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Home » Shampoo Bar » Do Hair Darkening Shampoo Bars Really Work?

Do Hair Darkening Shampoo Bars Really Work?

August 7, 2021 by Edna Ferber 5 Comments

Most people who want to conceal gray hair often turn to permanent dyes, which are readily available. After all, these dyes are effective at concealing gray hair uniformly and stay the longest.

Unfortunately, they have potent chemicals that could potentially damage your hair. On the brighter side, nowadays, you can find products that can help conceal your gray hair without worrying about the damaging effects of permanent dyes.

Specifically, shampoos for blackening hair or gray-reducing shampoos are the most popular alternatives to conventional permanent dyes.

See also:

  • At What Age Should You Stop Coloring Your Hair?
  • Are Shampoo Bars Good For Your Hair?
  • Advantage and Disadvantage of Using Shampoo Bars

Table of Contents

  • Do Hair Darkening Shampoo Bars Really Work?
  • How Do Hair-Darkening Shampoo Bars Work?
  • Who Uses Hair Darkening Shampoo Bar?
  • Step-by-Step Guide to Using a Hair Darkening Shampoo Bar
    • Step 1: Wet Your Hair First
    • Step 2: Work up a Lather
    • Step 3: Work it Into Your Hair
    • Step 4: Rinse and Condition Your Hair
    • Step 5: Comb Your Hair
    • Step 6: Style
  • Bottom Line

Do Hair Darkening Shampoo Bars Really Work?

In general, yes, they do. In fact, they serve as a simple yet effective solution for concealing gray hair without the harmful effects. However, they don’t last as long as permanent dyes.

Hair Darkening Shampoo Bars Really Work

Hair Darkening Shampoo Bars Really Work

How Do Hair-Darkening Shampoo Bars Work?

Similar to other hair-darkening shampoos, these hair-darkening shampoo bars work by coating your hair’s strands with plant pigments, effectively covering up gray strands and giving them a darker appearance.

Simply put, they sit on top of your hair instead of being fully absorbed by the hair’s strands, which is why the colors gradually fade and wash out every time you wash your hair. In contrast, permanent dyes work by removing some of your hair’s natural pigments and replacing them with the dye’s color.

Moreover, hair-darkening shampoo bars tend to work best when you leave the shampoo in your hair for a while, allowing it to absorb more of the plant pigments present in the shampoo.

However, the downside to using hair-darkening shampoo bars is that they don’t last as long as permanent dyes, so you’ll need to use them regularly if you want to maintain a darker appearance for your hair.

Fortunately, since hair-darkening shampoo bars typically use more natural ingredients and avoid harsh components like ammonia, they can be gentler for your hair.

Because of this, you don’t have to worry about its long-term harmful effects on your hair and scalp, even if you use it more often.

Who Uses Hair Darkening Shampoo Bar?

Hair darkening shampoo bars are highly recommended for individuals who like to maintain their hair color without needing to dye it.

Moreover, this shampoo bar is an excellent solution for those who would like to cover up a few white hairs temporarily since it blackens their hair without making it permanent.

In addition, if you have different hair chemistry, then you may prefer to give the shampoo bar a try. This is because it is gentler for the hair and can restore the hue of colored or faded hair with time.

Also, since these shampoos contain red or copper pigments, they tend to be widely used to maintain their red hair color. However, to counteract the orange tones that develop in the strands, blondes should choose shampoos that contain more violet or bluish tones.

Read more:

  • How To Fix Orange Hair After Bleaching?
  • Will Purple Shampoo Fix Orange Hair?
Uses Hair Darkening Shampoo Bar

Uses Hair Darkening Shampoo Bar

Step-by-Step Guide to Using a Hair Darkening Shampoo Bar

Are you wondering how to get optimum results from a hair-darkening shampoo bar? Well, a hair-darkening shampoo bar can be used just like any other shampoo.

In this case, you just need to wash your hair thoroughly, shampoo it, wait the time indicated on the package, and then rinse it. However, to maximize the effects of these hair-darkening shampoo bars, it’s best to follow these tips.

Step 1: Wet Your Hair First

To begin, you need to soak your hair with warm water until it is saturated throughout. This will help create a bubbly foam and provide you with the best cleansing possible.

Step 2: Work up a Lather

Next, run the shampoo bar beneath the water for a few seconds before massaging it between your palms to make foam. After this, massage the lather into your hair.

Alternatively, you can also massage the bar straight into your hair if you like.

Step 3: Work it Into Your Hair

After this, you should rub the lather into your hair as you would with a conventional liquid shampoo. However, make sure that you put more focus on the scalp and roots.

Step 4: Rinse and Condition Your Hair

Once you’re done, rinse your hair thoroughly and make sure that no shampoo residues are left. If needed, you can follow this up with your regular conditioner or a solid conditioner bar after washing out the shampoo.

Step 5: Comb Your Hair

Next, after rinsing and conditioning your hair, you should use a towel to dry your hair and comb out any knots with a wide-tooth comb. Make sure you do this starting from the tips and make your way upward to the roots.

Step 6: Style

Lastly, all that would be left to do now is blow-dry, or air dry your hair and style it as usual, then that’s it! You have now beautifully darker hair.

Related:

  • How to Use Hair Darkening Shampoo Bar?
  • How Long Do Shampoo Bars Last?
  • The Best Ways To Store Shampoo Bar

Bottom Line

Overall, for individuals who want to change their appearance, using a hair-darkening shampoo bar can be the perfect option. After all, it can change the color of your hair without causing as much damage as bleaches and dyes do.

Moreover, in terms of whether or not hair-darkening shampoo bars work, the answer is yes, they do. However, since they simply coat your hair to give it a darker appearance, the effects don’t last as long compared to permanent dyes and gradually fade with every wash.

Nevertheless, the gentler and less harmful nature of these shampoo bars can make them excellent alternatives to permanent dyes, especially since you can use them regularly without experiencing any negative consequences.

See also: How to get rid of yellow in gray hair with hydrogen peroxide?

Filed Under: Hair Care, Shampoo Bar

About Edna Ferber

I’m Edna. I'm here to guide you about hair products and maintenance tips. You'll find here product reviews regarding hair tools, hair color, hair care and more along with tips to keep your hair healthy!

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Janet says

    March 13, 2022 at 14:52

    Hi. I have grey hair. Half dyed. If I use a darkening shampoo bar will it eventually cover my greys I have a lot. If I quit using it will the hair I used it on turn back to grey. Thanks. Can I perm over it. Thanks

    Reply
    • Edna Feber says

      April 6, 2022 at 17:45

      Hi Janet,

      Thank you for your concern and my apology for replying late.

      Technically, darkening shampoo bars can cover your greys with their black pigments. However, if you have so much white hair, it takes more efforts to cover all of them and darkening shampoo bars might only make your hair (much) darker than its looks as the chemical effects of the ingredients might not strong enough to retain all the black pigments on hair.

      Since darkening shampoo bars are temporary method, your hair will turn into your original hair if you stop using the products.

      Washing by darkening shampoo bars cause no harm for hair so please feel free to do the perm over it.

      Reply
  2. Rims says

    March 18, 2022 at 21:35

    Hey, I have highlights in my hair. But I have a lot of greys. Can I use the hair darkening shampoo? Or will it affect the colour of my highlights?

    Reply
    • Edna Feber says

      April 6, 2022 at 17:55

      Hi Rims,

      Nice to meet you. Unfortunately, your highlight will be affected if you wash them with darkening shampoo bars.

      Conversely, if you have a way to keep your highlight from darkening shampoo while washing hair, then it should be fine.

      On the other hand, highlight and grey hair sounds like a cool combination, you might think to remain your colours as the same?

      Anyway, I hope you’ll find your best beauty, I will be here to help you out.

      Reply
  3. Sonia Da Mota Gomes says

    May 1, 2022 at 08:48

    Hi Edna,

    Could you kindly advise on darkening shampoos soaps that really work?

    Kind Regards

    Sonia

    Reply

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With over 10 years of experience in the hair care and hairstyling industry, now I'm delighted to advise you on hair products and maintenance tips.

You'll find here product reviews regarding hair tools, hair color, hair care and more along with tips to keep your hair healthy!

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