- The bleach powder and the developer, which make up the bleach mixture, have an expiration date. It’s always indicated on the packaging.
- Once opened, the developer has a shelf life of six months. The bleach powder, in turn, can be used for up to one year after opening.
- Once you mix the two ingredients for bleaching, you should use the mixture immediately. The leftovers should be discarded.
- If you have any doubts about the shelf life of both the developer and the bleach powder, don’t use them. They can be very harmful to your hair.
The hair bleach mixture is prepared with two ingredients: bleach powder (AKA powder lightener) and developer.
Both products expire just like any other hair beauty product.
If you’ve had any of those ingredients for a while and you’re not sure if you can use them, check the expiration date
- If it’s expired, it’s time to discard the product.
- You should throw it away f you can’t find the expiration date and have had it for a while.
I’d just like to ask you…what do you call hair bleach?
If you mean the mixture of developer and bleach powder, it should only be used right away.
That hair bleach mixture only stays active for twenty minutes. So, you should hurry to use it. More importantly, if you have any leftovers, you should throw them away.
You cannot prepare the hair bleach mixture and save it to use two or three days later.
You must be aware of this: leftover bleaching mixture cannot be saved. It must be thrown away.
Do you want to know why the expiration date of the bleach mixture ingredients is so important?
I invite you to a chemistry class because it’ll save your hair from irreversible damage.
Let’s start with the developer, also called peroxide. You must know something very well.
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Once you open the developer you include in the bleach mixture, it expires after six months.
Yes, it may seem like a long time. Unbelievably, I know clients who have stored products for years and who are not aware of the importance of the expiration date.
All hair products have expiration dates, even your regular shampoos, and conditioners.
However, there are other products, such as hair developer, moisturizing masks, or bleach powder, which we don’t use as often. We may store them without paying much attention to their expiration date.
Things get serious with the developer. Once you open the developer bottle, you can only use it for up 6 months. Not a month more, not a month less.
Do you want to know what we do in the salon to avoid confusion?
Although we use it frequently, we write the opening date on the label when we open a new bottle of developer.
That way, we make sure that the product does not expire.
Now, let’s say you have a developer that is about to expire. How can you tell if it is still safe for your hair?
It’s simple. Put some of the product in a plastic container and look closely.
- If it is more liquid than usual or has lumps, it isn’t safe. Its consistency should be creamy like a cake mix.
- If it has a yellowish color, you cannot use it. It indicates that it was exposed to heat or sun. The developer should be translucent white.
- If it has a very penetrating smell that doesn’t let you breathe easily, don’t use it. It means that its active ingredients are degraded and lost their effect.
If your stored developer has any of these characteristics, you should discard it immediately.
Don’t even think about applying it to your hair!
We’re talking about a potent and toxic chemical.
You must be responsible because the health of your hair is at stake. I’m not just saying that because you risk burning your hair and causing severe hair loss.
You can also suffer serious scalp burns, severe eye and nostril irritation, and even skin damage.
Therefore, once you buy the new bottle of developer, you should store it as follows:
- Temperature between 7 and 20 degrees.
- No direct sunlight.
- A dry, ventilated area.
Now, it’s time for the bleach powder. It may seem harmless, but it’s a real weapon. Do you know why?
Bleach powder(aka powder lightener) expires one year after opening the container
In the case of bleach powder, it is very important to distinguish the expiration date of the closed or opened product.
As long as you don’t open the bleach powder container, the product has an expiration date of 3 years.
Now, once you open it, it’ll expire after 12 months. Of course, you must store it correctly to avoid deterioration in the meantime.
To find out if the bleach powder is expired, place a spoonful of bleach powder in a plastic container and look.
- If it’s clumpy like wet sand, you should discard it because it means it got wet.
- If it’s too volatile, you should also discard it. It means that it was exposed to heat.
- If it irritates your sight or smell, you should discard it. The ammonia reacted inside the container while it was stored
If your stored bleach powder has any of these characteristics, you should not apply it to your hair.
If you do, you’ll only burn it, and it’ll be too late for tears. You’ll have to trim your hair.
The ammonia in the bleach powder is highly toxic and can cause serious health problems, from smell loss to skin burns. In addition, I advise you to always wear gloves to handle those chemicals.
To store bleach powder correctly, keep it in a ventilated place without large temperature variations or humidity.
That’s essential if you opened the bleach powder container. To make sure of its shelf life, write the date on the packaging to avoid using it after 1 year.
Conclusions
Once you mix the bleach powder and developer, you must use the mixture right away and discard the leftover.
Regarding the expiration date, it’s six months for the developer and one year for the bleach powder once the containers are opened.
Remember: in case of doubt, throw them away. If you use them and they are out of date, you’ll put your hair, skin, eyes, and nose at risk.
