How to Lighten Your Eyebrows With Bleach at Home

I love to dye my hair all colors of the rainbow. I love all things vintage, and I enjoy creating art, taking photos, and doing it myself.

Is It Possible to Bleach Your Eyebrows From Home?

The bleached eyebrow trend is among us, which has many people asking, "Can you bleach your eyebrows at home?" The answer is yes! If you’d like to soften a dark brow or even just lighten your eyebrows temporarily, this article has all of the information you’re looking for.

Bleaching your eyebrows at home is super simple. All you need is a bleach powder, 20 volume developer, gloves, an eyebrow brush, and a non-metallic bowl. I do recommend a tissue and vaseline to help protect your eyes and the skin around your brows—though these items are not absolutely necessary. Scroll down for a full tutorial, along with tips and safety precautions.

As the bleached eyebrow trend has been blowing up recently, I’d like to share my knowledge to help you achieve your brow goals! Bleaching your eyebrows is essentially the same process as bleaching your hair, but it’s much quicker and uses way less product.

Is Bleaching Your Eyebrows Safe? Risks and Possible Side Effects

So, I probably shouldn’t have to say this, but bleach is a chemical. Using chemicals on your skin and hair can result in burns, flaky skin, rashes, and fried hair. But hey, that doesn’t stop some people from using it anyways (myself included). There are ways to mitigate these risks when doing the job yourself, which I’ll go into below.

Here is your disclaimer—go to a professional stylist. Bleaching takes some getting used to, so if you’re not comfortable with it, don’t do it! That being said, some people are dead set on doing it themselves, so if you want to proceed, please do so with caution.

There are steps you can take to reduce the risks associated with bleaching at home. My number one recommendation is to never use a developer over 30 volume, and for this process, I’d actually recommend using only 10 or 20 volume developers. If your eyebrows aren’t lightened enough the first go-round, you can always wait a few days and repeat the process. This is obviously much better than burning your skin or frying your eyebrows.

What to Think About Before Bleaching: Tips and Considerations

Do your research first! Check out different bleached eyebrow looks on Pinterest and Instagram. Sleep on it. Hey, you could even test it out without actually bleaching or use a facial cream bleach that is less intimidating!

Test the Look First

If you’re not sold on the commitment of bleaching, there are several ways you can test out the look. (Hint: scroll down for the concealer method!) I’ve also included several methods that can lighten your brows without the use of bleach and developer.

Yes, Your Eyebrows May Turn Orange

When hair is lightened, it typically will turn orange and then go even lighter to yellow. Do not be alarmed if your eyebrows turn orange! It’s fixable, and it’s normal. If you find a blue-based bleach (like L’Oreal Quick Blue), it can actually help counteract the inevitable brassy colors that come with lightening hair.

Tip: Toning Eyebrows

I would not recommend using a toner/developer mixture on eyebrows because toner is very runny and could drip into your eyes. If you have already bleached to a light yellow and would like to tone, consider using a semi-permanent dye that doesn’t have any harsh chemicals. I’d recommend Manic Panic Virgin Snow or Arctic Fox Girl’s Night diluted with conditioner. These are very light, purple-toned dyes that can help to pull brassy, yellow tones out.

Consideration: It Lasts 4–6 Weeks

Before bleaching your eyebrows, consider that it will last for around 4–6 weeks. It is somewhat of a commitment. Yes, your natural eyebrows should grow back just fine, but if you don’t want to or aren't able to rock this look for around a month, use one of the temporary methods listed below!

Tutorial: How to Bleach Your Eyebrows at Home

This is a pretty quick process, but the steps are all very important—not only for your safety but also for your desired results!

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Materials Needed

• Bleach: My go-to bleach is Ion Bright White Cream Lightener. Blue lighteners are also good; just check the reviews.
• Developer: As I mentioned earlier, I wouldn’t use higher than 10 or 20 volumes. My preferred brand is Salon Care Creme Developer.
• Mixing Bowl: Glass or plastic will do, but no metal!
• Gloves: ALWAYS use gloves when working with bleach.
• Eyebrow Brush or Spoolie: You can pick these up at your local beauty supply store.
• Vaseline or Aquaphor: This is to protect your skin.
• Tissue: This is for covering your eye while you apply bleach to the brow.

Instructions

1. Make sure your eyebrows are clean. No products!
2. Put on your gloves.
3. Add about one teaspoon of bleach to the bowl. Mix in one teaspoon of developer. The desired consistency is a paste—you don’t want the mixture to be too liquid or drip once you’ve applied it. Mix it thoroughly with your eyebrow brush.
4. Apply vaseline around the edges of your eyebrow, being careful not to get it onto your actual brow hairs. It will act as a barrier to keep the bleach off of your skin.
5. Cover the eye you are starting on with a tissue to ensure bleach does not fall into it (ouch!). Using your brow brush, apply the bleach mixture to your eyebrow against the grain of your hair. You want to make sure to cover the roots and coat the front and back of the hair.
6. Apply to the opposite eyebrow. (You can also do one eyebrow at a time.)
7. Let it sit for about 8–15 minutes, checking the lightness as you go. If your eyebrows are already on the lighter side, you don't need to leave the mixture on for as long. If you have very dark brown hair like me, it’ll probably be closer to 15 minutes.
8. If the mixture begins to dry, use your brow brush to apply a little bit more and keep the mixture wet. Bleach stops working when it is dry.
9. If you begin to feel any irritation, WIPE THE BLEACH OFF! Don’t continue if it is causing you pain or discomfort. It is not worth it.
10. When you are satisfied with the lightness, wipe the bleach off and rinse the area with warm water and a washcloth.
11. If your eyebrows are brassy or yellow, you can repeat this process to lift more color out. It’s important to give yourself time between bleaches because, again, chemicals.

Aftercare and Maintenance Tips

After bleaching, you’ll want to avoid using makeup or products around your eyebrows, as the skin will likely be irritated or red. To maintain the look, you can repeat the bleaching process when your dark roots start to show.

Can You Lighten Your Eyebrows Without Bleach?

The short answer is yes. If you’d like to bleach your eyebrows without using bleach, scroll down for various methods!

Fake-Bleach Concealer Method (Temporary)

This is a great trick if you don’t want to commit to bleaching or if you want to test how it might look beforehand! Use a peachy-toned concealer and an eyebrow brush.

1. Apply the concealer in the opposite direction that your eyebrows grow with the eyebrow brush. This covers the bottom side of the hairs.
2. Brush concealer on in the way you’d normally brush your brows. This covers the tops of the hairs.
3. Dust on some setting powder, and you’re good to go!

Hydrogen Peroxide Method

This is a great method to gradually lighten eyebrows and works especially well for those with sensitive skin. Use a q-tip to apply enough hydrogen peroxide to coat your brows, being careful not to drip it into your eyes. You can do this daily to slowly lighten your brows to the desired shade.

Chamomile Method

The chamomile method of lightening eyebrows is a natural, subtle way to go a few shades lighter. Mix equal parts of chamomile tea with lemon juice, and apply with a q-tip. This will generally work better if you spend some time in the sun.

Pencil Method

Very similar to the concealer method, this technique will require an eyebrow pencil that is several shades lighter than your actual eyebrows. Fill in your brows lightly, covering your natural color. It may be helpful here to use the pencil in the opposite direction of hair growth first, like with the concealer method, so that the roots of your eyebrow hairs are covered. Then, go back over in the direction that your eyebrows naturally grow in.

How Did the Bleached Eyebrow Trend Start?

This “trend” is more like an anti-trend in my eyes. It’s a shocking look and completely changes the look of the face. It's quite a stark contrast from the big, dark, bushy brows we’ve been seeing lately.

The bleached brow look is bold, daring, and really high-fashion. It’s spotted on runway models constantly, from Kendall Jenner to Bella Hadid, Irina Shayk to Lara Stone. Madonna rocked the bleached brow look in the ’80s, and musicians like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Miley Cyrus have all been spotted with them. One thing is for certain; bleached brows always accompany a bold personality.

Celebrities With Bleached Eyebrows

Kendall Jenner

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This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.