How to Neutralize Red & Orange Hair with Ash & Green

How do you neutralize red and reddish-orange tones?

What do you do when a client comes in with very red hair which she wants you to get rid of? 

And what do you do when she says she doesn't want to bleach it, she just wants you to "tone it away"? Or cover it?

In this blog, we are going to show you exactly why your hair produces reddish tones. 

And the correct way to deal with it.

Why do you even get red and reddish-orange tones in hair?

First, let's try to understand why the hair was red in the first place. Take a look at the chart below.

It shows the undercoat you get when you lift hair (usually with bleach or developer or some previous color application that has now faded).

As you can see, when you lighten very dark hair to level 3 (dark brown), level 4 (brown), level 5 (light brown) and even level 6 (dark blonde) you get red or orange undercoats, or secondary colors.

Hair colors - levels & undertones

The best way to get rid of red and orange tones is to apply bleach and lift the red out.

By doing this you take the hair to a higher level, a level where only yellow is present as an undertone.

But what if for some reason you can't lift using bleach?

Maybe your client does not wish to use bleach and just wants to neutralize.

Perhaps she also doesn't want to go blonde and doesn't see why she needs to use bleach.

What do we use on such a person?

The answer is we use additives.

These additives contain either green or blue-green, and used correctly they help you get rid of unpleasant refletss red or orange reflects.

To understand better how exactly they work, take a look at the chart below:

Hair Color Neutralization Chart

WHICH COLORS CONTAIN GREEN?

As you can see in the chart above, to neutralize red and reddish orange tones, you need to use green and blue-green. 

Ugly Duckling has 2 excellent additives which you should use: 

Ash Blue Additive Contains a mixture of blue-green and ash pigments.

This is the correct additive to use to get rid of yellowish orange and orange.

Ash Grey Additive Contains a mixture of green and ash pigments.

This is the correct additive to use to get rid of red.

The best way to use these additives is to mix a little (about an inch) of them to the regular base color or even toner that you are using.

For example, you can combine Ash Blue Additive with any level 6 or level 7 color.

And you can combine Ash Grey Additive with any level 4 or level 5 color.

You will get excellent toning away of red and orange that way.

They're not complicated to use. They allow you to avoid using bleach.

Plus they get you a beautiful brown color result.

Ash Blue Additive

Ash Grey Additive

HOW DO YOU NEUTRALIZE RED & ORANGE WHEN WORKING ON A DARK BASE?

BEFORE - A MESS OR RED & ORANGE

Hair by Elona Taki

AFTER - BEAUTIFULLY BALAYAGED HAIR

Hair by Elona Taki

Recipe:

1. We did a bleach bath on the red and orange hair to get rid of as much as we could.

2. Then we toned using 4A and Ash Grey Additive for the base.

3. We then toned some of the lengths with 8N Blonde.

HOW DO YOU NEUTRALIZE ORANGE & YELLOW-ORANGE WHEN WORKING ON A MEDIUM BASE?

When the hair is orange or orange-yellow, rather than red, it means that your hair is at a higher level.

If that is the case, then it's great news!

Instead of adding in color additives, you can use a ready mixed ash toning product:

Blondify Natural Ash Blonde toner with 20 Vol developer.

Blondify Natural Ash Blonde works at a medium blonde level (level 7 - level 8).

It's an excellent one-stop product which you can use to tone away warmth in the hair and achieve a natural blonde looking result.

Blondify Natural Ash Blonde: this product will cut out orange and brassy reflects.

WATCH VIDEO: GETTING RID OF ORANGE AND RED USING BLONDIFY ASH BASED TONER (AND 4AA on ROOT AREA)

Hair by Elona Taki