Conditioner is an essential part of any hair care routine. It helps restore moisture and smoothness to hair fibers after shampooing. But some people wonder if conditioner can also contribute to fading color-treated hair. Keep reading to learn more about how conditioner interacts with hair dye.
How Hair Dye Works
Before discussing conditioners, it’s helpful to understand how hair dye permanently colors the hair. Hair dye contains coloring agents called pigments. These pigments penetrate into the hair cortex during the dying process. Here’s a quick overview:
- Hair cuticle – The outer protective layer of the hair. Pigments must pass through the cuticle to reach the cortex.
- Hair cortex – The inner structure of the hair that contains keratin proteins and melanin granules that give hair its natural pigmentation.
- Keratin – Structural proteins that make up about 90% of the hair fiber.
- Melanin – Pigments that create hair’s natural color. Eumelanin creates brown/black shades. Pheomelanin creates red/blonde shades.
Permanent hair dye uses ammonia or another alkaline base to open and swell the cuticle. This allows the coloring pigments to penetrate the cortex and interact with the keratin and melanin inside. Developers oxidize the dye intermediates, enabling them to permanently bind to the internal hair proteins. This results in permanent color change.
How Conditioners Work
Now that we understand permanent hair color, let’s look at how conditioners work:
- Cationic surfactants – Positively charged conditioning agents that smooth the cuticle and provide slip.
- Fatty alcohols – Ingredients like cetyl and stearyl alcohol that help condition hair.
- Silicones – Smooth and protect the cuticle to make hair feel soft and reduce tangles.
- Emollients – Oils and waxes that fill in cracks and nourish hair.
- Humectants – Draw moisture into the hair shaft from the environment.
When applied to the hair, conditioners coat the outer cuticle and cannot penetrate to the inner cortex. This allows conditioners to condition and protect the cuticle without affecting the permanent dye inside the cortex.
Can Conditioners Cause Color Fading?
Now we arrive at the key question – can frequent conditioner use cause color-treated hair to fade faster? The answer is maybe. Here are the potential factors:
Frequent Shampooing
Using conditioner daily or every other day means you’re also shampooing that often. Too much shampooing can cause color treated hair to fade faster. Here’s why:
- Shampoo removes oils that help seal in hair color.
- Frequent shampooing swells the cuticle, allowing dye molecules to escape.
- Opening the cuticle also allows UV light, pollution, medications, and minerals in water to degrade the dye.
While conditioners are formulated to be gentle, shampoo is more harsh by nature since it needs to deeply cleanse. Using a sulfate-free color-safe shampoo can help minimize fading from frequent washing.
Ingredient Interactions
Certain ingredients in conditioners may interact with hair dye molecules inside the cortex and cause some fading, especially for vivid or fashion shades like bright reds, blues, greens, and purples. Ingredients to look out for include:
| Ingredient | Effect on Hair Dye |
|---|---|
| Citric acid | Can bind to dye molecules, allowing them to rinse away |
| Chelating agents like EDTA | Designed to remove mineral buildup but may also remove some dye molecules |
| Sodium chloride | Salt can leach out dye molecules over time |
| Alcohol | Can fade some types of vivid dye colors |
Naturally-derived clarifying ingredients like citrus, vitamin C, and apple cider vinegar may also contribute to faster fading for some colors. Using a conditioner without these ingredients reduces the chance of interactions.
Heat Styling
Many people use heated tools like blow dryers, curling irons, and straighteners in their hair routine. The high heat can boil off volatile dye molecules, accelerating fading. Conditioners containing silicones and other thermal protectants can help minimize heat damage to color-treated hair from hot tools.
Sun Exposure
UV rays from the sun degrade hair dye molecules in the cortex. Frequent exposure to sunlight causes faster fading, especially for vibrant shades. Hair products with UV filters can help protect color-treated hair when spending time outside.
Tips to Make Hair Color Last
While research shows that conditioner alone does not significantly fade hair dye, some ingredients may interact with color molecules. Here are tips to help prolong vivid and permanent shades:
- Use sulfate-free, color-safe shampoo and conditioner.
- Wash hair less often if possible, such as every 2-3 days.
- Rinse with cool water to prevent cuticle swelling.
- Apply conditioner only to mid-lengths and ends.
- Limit use of clarifying conditioners.
- Use leave-in conditioners and masks to protect color between washes.
- Reduce heat styling tools.
- Wear hats outside and use UV protecting products.
- Get a gloss or glaze treatment every 4-6 weeks.
The Bottom Line
While ingredients in some conditioners may interact with dyes, following a proper haircare regimen minimizes fading. Conditioner is an important part of retaining moisture and improving elasticity of color-treated hair. Using professional salon-quality conditioners specially formulated for color-treated hair provides the best chance of longer-lasting vivid color with shine and movement.
With proper maintenance, you can confidently condition your hair without worrying about accidentally removing your expensive salon color ahead of time. Consult your stylist if you experience excessive fading even when using color-safe products.
