Why Has My Fringe Gone Blonde After Foaming Facial Cleanser?
TL;DR: Some acne cleansers can gradually lighten hair around the fringe or hairline over time. Most people don’t realize it’s benzoyl peroxide doing its thing.
Ever used a foaming facial cleanser for acne and noticed your fringe going blonde? It’s quite common and it can leave your hair at the front not quite matching the rest of your hairline. It can happen gradually and is often confusing – until you find the source of the issue.
You haven’t changed your shampoo, or started using hair dye, so what gives? You’ve not been out in the sun, but did recently start that cleanser with benzoyl peroxide. It’s the only thing left that’s changed.
Face wash and hair color don’t exactly seem related on the surface, but there’s something about certain acne cleansers you don’t get to find out about until your pillow, and hair start to give you clues.
Fact: BP Foaming Facial Cleanser Products Can Bleach Your Hair
A lot of people are surprised to find out that certain foaming facial cleanser products contain ingredients strong enough to affect more than just their breakouts. That’s why the lighter patches around the fringe often start making sense once you know what’s going on.
The ingredient responsible is benzoyl peroxide, which is commonly used in acne products because of how effectively it targets acne-causing bacteria and excess oil.
The downside is that it also has bleaching properties (the clue is in the word peroxide), which is something many people only discover after using it for a while. Here are a few other ways you might notice bleaching going on.
- Your towels start developing faded orange patches
- Your dark pillowcases begin looking patchy
- Your favorite hoodie has bleaching on the inside of the hood
- Your favorite T-shirt has a new white spot on it
The good news is that most of these issues are manageable once you know that it’s the ingredients in your acne wash. A few small changes to your routine are often enough to stop the bleaching from keeping happening.
How Can You Stop Acne Facial Cleanser From Bleaching Your Hair?
Once you realize what’s causing these lighter patches along your fringe, the next step is usually figuring out how to stop it happening again – clothes and bedding cost a fortune, right? Thankfully, most of the time, it comes down to a few simple changes.
The main thing you’re aiming to do is to stop your BP wash suds getting to your fringe in the first place. Even just a little can cause bleaching, but the following should limit it quite a bit.
- Pull your fringe or hair away from your face before cleansing
- Rinse carefully around the hairline once you’re finished
- Use white towels you don’t mind getting marked
- Wash your hands before touching your hair afterward
- Avoid leaving cleanser sitting on the skin longer than directed
It’s all about prep. If you know which areas you need to protect, it’s pretty easy to avoid getting your foaming facial cleanser anywhere it shouldn’t be. It’s only on your skin for a minute or two, so it’s not something you need to worry about for too long, either.
Can Salicylic Acid Also Bleach Hair and Fabrics?
Salicylic acid is the other ingredient you’ll commonly find in acne cleansers, and it’s a reasonable thing to wonder about given what benzoyl peroxide does. The short answer is no. Salicylic acid doesn’t have the same bleaching properties. It works differently, breaking down the bonds that hold dead skin cells together rather than targeting bacteria through oxidation.
That said, salicylic acid cleansers aren’t completely without their quirks. Some people find they cause dryness around the hairline with repeated use, and certain formulas can leave residue that irritates the scalp if it isn’t rinsed away properly. That said, it won’t take the color out of your fringe or leave orange patches on your towels.
It handles excess oil and helps keep pores clear and you’re not giving up much in terms of results. So, if the type of acne you have allows it, switching will help you avoid the ingredient that’s been causing the fading.
Being Careful With Your Foaming Facial Cleanser is Usually All That’s Needed
Most people don’t start using an acne facial cleanser expecting it to affect their hair at all, which is why it can take people by surprise. One day their fringe looks slightly lighter than usual, and for no apparent reason – something we now know isn’t the case, at all.
The good news is that, while it’s annoying, it’s also usually manageable. In a great many cases, a couple of small changes to how you use the cleanser are enough to stop the bleaching in its tracks.
So, if you’ve recently started a new acne wash and you’ve been noticing lighter strands around your fringe recently, there’s a good chance you’re not imagining it. What you do next is up to you.
