How To Remove Hair Dye With Citric Acid?

Lemon juice is a multipurpose substance that may be used for hair treatment and for other beautification purpose. In this article, we will talk in detail about how to remove hair dye with citric acid.

Hair color can be easily washed off with citric acid. It has a chemical reaction with the dye molecules, reducing their size and leaving them more manageable for removal.

While bleach is effective in removing color while citric acid is not. Instead, it works better with nearly fully hair dye since it gradually diminishes the hue.

What Exactly Is Citric Acid?

In the chemical world, citric acid is classified as an alpha acid.

These acids are often used in cosmetics and may be synthesized or extracted from nature.

Citrus, lime, and oranges are all examples of fruits that share this name because of how common it is on them.

Orange and lime juices have the greatest citric acid concentrations in nature.

The citric acid found in non-citrus fruits like kiwis and tomatoes is present, but at lower levels, than in citrus fruits.

Since it has a sour taste, this salt is known by a variety of different names. Pure citric acid has a crystalline white appearance and no discernible odor or taste.

In contrast to strong acids like HCl, which have a pH range of 1.5-3.5, this one has a much wider pH tolerance, from 3 to 6.

As a pH buffer, it may be used into styling products including hairspray, conditioner, and shampoo.

Since extracting citric acid from fruits is not very cost efficient, most citric acid is manufactured instead.

Citrus fruits contain both citric acid and ascorbic acid/vitamin C, however these two compounds are used for quite different things.

Another acid that could be able to bleach hair is phosphoric acid. Common soft drink component sodium benzoate has even been linked to claims that Coke may remove hair dye.

Advantages Of Using Citric Acid For Hair

Generally citric acid is beneficial for hair due to following reasons:

Restores pH Balance

As previously established, citric acid has a relatively low pH since it is a weakened organic acid. With an acid mantle like yours, it works well with your hair and skin.

Citric acid is used to hair care products to reduce the pH, bringing it into the optimal range for nourishing your skin and hair.

Hair with a low pH is protected from drying out due to the cuticle remains intact. This prevents the loss of moisture, which results in smooth, shiny, and managed hair.

Strengthens Hair

Some people say that by increasing blood flow to the scalp, citric acid helps stimulate hair cells.

The antioxidant properties of citric acid have been studied, and it has been shown to be useful in protecting hair from the harmful effects of oxidizing chemicals.

Therefore, it promotes robust hair follicles, fortifies strands, and stops them from snapping.

Removes The Build Up

To make insoluble metals more accessible, citric acid may act as a capping agent. Use it to get rid of the mineral buildup in your plumbing that detergent and water can’t seem to get rid of.

You may get lustrous, full-bodied hair by using a citric acid treatment.

It also helps to get rid of the greasiness that might come from having too much oil in your hair by removing the surplus.

Citric acid is often used in dishwashing solutions due to its cleaning abilities.

Promotes A Healthy Scalp

The quality of your scalp may be greatly enhanced by using citric acid. It’s an exfoliant, so it may help you get rid of clogged pores by getting rid of dead cells and other buildup.

To alleviate bacterial itching of the scalp, it contains antibacterial qualities. Citric acid’s effectiveness as a cleaner reveal that it is so widely available.

Does Citric Acid Remove Hair Dye?

Since citric acid is an organic bleach, it may be used to wash off unnatural pigments found in hair color.

To put it simply, it’s the major element in citrus juice and the reason why it’s so effective in reducing the darkness of hair.

To maximize the bleaching effects of citric acid, it must be advised that you let your hair dry in the sunshine after applying.

Citric acid is most effective on momentary or moderately hair coloring because these types of color deposit most heavily on the hair’s cuticle, where it is less likely to fade.

As a result, citric acid may be used to quickly and effectively erase or lighten semi-permanent hair color.

Since the molecules are bound within the cortex, it won’t be able to efficiently erase lifelong hair color.

As if that weren’t bad enough, the low pH also causes the layer of the skin to contract, making it much harder for any color molecules to escape.

If your hair is porous, you could be in luck.

Because the cuticles of your hairs are still not securely closed, citric acid is able to reach the cortex and dissolve the color molecules.

This occurs due to a redox or chemical process that decomposes pigment molecules bound to hair fibers.

However, citric acid is insufficient for eradicating all traces of hair coloring. DIY color removal treatments usually result in some fading, and this one is no exception.

The outcomes are variable depending on hair type, color used, and dye concentration.

How To Use Citric Acid To Remove Hair Dye?

You can use following products to use citric acid to remove hair dye

Using Citric Acid Powder to Remove Hair Dye

  • With a basin, dissolve cacl2 powders in water.
  • Use your regular shampoo on your hair.
  • After that, clean your hair using citric acid and allow it to dry naturally. With continued sun exposure, the citric acid in the shampoo will progressively lighten your hair.
  • Scrubbing with a paste made from citric acid powder is another option. Use on hair, rubbing it in to break up the color particles, and then washing it out.

Using Lemon Juice to Remove Hair Dye

  • Squeezing a few lemons into a bowl can provide enough juice to use as a hair rinse.
  • Clean the lemon juice out with warm water after exposing your hair to the sunlight while wearing a shower hat.

Tips for Using Citric Acid to Remove Hair Dye

Since citric acid does not severely harm hair, it may be used more often to provide a more subtle fading effect.

Although citric acid has many positive effects on hair, excessive use may cause the cuticle to become dry and brittle.

A raised cuticle allows more of the color to be washed away, making it a vital step in the process of removing hair dye. Hot water and clarifying shampoo may be used to open the cuticle after exposure to citric acid, which has a tendency to shut it.

As a bonus, the vitamin C in lemon juice may help make your hair seem lighter. You may also improve the efficacy of the citric acid powder by mixing it with crushed vitamin C pills.

Always use citric acid powder as directed, since it must be diluted properly for optimal results.

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