![Professional Hair Bleaches](jpg/professional-hair-bleaches-tout-ed23e27bff244de18ad55c8e9363594b-3.jpg)
Byrdie / Kevin Liang
While most hair stylists recommend saving the dye job for the pros, we here at Byrdie understand that some bottle blondes prefer taking matters into their own hands, whether to save some money or to have complete control of the process. If you're coloring your hair at home, it's crucial to start with the right product. Box dye kits are ideal for beginners, but for those more experienced DIYers, pro-level bleaches offer more lifting power and higher-quality ingredients.
We researched the best professional bleaches on the market, evaluating each based on their ingredients, ability to lift, and more. After getting specific recommendations from professional colorists and considering dozens of options, we landed on these top-rated pro choices.
Best Overall
Wella Professionals Blondor Lightening Powder
Gentle formula
Anti-yellowing agents
Colorist-recommended
Developer sold separately
Active Ingredients: Magnesium carbonate hydroxide, potassium persulfate | Type: Permanent powder | Lift Levels: 7 | Processing Time: 30 minutes | Size: 28.2 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
Celebrity colorist Reece Walker loves Wella Blondor for foil highlights, though it can be used for balayage, ombré color, or all-over lightening. "It's gentle on the hair and gives you incredible lift without having to use a high-volume peroxide," he says. "I also use this bleach for my clients' scalps when their natural hair is light brown."
The powder is a bluish-purple hue, which counteracts the yellow, orange, and brassy tones that are often seen on chemically lightened hair. However, the developer is sold separately (which is true for most of the products on this list), so don’t forget to pop that in your shopping cart, too.
Affordable
Dust-free
Non-drippy mix
Lightens up to seven levels
Developer sold separately
Active Ingredients: Ammonium chloride, sodium persulfate, magnesium peroxide | Type: Powder | Lift Levels: 7 | Processing Time: 30 minutes | Size: 1 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
L'Oréal makes one of the more affordable professional bleaches out there. Super Oreal Blanc is a dust-free powder formula, meaning it's supposed to limit the particles you inhale while getting your hair done (inhaling bleach can irritate the respiratory system). It mixes into a non-drippy, workable paste and offers up to seven levels of lift. Again, you’ll need to get a developer separately.
Best Gentle
Sparks Professional Color Powder Lightener
Replenishes hair fibers with amino acids
Anti-yellowing agents
Dust-free
Developer sold separately
Some users complained of chemical smell
Active Ingredients: Ammonium sulfate, lysine, arginine | Type: Powder | Lift Levels: 8 | Processing Time: 10 minutes | Size: 16.9 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
This ultrafine, dust-free powder lightener from Sparks has a light blue hue but it’s not to make it look pretty. In addition to lifting to eight levels, the cool tone helps cancel out yellowish, brassy colors. What's more, this professional bleach calls on amino acids, the building blocks of proteins that contribute to the strength and structure of hair, to reinforce and protect each strand from damage.
Best for All-Over Blonde
Redken Flash Lift Bonder Inside
Lifts up to eight levels for all-over blonde
Bond builder
Developer not needed
Not beginner-friendly
Active Ingredients: Magnesium carbonate hydroxide | Type: Permanent | Lift Levels: 8 | Processing Time: Up to 50 minutes | Size: 17.5, 36 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
If serious lift and an all-over blonde hue are your goal, reach for this bleaching formula from Redken. It comes highly recommended by celebrity hairstylist Matt Rez, who loves that it can lift up to eight levels while also offering a bonus bond builder, which works to repair broken bonds in the hair, effectively restoring and strengthening it. “It keeps fibers in the hair strong without having to use a higher-volume developer," he adds. Due to it's potent lightening power, it's better suited for those who are experienced bleaching their own hair.
Best for Brown Hair
Schwarzkopf Blonde Me Premium Lift 9
Neutralizes brassiness in dark hair
Bond builder
Colorist-recommended
Developer sold separately
Active Ingredients: Magnesium carbonate hydroxide, potassium persulfate | Type: Permanent powder | Lift Levels: 9 | Processing Time: As little as 10 minutes | Size: 15.8 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
Taking brunette hair from dark to light, especially if it’s been previously colored, can be a tricky and potentially damaging process. Enter Schwarzkopf Blonde Me Premium Lift 9, a protective lightener with bonding technology to reduce breakage and anti-yellow agents to remove warm undertones from dark hair. "This is amazing for breaking through previously colored dark hair when doing heavier freehand work or on-scalp bleaching for my naturally dark brown and black-haired clients," says Walker.
Best for Platinum Hair
L'Anza Healing Blonde Ultra Blonding Decolorizer
Lifts to platinum
Built-in bond builder
Anti-yellowing agents
Developer sold separately
Active Ingredients: Ammonium persulfate, potassium persulfate, ultramarine color, arginine | Type: Powder | Lift Levels: 9 | Processing Time: 20 minutes | Size: 16 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
If you're going platinum blonde, you'll need a bleach that offers the maximum number of lift levels (nine), as well as ingredients that protect the hair fibers. L'Anza's Healing Blonde does both. Amino acid L-arginine helps fortify your hair and make it more elastic while a bond-building formula reduces the risk of damage. This decolorizer also contains bluish anti-yellowing pigments to achieve that ultracool platinum finish.
Best for Balayage
Clairol Professional BW2 Lightener
Moisture-rich formula lends itself to hand-painted highlights
Works on very dark hair
Dust-free
Developer sold separately
Strong smell
Active Ingredients: Potassium persulfate, ammonium persulfate, sodium metasilicate | Type: Powder | Lift Levels: Customizable | Processing Time: 20 minutes | Size: 1, 32 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
Thinking about going for balayage hair? BW2 is where we’d turn. The dust-free powder contains humectants (moisturizers that pull water from the air) to ensure a continually creamy consistency after mixing. This makes it easier to achieve the hand-painted, sweeping effect that gives lightened hair natural-looking depth and dimension. Just know this lightener has a strong smell so make sure there’s good ventilation in your bathroom.
Best for Highlights
Clairol Professional Basic White Extra Strength Powder Lightener
Formula ideal for applying highlights
Creamy when mixed
Controlled lift
Developer sold separately
Strong smell
Active Ingredients: Potassium persulfate, ammonium persulfate | Type: Powder | Lift Levels: Customizable | Processing Time: Up to 30 minutes | Size: 16 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
Highlights can be challenging to pull off, especially when you’re painting them at home. You want a super-strong formula that is also dust-free to reduce flyaway Clairol Basic White is a great choice for creating highlights. The extra-strength powder is de-dusted to minimize particles in the air, and, thanks to a moisture-sealing humectant, it stays consistently creamy after mixing. You will need to get a developer separately, though.
Blue counteracts brassy tones
Creamy when mixed
Minimal swelling
Developer sold separately
Active Ingredients: Ammonium persulfate, magnesium carbonate hydroxide, ultramarine color, kaolin | Type: Powder | Lift Levels: 8 | Processing Time: Check every 5-10 minutes | Size: 16 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
If you want to make sure your highlighted or all-over platinum hair doesn't have a yellow tint, consider bleach with blue pigments, like Blue Flash. This powder lightener contains ultramarine, a mineral-sourced cobalt-colored pigment that counteracts yellowish, brassy tones. It also promises to minimize swelling of the hair shaft, which can ultimately be damaging. This one isn't suitable for at-home use, so make sure you consult with your stylist before using.
Best Blue, Runner-Up
L'Oréal Paris Quick Blue Powder Bleach
Dust-free
Very large container
Controlled lift
Not as effective against red tones
Active Ingredients: Potassium persulfate, ultramarine color, kaolin | Type: Powder | Lift Levels: 7 | Processing Time: Up to 50 minutes | Size: 16 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
This blue pick also works to fight brassy and yellow tones, and it's dust-free for safe application. We especially love that you get a whole 16 ounces worth of it for less than $20. Reviewers love that the mix stays creamy throughout processing and that it's able to lighten very dark hair efficiently and easily. They didn’t think it worked well at stripping out red hair color though.
Cream doesn't drip
Rich formula moisturizes with sunflower oil
Soothes with chamomile flower
Developer sold separately
Active Ingredients: Ammonium persulfate, potassium persulfate, keratin, kaolin | Type: Cream | Lift Levels: 8 | Processing Time: 10-20 minutes | Size: 10.6 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Prefer a cream formula? Consider Ion Bright White. Though it still needs to be mixed with a developer, the smooth, moist consistency, chamomile flower extract, and sunflower seed oil helps condition and soften your hair while it's being treated. Not only that, but it contains keratin to replenish and strengthen each strand.
Best De-Dusted Powder
Matrix Light Master V-Light Lightener with Controlled Lift
Mess-free mixing
Spreads smoothly
Lifts up to seven levels
Long processing time
Active Ingredients: Potassium persulfate, ammonium sulfate | Type: Powder | Lift Levels: 7 | Processing Time: Up to 50 minutes | Size: 16, 32 oz | Cruelty-Free: No
Matrix Light Master is de-dusted for easy, mess-free mixing while also minimizing the bleach particles that get into your airways. It spreads smoothly and offers up to seven levels of controlled, precise lift. This product takes a little longer to process and is intended for professional use only, so work with your stylist for the best results.
Best Ammonia-Free
ion Ammonia-Free Powder Lightener
Ammonia-free formula minimizes damage
Dust-free
Formulated with natural oils
Developer sold separately
Active Ingredients: Potassium persulfate, sodium metasilicate, kaolin | Type: Powder | Lift Levels: 7 | Processing Time: Up to 50 minutes | Size: 16 oz | Cruelty-Free: Yes
Ammonia is a common chemical used in hair dye and lightening products and. It opens the hair cuticle so color can be deposited, but has also been linked to some not-so-nice side effects, including respiratory irritation and hair damage. If you’d rather avoid the chemical altogether, this ammonia-free formula is the way to go. It's able to lift seven levels and also contains plant oils such as coconut, chia seed, and sunflower to condition and protect the scalp.
What to Look for in a Professional Hair Bleach
- Conditioning Additives: According to hair color director Kristen Fleming, seeking out formulas that have conditioning or hydrating ingredients mixed in directly with the bleach is a good way to help minimize the likelihood of damage from the get-go. Even better, she says, are formulas that have a reparative built-in bond builder.
- Avoid Ammonia: If you want to play it safe, stick with ammonia-free formulas like or any at-home bleach that comes with a developer higher than 20 volume, Fleming advises. This helps ensure safety and that you don’t inadvertently end up over-lightening or completely stripping your hair.
- Hair Type: Hair that's ultra-thick, ultra-dark, or has been colored a lot in the past will require a bleaching product that can lift several levels lighter (as much as eight). So look for a powerful product that won't damage or strip the hair. If you have a hairstyle that requires bleaching very close to the scalp (i.e. very short or buzzed hair), you'll want to look for a product with a bond protectant, which will help ensure the skin stays healthy and unharmed.
Why Trust Byrdie
Byrdie contributor Theresa Holland is a freelance commerce writer specializing in beauty and lifestyle. She reviewed many formulas, combed through ingredients lists, and referenced several scholarly articles before landing on the final selections. Additionally, she interviewed the following experts:
- Matt Rez, a celebrity colorist and brand ambassador for Redken
- Reece Walker, a bi-coastal colorist with celebrity clients including Eva Longoria, Miranda Kerr, and Victoria Beckham
- John Pulitano, a stylist and the co-owner and creative director of Headcase Hair salon in Sydney, Australia
- Kristen Fleming, the hair color director at 3rd Coast Hair Salon in Chicago
According to our Diversity Pledge, 15% of products in our newly-published market roundups will feature Black-owned and/or Black-founded brands. At the time of publishing, we were not able to find any professional bleaches from a Black-owned and/or Black-founded business. If you know of one we should consider, please email us at contact@byrdie.com, and we will evaluate the product ASAP.