Have you ever looked closely at a box of dye? it doesn’t come with an expiration date? This confuses a lot of customers.
A lot of you all must be curious to know that is the old dye safe to use. And I am also sure that the majority of you have used expired hair dye anytime in your life.
The question which is often asked,
Does hair dye expires?
Yes, manufacturers say that hair dye does expire after 3years. However, they claim that an unopened box of dye never expires.
No such incidence of danger caused by an old dye is ever reported, but the experts say that the chemicals in the old dye may cause some side effects.
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How can I know if the Dye has expired?
Manufacturers say that only an opened Dye has chances to expire, so the first thing to notice is whether the Dye is open or not.
An opened Dye increases the chances of dye being expired.
If the dye was opened and it has expired then it must be contaminated and smell bad. A dye once opened should be used completely as soon as possible.
Here are few ways you can test the Dye is expired or not:
1- Hair dye container was opened way before
Now that you know that hair dye can expire only after opening so, the dye that was opened long ago may have chances to expire.
The majority of hair Dyes come in two different containers which are mixed later on. If any one of the containers is left open without being used can ruin your hair dye.
The product in the container may oxidize after some time.
Oxidation is common in cosmetics and other products because the chemical inside them oxidizes when it comes in contact with sunlight, moisture, and air.
Even though, if your Dye does not contain any chemicals, it can lose its effect when kept open
2- Something might be wrong with the package
The age of the product can be easily indicated by its packaging. If your product is unopened and you still find it old with its packaging look for any of these traits and you must not use it.
- Unusual color
- Sour smell other than the smell of ammonia.
- Damaged packaging
- Cracked bottle
- Leaking bottle
Why should you not use expired Dye?
An old or expired hair dye may not show adverse effects on your hair but may end up changing the color of your hair.
There is no evidence of any kind of damage caused to the scalp or hair with the use of an old die.
However, some cases have been reported where the hair color changes into some unwanted hair color. This was because of the oxidation of the metal inside the hair dye.
In the case of permanent hair dye, you may face allergies and reactions due to harsh chemicals infused in them.
Any irritation, redness, soreness, itching is a sign of an allergy. Consult professionals, anytime you face these.
What are some natural ways to Dye your hair?
If you do not want any chemicals in your hair, you can try many other natural dyes. The only con for natural dyes is that they are not as effective as chemical hair dye.
Here is a list of a few natural ways to dye your hair.
1. Carrot juice
If you want a reddish tint on your hair, try using carrot juice. The tint from carrot juice will last up to one or two weeks. The hair looks naturally red giving it a whole toning vibe.
How to do it
- The first step is to mix carrot juice with coconut or olive oil.
- The mixture of oil and the hair have to be applied very nicely to your hair for better results.
- Wrap up the hair with plastic hair on top and leave it for about an hour.
- Rinse your hair with apple cider vinegar.
You can repeat these steps after a day if the color is not that strong. As the process is natural you won’t face any side effects.
2. Beet juice
Beetroot has a strong color, and if you want a darker red tint on your hair go for beet juice. The steps followed in this one are all similar to carrot juice tint.
How to do it
- Mix the juice with any carrier oil like coconut or olive oil
- Apply it on your hair and massage thoroughly
- Set the mixture for at least 1 hour and cover it with plastic.
- Rinse it with apple cider vinegar just like carrot juice.
3. Henna
You must have seen your grandparents using henna on their hair. henna is a popular hair coloring agent in India. It is the most effective natural dye and lasts up to 4 to 6 weeks.
Henna Is usually used for creating temporary designs on the hands. Just like that, it will be effective on hair too.
Henna is powdered and then its mixture is applied to the hair.
How to do it
- As the henna comes in powdered form, mix half a cup of henna with half a cup of water.
- Stir the mixture until you achieve the perfect consistency.
- Leave the mixture for 12 hours covering it with a plastic bag.
- After 12 hours mix some more water if needed.
- Wash your hair. make sure you don’t condition it.
- Apply henna onto your hair with the use of a comb and brush making it into a bun.
- Cover the head with a plastic bag and leave it to dry for 2 hours
- After 2 hrs you may rinse it with normal water.
Other than these three ways you can also use: –
- Lemon
- Coffee
- Or, chemocline tea
Final words
Dye usually do not expire and even if they do, they have a long shelf time. But you should always be careful while using it. make sure to store it properly and use it as soon as possible.