A lot of questions go through your head when you bleach your hair. Can you use olive oil before bleaching hair? Or argan oil? Or baby oil? What exactly do you do to minimize the damage? Well, this article covers it all!
Bleach can cause hair protein loss and structural breakage if not used properly. So it is recommended to use pre-bleach treatments like deep moisturizers, oil treatments and more to reduce damage.
They form a coating on your hair that can protect strands from the worst damage from bleach.
These deep conditioning treatments can be DIY masks with ingredients like oils, aloe vera, egg masks, etc.
In this article, I talk about one such ingredient – olive oil!
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Can You Use Olive Oil Before Bleaching Hair
- Yes you can use olive oil before bleaching hair. When you bleach hair it removes a lot of moisture from your hair, leaving it dry, brittle and prone to damage. If fact, you can apply olive oil the night before and go to your bleach appointment with the oil on.
- Using oils that add moisture to your hair and lock it in after the bleaching process can be helpful in minimizing damage caused due to oxidation.
- You can use olive oil once every 5-7 days, in the weeks leading up to your bleaching appointment. Doing this will ensure that your hair contains sufficient moisture levels in your strands and bleaching won’t dry them out as much.
- Olive oil is also rich in antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids that are known to nourish hair follicles and increase hair elasticity. So regular oiling with olive oil can also help minimize breakage after bleaching.
How To Use Olive Oil On Hair Before Bleaching
The best way to use olive oil on hair before bleaching is to make a DIY hair mask.
You can do this simply by using a high-quality olive oil and saturating hair and massaging it into the scalp at least 30-60 minutes before you take a shower.
To increase the efficiency of this olive oil hair mask you can:
- Wear a thermal cap or use a hot towel to open hair cuticles and increase the absorption of oil
- Use a sulfate-free shampoo so that excess moisture from hair isn’t stripped away after you wash hair
- Add a few coconut oil, argan oil, or castor oil to your olive oil mask to create a mix as these are also packed with nutrients
- Add a few drops of vitamin E or use a vitamin E tablet in the olive oil mask
Note: It’s better to use organic, unprocessed olive oil as it contains Oleuropein, a compound that is proven by research to increase the anagen phase in hair follicles which helps stimulate hair growth.
Even if you’re bleaching hair at home, don’t forget to use olive oil or other oil treatments to protect it beforehand.
Related: What Ratio Of Bleach To Developer Do I Use
Can I Mix Olive Oil with Coconut Oil Before Bleaching
Yes, you can definitely mix olive oil with coconut oil before bleaching. These two oils are some of the best carrier oils that you can use to nourish hair pre and post bleaching. You can apply a mix of olive oil and coconut oil and massage it all over your hair the night before bleaching.
This will coat strands and protect it from the worst of the oxidative effects of bleach. The nutrients in the two oils will also help hair regain it’s keratin protein that can get broken down during bleaching.
Can I Put Sunflower Oil Before Bleaching Hair
Yes you can. Studies show that sunflower oil contains a lot of antioxidants and can help heal dry, damaged hair.
But sunflower oil, unlike argan or jojoba oil, is very heavy and causes hair to become greasy. It also has a very unpleasant smell sometimes. So for all these reasons it isn’t as popular as hair oil.
Related: How To Reduce Hair Loss After Bleaching
Can I Put Argan Oil And Coconut Oil Before A Bleach Bath
Yes absolutely! Just like olive oil, argan oil and coconut oil are both fantastic as a pre-bleach hair treatment.
They do not just provide moisture to hair but also shield hair during a chemical process that causes chelation that occurs when you bleach hair.
This is when the peroxide in the bleach reacts with the iron and copper pigments inside the strands.
FAQs about Using Olive Oil Before Bleaching Hair
What can I put on my hair before bleaching?
If you want to protect your hair before bleaching you can use several DIY hair masks that increase hair’s moisture levels. These include various oils like coconut oil, olive oil, argan oil, and castor oil. You can also use ingredients such as aloe vera, avocado, yogurt, mayo (original and unflavored), banana, honey, etc.
What should you not do before bleaching your hair?
The one thing you should not do before bleaching your hair is make it any more vulnerable to damage. So do not use hair dye or chemical treatments on hair before you bleach it. Also, stop using hair styling tools like straighteners and even blow dryers at least two weeks before your bleaching appointment. Some hair stylists also recommend not washing your hair at least 2-3 days before bleaching it.
How long should I leave olive oil in my hair before bleaching?
You can leave olive oil on for at least 30 minutes on hair before you bleach it. If your hair feels extra dry, you can leave it on for more than 60 minutes or even overnight. But make sure you wear a hair cap to prevent the oil from dripping down or getting absorbed by your pillowcases.
Can olive oil lighten hair on it’s own?
No olive oil cannot lighten hair on it’s own as it doesn’t contain any ingredients that lead to oxidation (such as hydrogen peroxide for example). There might be a few DIY recipes involving natural lightening ingredients like honey or chamomile that also use olive oil, but the oil won’t lighten hair on it’s own. Oilve oil does tend to make hair look shiny and smooth and hence appear more glossy. This shine that is caused by the smoothened hair cuticles reflecting back light, might be mistaken for a “lighter” color but it is not.
Final Thoughts on Using Olive Oil Before Bleaching Hair
If you want to know whether you can use olive oil on hair before bleaching, the answer is a simple yes!
Using any kind of oil – be it coconut oil, argan oil, or even olive oil before bleaching helps moisturize and protect hair and can help minimize damage from bleach.
There are however some people who think that oiling hair before lightening it can stop the bleach from penetrating the hair strands and working well. However, this is not true. Some hair experts also note that oils like coconut oil can actually help process hair faster.
So always remember to saturate hair olive (or any other carrier oil) before bleaching especially if you have fine or damaged hair.
Also Read:
My bleached hair has turned green!
Treating scabs on scalp due to bleach
Soothing itchiness on scalp after bleaching hair
To Summarize