How to Make Clarifying Shampoo That Will Get Rid of Semi-Permanent Hair Color

Remove unwanted semi-permanent hair dye using a clarifying shampoo.

You’ve decided to change your hair color with a semi-permanent hair dye, only to find that it doesn’t look quite right. The great thing about semi-permanent color is that it doesn’t require the same level of commitment that permanent color does, because it washes out in about four weeks. But if waiting for your semi-permanent color to wash out isn’t an option, and you need change right away, there are several shampoos you can make to strip the color from your hair.

Things You'll Need

• Laundry soap
• Clarifying shampoo
• Baking soda
• Dandruff shampoo
• Dish soap
• Vinegar
• Lemon juice
• Cream of tartar
• Hydrogen peroxide

Instructions

1. Combine equal parts bleach-free liquid laundry soap with clarifying shampoo. Rinse your hair two or three times to fade the dye. If it does not fade enough, repeat the next day. Allowing your hair to rest between sessions minimizes the damage that laundry soap can do to hair.

2. Combine one part baking soda with three parts dandruff shampoo. The combination of dandruff shampoo and baking soda strips hair quickly, but can be damaging, so use it sparingly.

3. Stir one part liquid dish soap with three parts white vinegar. Blue dish soaps works best. Dish soap dries hair very quickly, so be sure to use a good conditioner between applications. Repeat as necessary to remove the color.

4. Mix lemon juice and cream of tartar until it forms a thick paste. Apply this to your hair and allow it to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse your hair as you normally would. This can be repeated daily until you have reached the level of color that you desire.

5. Combine equal parts hydrogen peroxide and clarifying shampoo. Apply to hair and allow the mixture to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse hair completely and check to see if the dye has been removed completely. If not, repeat as necessary.

Tips & Warnings

• Condition hair with a deep conditioner or hot oil treatment after any color removal shampoo to restore moisture to the hair. Wash your hair with your regular hair immediately after dyeing if possible. This helps prevent the dye from setting and makes it easier to fade out.