Does Coconut Oil Fade Your Hair Color?

If you want to apply coconut oil through your locks but can’t help wondering if coconut oil will fade your hair color, wonder no longer. Whether or not coconut oil fades your hair color depends on if your hair is color-treated and what type of hair dye you use.

Will Using Coconut Oil Fade Your Hair Color?

Whether or not coconut oil will fade your hair color depends on whether you’re using coconut oil on untreated or dyed hair. But first, it’s essential to know that coconut oil doesn’t contain color lifting or stripping qualities.

So, if you use coconut oil on your natural, untreated hair, you will not experience any color alteration, just the excellent benefits of coconut oil. However, the real issue arises when you use coconut oil on color-treated hair.

Permanent hair dye won’t experience any color fade or change if you use coconut oil because the dye penetrates deep into the hair shaft, making it very difficult to fade.

Thus the term “permanent” means you’re stuck with the color until your hair grows out, returning to its natural color.

However, coconut oil can alter or even fade the color if you use semi-permanent hair dye. Coconut oil can change the color of semi-permanent hair dye because it does not penetrate the hair shaft.

Instead, the color sits upon the hair, so it fades away after several washes, and coconut oil can speed up the fading process.

Coconut Oil Benefits for Hair

The most significant benefit of using coconut oil on your hair is that it will deeply nourish and moisturize your hair, leaving it looking smoother and shinier.

Additionally, coconut oil acts as a barrier for the scalp and hair strands preventing bacteria and irritants from infiltrating them and causing damage.

Furthermore, thanks to the lauric acid in coconut oil, it has antimicrobial properties that can kill bacteria. Lauric acid is especially beneficial for those suffering from conditions like scalp psoriasis, and coconut oil can lessen the effects of such skin conditions.

Avoid These If You Don’t Want To Fade Your Hair Color

If you’ve dyed your hair and your goal is to prevent your hair color from fading, avoid these situations as best as possible. Below is a list of the three most significant scenarios you should avoid to stop your hair color from fading.

Excessive Direct Sunlight

You may love the feeling of the sun warming up your skin, but excessive sunlight can fade your hair color just like it can fade the color out of pictures and paintings.

This is especially true for dyed hair because the UV rays destroy the chemical bonds of the hair dye, causing the color to fade.

Excessive Heat Styling

Flat irons or curlers are great ways to get the perfect look you want, but the high temperatures can damage your locks, and excessive use can cause your hair color to fade and look dull.

Unfortunately, even heat styling products that protect your hair from the damaging effects of high temperatures won’t completely prevent your color from fading. At best, they’ll minimize the impact.

Super Hot Showers

Yes, hot showers can cause color fading on color-treated hair. How does a hot shower do this? Hot water can open up the hair’s cuticle like steam does with your pores, and when the hair’s cuticle is open, the color within the hair strand ends up slightly washing away.

So if you take hot showers regularly, you are regularly fading a bit of your hair color each time.

So, Does Coconut Oil Fade Your Hair Color?

After reading this article, you know that coconut oil won’t fade permanently colored hair, but it can alter the color of semi-permanent hair color.

Additionally, you’ve learned the benefits of using coconut oil in your hair and what to avoid to prevent your hair color from fading. You’re now prepared to use coconut oil for your hair’s benefit.

FAQs

After this article about the potential fading effects of using coconut oil, you might find yourself with a question or two about coconut oil or fading hair color in general.

What kind of coconut oil is best for hair?

To get the best results, use unrefined virgin coconut oil or, better yet, extra virgin coconut oil on your hair. Using these two versions of coconut oil will ensure that your hair gets all the best of what coconut oil offers.

Can I fade dyed hair naturally?

Yes, you can use a baking soda paste to lighten hair color. Thanks to its color-lifting quality, mixing baking soda with lemon juice will create a paste that, when applied to hair for five minutes, can lighten dyed hair color.

Related Topics