Does Olive Oil Fade Hair Color?-Yes/No [Explained]

We’ve all tried dying our hair at home. While doing so, a few attempts were disastrous. It might be that the color somehow got darker than we wanted.

The same might’ve happened to you as well. Trust us, we know how bad that feels. But you might not want to risk it by using something that you’re not sure of. 

So you’re wanting to know, does olive oil fade hair color?

Well, the answer is affirmative. Olive oil fades hair color. But you need to go through proper steps to ensure that. It might not fade to your desired shade only on the first try. So you might need to repeat it once more.

But the procedures have been described properly later on in the article. To know about it, keep reading through each section.

Does Olive Oil Fade Hair Color?-Briefly Explained!

Yes, olive oil fades hair color. But it’s not a miracle ingredient that will strip off hair color immediately. 

If you follow the steps for fading hair color, you’ll get the most benefit out of it. The steps are quite simple, so don’t worry about that. All the details on it have been mentioned later.

Now olive oil will only work on darker hair shades. It will lighten them up to 1 or 2 shades. But you may have natural blonde hair. You may use olive oil to tame short frizzy flyaways on your head

In that case, you need to apply olive oil regularly for 2-3 months. Once you discontinue using the oil, your hair will be just as before.

Another concern we hear about olive oil is, can I dye my hair with olive oil in it. Well yes, you can dye your hair while having olive oil in it. But you need to be clear that it’s there to protect your hair.

For example, you’re applying dark blue dye to your bleached hair. Let’s say, you want the upper half to be dark blue and the lower half to be light blue. But you couldn’t make up your mind to opt for two different colors.

So what you can do is, only apply olive oil to the bottom half of the hair. Apply the same amount of hair dye on the whole hair. When you’re finished and washed the hair, you’ll see lighter color on the bottom part.

It’s because you applied olive oil on the lower part of the hair. So the oil protects your hair from absorbing too many colors. But still, it can’t prevent you from getting any color at all. Hence,  you got a lighter color.

Now, you might just want to completely lighten your hair color. In that case, the section below is all yours to read on.

How to Strip Hair Color with Olive Oil? -4 Steps!

When the hair color comes out darker than you wanted, it’s a hassle. Because there’s always a solution if you apply a lighter color. But for the dark color, the only way is to strip the color.

Olive oil has been used widely for centuries to fade hair color. But if you apply the olive oil perfectly, follow the simple steps. This way, you can have the best results.

Without delays, hop onto the steps.

Step 1 of 4: Prepare Your Hair

The first thing to do is prepare your hair. Now it’s the most basic step. All you have to do is shampoo your hair. 

Do use a shampoo that’s not for color-treated hair. Because shampoos for colored hair have protein in them. It helps in locking the color for a comparatively longer period.

So apply a regular shampoo and wash the hair. But you need to use hot water. The water should be hot enough but you shouldn’t feel a burning sensation on your scalp.

If you don’t want hot water to flow down on your body, you can use a sink. In a sink or basin, you can comfortably wash the hair. 

While washing, take your time with it. Because the longer your hair stays in hot water, the greater results you’ll have.

After 15-20 minutes, stop washing the hair and move to the next step.

Step 2 of 4: Apply Olive Oil

Now, take 3-4 tablespoons of olive oil and warm it up. The oil should be warm but don’t let it start boiling. Turn off the stove when it’s about to start boiling. Then wait 5 minutes and apply the oil to the colored areas.

While you apply the oil, the hair should be damp. Use a shower cap to cover your hair and wait patiently for 40 minutes. 

Step 3 of 4: Rinse The Hair

After that, use shampoo to wash your hair. But this time, use a thick shampoo because these formulas strip color easily. They can open the hair cuticles and let the color fade away.

So wash the hair properly so that all the oil can be removed from the hair. And you’re done.

Step 4 of 4: Apply A Darker Shade of Color

Now it’s an optional step. If you see that the hair became too light, you can apply a shade that’s slightly darker. Use it if you feel like it’ll bring your desired color.

After that, follow the hair coloring steps as mentioned on the dye packaging. 

Is There Any Alternative to Make The Hair Color Fade?

Well, fading the hair color is surely a concern. Because you might have just dyed the hair wrong. Now the hair is darker than you want it. So you might need to search for ways to lighten or remove that color.

Now there are two types of dyes you can use. One is semi-permanent and the other is permanent hair color. 

But the removal procedure for both of them is different. So we’ve broken down the procedures to remove both of these hair colors into different sections.

Just have a look at the ways on how to fade hair color without using olive oil.

How to Remove Semi-permanent Hair Dye

Removing semi-permanent hair dye is comparatively easier than the permanent color. The normal duration of a semi-permanent color is 4-6 weeks. So fading the color is not so hard in this case. So look at the ways to remove semi-permanent color.

But first, look at the table to have a quick outlook on the methods.

Methods Effectiveness
Coconut oilHigh
Hair dye removing shampooHigh
Dishwashing soapMedium 
Epsom salt & baking sodaMedium to High

Apply Coconut Oil

Similar to olive oil, coconut oil is another agent that tones down hair color. You can use coconut oil just as you’ve used olive oil. But you may not want to go through all the steps because you’re in a rush.

apply coconut oil
Source: thecut.com

In that case, you can just warm up ½ cup of coconut oil. Then apply it to your colored hair portion. Then wait for 3-4 hours with it. Continue doing this every day for a week. The hair color will slowly fade.

Now a lot of people have problems with the coconut oil smell. If you want to improve the coconut oil odor, just add a ginger slice while warming it up. You can heat it for about 15 minutes.

Afterward, just throw away the ginger slice. It will reduce the strong coconut smell. Plus ginger is known for hair growth, so it’s good for the hair.

Use Hair Dye Remover

There’s a lot of remover options in the market. The formula of these has been made to fade the hair dye. 

But these shampoos are not proven to work on permanent hair dye. It does show great success in terms of removing semi-permanent hair dye.

So you can look for the following which fades the hair color. We’ve heard a lot of positive reviews on them. So check them out.

color x-change phase-out gentle dye decolorizer

Color X-Change Phase-Out Gentle Dye Decolorizer

l'oreal - colorzap haircolor remover

L’Oreal – ColorZap Haircolor Remover

So bring one of these dye removers and use it as directed. Your hair will start to lose the dye just after the first wash. 

Apply Dishwashing Soap

Putting dishwashing soap on hair can be scary. But it’s one of the good solutions if you’re desperate to get rid of the hair color. 

Take 5 drops of liquid dish soap. Then mix it with 1 tablespoon of regular shampoo. Now apply that to your hair and lather.

After 10 minutes, wash the hair completely with water. And you’ll see that the color has faded. But at the same time, the hair can turn to be strawy. It’s because dish soap can make the hair dry.

So, moisturize the hair afterward. Here you can apply olive oil or any other moisturizer.

Try Epsom Salt & Baking Soda

This is not a quick solution to hair removal. But it does work on removing the hair color. You’ll need 2 teaspoons of baking soda and 2 teaspoons of Epsom salt. Now mix them together. Take one spray bottle and fill it with warm water.

Then add the mixture to the water and shake well. After shaking for 2-3 minutes, spray it on your colored hair. Leave it on the hair for 10minutes and rinse it off. 

Do reapply once again in the same week. After 2-3 applications, you’ll see the color is almost gone. 

How to Remove Permanent Hair Dye

Removing the permanent dye is a bit of a hassle compared to semi-permanent dye. But we’ve curated the easiest and effective ones for you.

So check them out. But before, have a look at the table below to get a better understanding.

Methods Effectiveness
Baking soda & shampooHigh
Vitamin C & shampooHigh to medium 
White vinegar & waterMedium 

So look for details of the methods below. 

Use Baking Soda & Shampoo

Well, we know that baking soda has various uses. One of them is removing the permanent hair dye. Because it is a cleansing agent. So let’s see how to use baking soda.

First, take 2 tablespoons of baking soda and 2.5 tablespoons of anti-dandruff shampoo. Mix them together very well. Now use it as your shampoo and then wait for 10 minutes. After that, wash it off normally.

You’ll see the hair color has faded. It’s because baking soda can remove stubborn stains from cloth. So it can also fade permanent hair color. The anti-dandruff shampoo has selenium sulfide which also fades color from the hair.

The combination of these two is effective enough to fade permanent hair color. 

Mix Vitamin C & Shampoo

Well, let’s discuss one of Kim Kardashian’s famous dye removal methods. Before starting, let’s tell you that it actually works. Just crush 4-5 Vitamin C tablets and mix them with 4 tablespoons of regular shampoo.

vitamin c
Source: glamour.com

Apply it to your hair and wait for 10 minutes. Then wash it off. You can apply this mixture 2 times a week. 

After a week, the hair color would fade to half. Because the Vitamin C present in the tablets will tone down the hair color. 

Apply White Vinegar & Water

This is another effective method to strip hair color. You’ll need white vinegar and warm water. Take both of these in equal amounts and mix them well. 

You can put them in a spray bottle and spray on the hair well. Or you can apply the mixture by using a cotton ball to your hair.

After applying, wait for 15 minutes and then rinse off. You’ll see that the color has started to fade. If you use it twice, the color should come off fully. 

It’s because vinegar clears up hair dye buildup on the hair cuticles. The acidity will help to remove the dye from the hair.

With it, we’re done with ways to remove hair dye. We’ve also explained if you can fade hair color with olive oil or not. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Question: Is there any other way to fade permanent hair color?

Answer: Yes you can take 2 tablespoons of baking soda. And then take 1.5 tablespoons of lemon juice. Then mix both of these together. And then apply it to your hair and wait for 15 minutes. After that wash off normally.

Question: Can I use hydrogen peroxide on my hair to remove hair color?

Answer: Hydrogen peroxide is the chemical that’s most effective. At the same time, you need to be careful because it’s one of the dangerous elements. So, neutralize it with the same amount of water and apply it to the hair. Then keep it for 10 minutes and wash it off.

Question: Should I use bleach on my hair to remove hair dye?

Answer: Bleach is harmful to hair. But if you’re desperate then you can apply it. For that take ½ teaspoon bleach and mix with 4 tablespoons of shampoo. Then apply and wait for 5 minutes and wash the hair. But if you keep longer, it may fade your natural hair color as well.

Parting Words

Well, it’s the end of the article. And you’ve got knowledge on does olive oil fade hair color

Here’s another tip, if you swim,  your hair color would fade. Because the chlorine in swimming pools fades hair dye.

If you have further queries, comment below.

Thank you!

Katharyn Riedel

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