingredients, including hydrogen peroxide, ammonia, or natural ingredients such as lemon juice or chamomile extract. They tend to be softer to the hair thanks to their nourishing ingredients.

Hair Lightener Pros

• Some hair lighteners lift up to 6 shades lighter
• More gentle to the hair and scalp (than bleaching) as they contain additional nutritive ingredients. People suffering from dry and itchy scalp usually prefer hair highlighters to bleaching agents.

Hair Lightener Cons

• Less potent than bleaching
• Best for natural hair color – some may not work on hairs that have been dyed before
• Might bring yellow colors and warm tones that will make it hard to match the trendy cold tones

Best Vegan Hair Lightening Products

Vegan & Cruelty-Free Hair Toner

Unless you are a natural very very light blonde, or have grey / white hair (which means you are probably not reading this article!), your hair contains color pigments which range from red to yellow. Active ingredients found in bleaching products dissolve these pigments to strip your hair natural color away. However, the bleaching process can still leave your hair with ungracious brassy yellow, orange tones.

Color Correction

Usually blue-purple tinted, hair toners are meant to “correct” the color of your hair for a more platinum, dusty or ashy color, which generally means more natural and shiny. Used correctly, hair toners can even help personalize a color for any bleached hair’s original color.
Here is our selection of great cruelty-free and vegan hair toners.

Best Vegan Hair Toners

Bonus: Bleached, Dyed & Damaged Hair Nutrition

Always remember that bleaching is a harsh chemical process that takes place on your hair. Every time a hair is bleached or lightened, color pigment are broken down. Doing so, it breaks up to 20% of the protein bonds in your hair.

Nourish Your Strands

To keep your hair in the best possible condition, you must nourish them with the right vegan and cruelty-free hair products:

• Use a deep conditioning treatment to nourish and protect your hair from breakage
• Always apply a heat protector if you want to style your bleached strands
• Apply a hair growth serum or a conditioning spray on a daily basis

Best Vegan Hair Products for Damaged Hair

Looking for more vegan and cruelty-free remedies? Make sure to check our complete guide about vegan hair treatments for bleached hair damage.

If you are seeking for natural and vegan hair dye that are safer to your hair and scalp, take a look at the best natural and vegan hair dye that actually works!

Stay Careful When Bleaching Your Hair

Bleaching is an art with science in it. Before using vegan hair bleach products, you should know what you’re doing. If not, watch videos and get knowledge. And if you’re not in a hurry to turn full platinum blond, try on a strand first. It is as simple to ruin it as it is to keep it safe. Always follow thoroughly instructions that come with your vegan hair bleach product.