Does coconut oil fade hair color? It depends on the hair dye you used

 

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When a hair product becomes trendy, people jump into using it without considering the pros and cons.

And this is the case with coconut oil.

 

I’m not a social media expert, but I dare say that more reviews and comments have been written about coconut oil and its benefits than about Tom Cruise’s love life.

And Tom Cruise is usually the talk of the town for media!

 

Leaving Hollywood’s stars aside, let’s focus on the stars of the hair world.

And one of them is coconut oil.

 

Much has been said about the benefits of coconut oil as a natural super moisturizer for hair. And that’s all true.

But little is said about coconut oil on color-treated hair. Can coconut oil fade hair color?

 

Would it be possible for your beautiful vibrant pink to fade after using coconut oil?

 

Hum, as my grandmother used to say: Let’s wait and see.

Let’s start with permanent hair color. What do you think?

Will coconut oil fade hair color?

The answer is…

 

Coconut oil doesn’t fade your permanent hair color

I’ll go a step further. As a professional hairdresser, I advise you to always keep it at hand if you color your hair with permanent hair dye regularly.

Coconut oil is one of the best natural products to ensure your hair is staying healthy, especially with all the heat and the chemicals that we’re using all the time.

Bleaching and permanent hair color are some of those chemical processes. Why?

 

 Bleaching and coloring work with harsh chemicals to alter the hair structure,  such as the developer, which is hydrogen peroxide, and the bleach powder, which is ammonia.

The developer opens the hair cuticles for the bleach powder to access the hair core and lift the color.

As regards permanent hair dyes, the developer opens the cuticles for the color to settle in your hair core.

 

That’s why coconut oil won’t fade your permanent color. Being oily, it adheres to the outermost part, and the hair slowly absorbs it.

 

 I advise you to leave the coconut oil on your colored hair for up to 12 hours and not less than 4 hours. It won’t fade your hair color. 

Instead, your hair will absorb the moisture and repair the damage.

 

I’d even say that coconut oil will keep your hair vibrant and shining for a lot longer.

Now that you know that coconut oil acts on the surface of the hair, what do you think will happen to your semi-permanently colored hair?

Indeed.

 

Coconut oil can fade semi-permanent hair color

This is because there isn’t a developer in the semi-permanent hair color as in permanent color that prevents fading.

 

Instead, it forms a film of color that adheres to your hair. Each strand of your hair is coated with hair dye on the surface.

Therefore, the color doesn’t settle in your hair. It’s only deposited on the outside. This is why semi-permanent hair color fades in just a couple of washes.

 

Since coconut oil doesn’t penetrate into the hair core but works like the semi-permanent dye, your color can fade after you wash it out.

 If you want to moisturize your semi-permanent dyed hair, I recommend using leave-in conditioners.  Why?

 

Because one of the golden rules to extend the duration of semi-permanent hair dyes is to wash your hair less often than you normally do.

But, if you apply coconut oil, you’ll always have to wash your hair to remove it. So, in that case, leave-in conditioners are the best way to nourish your semi-permanently colored hair.

What if your hair is untreated?

Not to worry.

 

Coconut oil doesn’t fade untreated hair

You can apply coconut oil overnight and leave it on for up to twelve hours. It won’t change your natural hair color.

It won’t lighten or darken it. It won’t even fade it.

 

Instead, your color will be more vibrant, and your hair will feel softer. What’s more, it doesn’t leave any residue that may dry out your hair or leave it dull and limp.

 

Conclusions

If your hair is permanently colored or untreated, coconut oil won’t fade the color. Instead, it’ll moisturize it, especially after a chemical process like coloring.

However, if you use semi-permanent hair color, coconut oil may fade the color. In that case, use leave-in conditioners to extend the duration of your color.