How to Get Rid of Orange Hair: Fixing Brassiness for Good

Nothing takes the thrill out of a fresh dye job like waking up a few days later to find your hair turning less golden blonde and more, well, orange. If you've ever glanced at the mirror and wondered how your icy balayage took a detour into presidential skin tone territory, you're not alone. Brassy tones can sneak up quickly, especially on lightened hair. The good news is you can fix it, and even better, prevent it from happening again.

Let’s break down why orange tones happen, how to tone them out at home without a frantic trip to the salon, and how to keep your hair looking vibrant, soft, and totally brass-free.

Hair dye is a chemical process, and while it's meant to lift and deposit color, it doesn’t always follow the script.
Brassiness, or that unwanted orange or yellow tinge, usually shows up when the underlying warm pigments in your hair peek through. This happens most often when dark hair is lightened, especially without proper toning or upkeep. When bleach lifts your natural color, it first exposes red and orange tones. Without a toner or pigment-balancing routine, those tones stick around, loud and proud.

Add in factors like hard water minerals, UV exposure, heat styling, and product buildup, and you’ve got a perfect storm for brassiness. So, if you're wondering how to get orange out of hair, the answer lies in neutralization and a few powerhouse color care hair products designed to work with your hair, not against it.

Take a deep breath. You don’t need to run back to the salon just yet. With the right at-home color-treated hair products and techniques, you can get rid of that orange hue and achieve a cool tone that flatters your look.

Fixing brassy hair starts with understanding your hair’s current level and tone. As hair lightens, especially when bleach is involved, natural pigments like red, orange, and yellow often rise to the surface. These warm undertones are part of the process, but without the right balance, they can take over. That’s where toning comes in.

By choosing the right toner or toning shampoo for your specific shade, whether you’re working with golden blonde or a cooler platinum, you can gently neutralize unwanted warmth. Purple and blue pigments are especially effective at softening orange and yellow-orange hues. When you understand how your hair tone works, you’re better equipped to choose products that bring back vibrancy and restore your ideal color, all while keeping your hair healthy, soft, and luminous.

Let’s start with the heavy hitters: toning shampoos. For blonde or bleached hair, this is a vital step in maintaining a cool, ash shade. These shampoos deposit subtle pigments to counteract unwanted warm tones. Think of them as color-correcting concealers for your strands.
As mentioned earlier, if orange or red hues are your nemesis, you’ll want a blue or violet-tinted formula. One standout is Virtue’s ColorKick® Shampoo for Colored Hair. It’s packed with Alpha Keratin 60ku®, Virtue’s signature 100% bio-identical protein that actually repairs damaged strands as it tones. So while the pigments are doing their job, your hair is also being restored from the inside out.
What makes it even more special is that it has no sulfates or parabens, so it’s gentle on color-treated hair. It’s a clinically proven protein infusion that heals as it neutralizes, and it doesn’t dry out or dull your hair like other harsh toners.
You can use it 1–2 times per week, let it sit for a few minutes in the shower to work its magic, and then follow up with a nourishing conditioner like Virtue’s Hair Mask for Colored Hair for added shine and tone refinement. This is one of the most effective ways to get orange out of hair at home with no overprocessing and no drama. It’s also a proven solution for fixing damaged dyed hair.

After your tone is corrected, you’ll want to bring the glow back. Color-treated hair can look dull, especially after battling brass. Oils and serums can help make hair shiny and seal the cuticle and prevent future color distortion.

Try the Virtue® Healing Oil, a lightweight yet rich treatment that delivers softness, shine, and serious smoothing without greasiness. It features a blend of nourishing oils and Alpha Keratin 60ku®, which is especially ideal for strands that feel rough or dry after color processing.

For hair that’s been through the wringer (we see you, double bleachers), go one step further with Virtue’s Hair Repair Serum. It’s a daily leave-in treatment that binds directly to broken areas along the hair shaft, mending them from root to tip. When hair is healthier, it holds color better and reflects light evenly, which means less brass, more brilliance.

A few pumps after every wash can help protect your hair from future fading, breakage, and yes, that creeping orange cast.

Think of a hair mask like a mini spa day for your strands. When color starts to go sideways, a good mask doesn't just add moisture; it also restores vibrancy, smooths the cuticle, and helps preserve tone.

The Virtue Colorkick Illuminating Mask is specifically designed for color-treated hair that needs a reset. Unlike basic masks, this one amplifies shine and softness, neutralizes dull or warm undertones, and rebuilds internal hair structure with Alpha Keratin 60ku.

Use it once a week, or whenever your hair needs a little extra love. After just one treatment, you'll see smoother texture, more even color, and a noticeable glow. It's a secret weapon in the quest for long-lasting vibrancy.

So you’ve toned out the orange, nourished your strands, and your hair is finally back to its radiant best. Now comes the most underrated step of all: how to maintain colored hair.

Brassiness doesn’t need to be a recurring nightmare. With just a few lifestyle tweaks and the right hair care strategy, you can stretch the time between salon visits and keep your hair color fresh, luminous, and free of warm undertones. Here’s how to stop brass before it starts:

Flat irons, curling wands, blow dryers can all be your hair’s best friend and worst enemy. They help style your hair and make it look beautiful, but high heat damages your cuticle and oxidizes hair dye, which leads to faster fading and letting warm undertones peek through.

The more you rely on hot tools, the more likely you are to wonder how to get orange out of your hair again.
Instead, try out these tips:

• Dial down the temperature. Never go above 350°F for color-treated hair.
• Use a heat protectant every single time you style.

Virtue’s Un-Frizz Cream for Frizz Hair is a multitasker here. It blocks out frizz and humidity and protects your hair with up to 450°F heat protection, all while helping rebuild damaged areas with Alpha Keratin 60ku®. You get smooth, shiny results without scorching your tone.

If your hair tends to frizz or puff when air-dried, try mixing Un-Frizz Cream with the 6-in-1 Styler or Curl-Defining Whip to soften your look without reaching for hot tools.

Sunlight can feel great, but its not so gentle on your hair color. UV rays break down hair dye molecules, speeding up fading and revealing unwanted orange and yellow tones, especially if youre blonde or light brunette. Just like you wouldnt skip sunscreen, dont skip UV protection for your strands.

For everyday defense, remember to do the following:

• Cover up with a hat when youre out in the strong sun.
• Use leave-in products with UV-shielding ingredients.

Virtues Damage Reverse Serum and Healing Oil both offer protective benefits that act like a barrier against environmental elements such as sunlight, pollution, and heat. The bonus is that these formulas are lightweight, and they layer beautifully. You wont end up with buildupjust stronger, smoother, more resilient hair that holds onto color longer.

Brassy tones may be common, but they're not inevitable, and they definitely dont mean you've messed up your hair. With the right approach, you can tone, treat, and protect your way back to beautiful, vibrant color, all from the comfort of your home.

Here's your takeaway toolkit:

• Use a toning shampoo like Colorkick De-Brassing Shampoo to gently cancel out orange tones.
• Follow with the Colorkick Illuminating Mask to restore shine and balance.
• Seal in color and health with the Healing Oil or Damage Reverse Serum.
• Keep brass at bay by avoiding excessive heat and protecting hair from UV exposure.

If you've been searching for how to get rid of orange hair or wondering how to get orange out of hair at home without a pricey color correction, Virtues clinically-backed, reparative system gives you everything you need with zero harsh chemicals, all shine, and science-first results.
Healthy hair holds color better, and with Alpha Keratin 60ku, you're not just masking the problem. You're repairing it from the inside out.