
Once you know what color you want to dye your hair, you can go ahead and get the rest of the items that you’ll need. Besides the hair bleach, you might need to grab hair toner, dye, clips, and some other tools. If you feel a bit overwhelmed, don’t worry! Our team has put together a list of our favorite hair bleach products of 2023, and put together a detailed buying guide that will walk you through the process of buying hair bleach.
Comparing the Top Hair Bleaches of 2023 in Detail
Punky Hair Bleach – Best Overall

This product helps you lighten dark hair to give the perfect results that you desire. This bleach is great for creating streaks, highlighting, and frosting. It also features a hair repairing complex that protects your hair and repairs the hair bonds without having an effect on the level of lift. This bleaching kit is our top pick because it will make you look like you just stepped out of the salon.
- Hassle-free bleaching
- Lightens the hair quickly
- Includes hair mask
- Not made for beginners
MANIC PANIC Hair Bleach – Best for Dark Brown Hair

The thirty-volume cream developer helps in lifting your hair up, and the premium hair lightener prepares your hair to be treated with the brand’s intense hair dye colors. The bleaching powder is free from dust and helps to gently prepare your hair for the dying process by ensuring that your hair is lifted evenly to provide you with the desired results.
- Pre-lightens hair
- Lifts hair up to 5 levels
- Dust-free bleach powder
- Less product than competitors
L’Oreal Paris Hair Bleach – Best Budget Option

This product provides you with a controlled lightning-fast action in a concentrated dust-free formula. The bleach is good for both on and off scalp applications. It stays creamy and moist all the way through the application and processing phase so you don’t need to remix during application.
- Easy to use
- Works well with coconut oil
- Great for all hair types
- Does not provide any after-bleach treatments
Schwarzkopf Hair Bleach – Best for Blondes

The hair bleach lightens your hair by up to nine levels, it minimizes the breaking of hair by reinforcing the bonds within the fiber of your hair. It also gives greater hair care and neutralization when used together with the company’s premium developer BlondMe. The BlondMe developer is made with a rich formula that balances the natural moisture of your hair and also prevents the dilution of alkalizers, peroxides, and color.
- Super simple to use
- Flexible mixing ratio
- Perfect neutralization
- Not great for damaged hair
ARCTIC FOX Hair Bleach – Top Cruelty-free Pick

It contains acai, papaya oil, cocoa, and sunflower oil which help in moisturizing, strengthening your hair, and increasing the hair hydration level. This hair bleach also helps in balancing the pH levels of your scalp and accelerating the growth of your hair. It’s infused with castor oil which provides strength to your hair, it also has mango seed butter which has anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties, and papaya fruit extract which prevents dandruff and increases circulation to the hair follicles.
- 100% cruelty-free, vegan-based products
- Infused with natural ingredients
- Includes post-bleach treatments
- Product packaging is difficult to use
Hair Bleach: The Ultimate Buying Guide
What Do You Need To Bleach Your Hair?
Bleaching your hair is a pretty simple, and straightforward process. All you need is a bleaching kit and a couple of tools on hand and you’re good to go.
Developer
The developer (also known as peroxide) is mixed with bleach to lighten the hair. The developer should give your bleaching mixture a texture that is light and creamy in consistency, this will make the product super easy to apply to your hair.
Toner
Toner is used to remove any hints of yellow coloring that may appear when you bleach your hair. If you are looking to go for a silver or platinum blonde look then you must use the toner to avoid any trace of yellow coloring.
Gloves
Using rubber gloves when bleaching your hair will protect your hands.
Bowl
A bowl is required to combine and mix the lightning powder and developer together.
Dye brush
A dye brush is required to apply the lightening powder and developer mix to your hair.
Clips
Hair clips are used to section off your hair in order to go right at the roots when bleaching your hair.
How Do Hair Bleaching Products Work?
Hair bleaching products work on the principle of oxidation. When bleaching products are applied to the hair, the hair cuticles swell and allow the oxidation process to occur. The existing pigment from the hair is gradually removed by oxidation, providing you with a lighter color. The longer you let your hair bleach, the greater the amount of pigment that is removed.
Bleaching your hair also changes the porousness of the strands of your hair, making it feel like a change in texture has occurred. After bleaching the hair becomes easier to style and becomes more voluminous.
Bleaching your hair too much can lead to your hair getting damaged. If you have porous hair which is not able to hold moisture then your hair may become brittle and dry by bleaching too much.
What You Should Know Before Bleaching Your Hair?
Bleaching your hair is not a difficult task; but, this process is very easy to mess up and can cause severe hair damage. Bleaching is a process that calls for patience, as most people do not get their intended result during the first round of hair bleaching.
Bleaching your hair is much easier if the hair is not chemically treated or dyed. The lighter the color of your hair the easier it is to change it to blonde. If you have darker hair it might take longer to get the desired results and may result in more hair damage.
Bleaching your hair causes it to dry out, so you should use a deep-conditioning hair mask to nourish your hair post-bleaching. Many hair bleaching kits will come with these products and direct you to use them after bleaching.
If you want to go for a platinum hair color, then you should know that it requires a lot of upkeep since dark roots start to show fairly quickly after bleaching.
What Are The Types of Hair Bleach?
Oil bleach
Oil bleach is made from hydrogen peroxide which lightens the hair and has a sulfonated oil base. The hydrogen peroxide is combined with volume developer and other activators which act as hair lighteners. Oil bleach can lighten your hair up to three colors and is amazing for lifting color off roots that are stubborn and are also good for highlights.
Cream bleach
Cream bleach provides a thicker consistency than that oil bleach. This bleach does not drip which makes it easier to apply to your hair. Cream bleach contains bluing agents and thickeners along with conditioners which reduces the drying of your hair.
Powder bleach
Powder bleach delivers faster results when compared with its counterparts. However, you need to be cautious when using this bleach since it contains very little to no conditioning ingredients which can lead to excessive drying of your hair.
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