Will Bath bombs make my hair greasy?


Many people have mixed feelings about washing their hair with a bath bomb. They worry that the ingredients in these products might actually make them greasy, but how true is this, and what would happen if they did?

If your bath bomb contains high amounts of oils or with a bath melt inside or on top, it will likely make your hair greasy afterward. It’s recommended to wash your hair with shampoo and rinse if it stays in water containing bath bombs for a long time.

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There are many myths surrounding the use of natural products on your hair. Some people think that it will dry out their scalp or cause dandruff, while others believe the chemicals used in a bath bomb are not good for you at all. 

The truth is, some of these myths are true, and while some aren’t! There is no reason to be scared when it comes to washing your hair with a bath bomb as long as you know what’s inside one.

Are Bath bombs OK for your hair?

Washing your hair with bath bomb water will likely not cause any unpleasant side effects. The scent of the bath bomb will remain in your hair throughout the day, as well as the glitter (in case the bath bomb has some). And to many people, bath bombs that contain glitter are known to contribute to the sensation of greasiness in your hair.

Bath bombs are made with two main ingredients: baking soda and citric acid. Other key ingredients include salt and essential oils.

  • If your hair tolerates baking soda, washing your hair with bath bomb water is similar to having a baking soda rinse. It doesn’t have any effect most of the time, but it isn’t recommended to wash your hair with baking soda too frequently.
  • On the other hand, citric isn’t the best ingredient for hair in terms of pH level, but it may make it softer. It’s recommended to rinse or shampoo your hair after the bath.
  • Salt is common in bath bombs. Different bath bombs contain different kinds of salt, such as Epsom salts. If you’ve dyed your hair, leaving your hair in the water for too long may end up removing some of the dye.
  • Essential oils are present in almost all bath bombs. However, they’re mostly used in small quantities. In most cases, they are perfectly safe and will leave your hair with a pleasant smell for the rest of the day.
  • Bath bombs may contain other ingredients like surfactants, food coloring, or glitter. None of these ingredients are harmful to your hair. But a prolonged usage of it may have a negative effect in the long run.
  • Surfactants aid in the creation of bubbles and fizz after you throw the bath bomb in the water. It is 100% safe for your hair, as it is present in most shampoos. This ingredient helps in the removal of dirt and grime from your hair and other areas of your body. Sodium lauryl sulfate or SLS powder is one of the most common surfactants present in bathing products.

We’ll explore how the different ingredients of bath bombs affect your hair in the following sections.

But before we do, let’s talk about your scalp…

Suppose you have a sensitive scalp or suffer from a condition like seborrheic dermatitis (a chronic form of eczema that also affects your scalp). In that case, you may suffer unpleasant side effects like itching after the bath. Therefore, it is recommended to avoid bath bombs as they aggravate your condition. But other than that, your scalp, similar to your hair, should do fine. 

Will Bath bombs make my hair greasy?

While bath bombs are not harmful to your hair, they are likely to make your hair greasy because of the essential/fragrance oils. However, oils vary in quantity and quality depending on the bath bomb, which also means that the effects vary equally.

A bath bomb with a bath melt inside or on top of it is more likely to leave your hair feeling greasy after a long bath. In worse cases, your hair may even end up looking like it hasn’t been washed for weeks!

With that said, checking the ingredients present within the bath bomb before washing your hair in it is probably the best, this is unless you plan on shampooing it afterward. It’s also a good idea to avoid oils and melts if your hair feels greasy after a bath. 

How do you get a Bath bomb out of your hair?

Once your bath has finished, you can simply wash your hair as you usually would if you soaked it in bath bomb water. By regular washing, I mean any shampoo that should be enough to remove the bath bomb residue from your hair.

As mentioned previously, there are still the pH levels of your hair we need to think of, which can be detrimental in the long run, but more about that later on.

Do I need to rinse off after Bath bomb?

Most people would tell you that it’s not necessary to rinse off after using a bath bomb. However, if your bath bomb contains ingredients like food colorants, essential oils, or glitter, it’s better to rinse your body afterward. If the bath bomb doesn’t contain any strong scent or ingredient, it should be fine if you don’t.

If you use Lush bath bombs, taking a shower afterward is recommended. Typically, this brand uses high quantities of oils, colorants, and many other ingredients in its products, and believe me; you don’t want that in your hair. 

If you’re not sure whether or not you should take a shower after using a bath bomb, you can observe the bathtub after the water has been drained. If you see bath bomb residues (although it depends on which ingredients were used and their quantity), then rinsing off is definitely necessary.

Bath bombs are meant to help you relax. That’s why they contain essential oils. If you want to retain their scents even after rinsing, we recommend not using too much soap (or any at all).

Can Bath bombs cause hair loss?

Bath bombs can’t cause hair loss, at least not directly. While their main ingredients — baking soda and citric acid — can cause hair loss after prolonged usage, the effects are luckily not instantaneous. They can only weaken and harm your hair if you use them on a daily basis.

Baking soda and citric acid can cause damage to your hair because their pH level is higher than hair. To give you a few examples:

● Commonly, the human scalp has approximately 5.5 pH. On the other hand, the pH levels of a hair shaft are around 3.67.

● Citric acid is a relatively weak acid, as its pH levels are typically around 6.

● Baking soda has a pH of 9. This is much higher than both hair and citric acid.

Also, don’t forget that pH measures how acidic or basic the water is. 7 is the neutral level, lower than 7 is acidic, and higher than 7 means that the substance is a base or alkaline. Either way, numerous researchers have determined that harming your hair’s natural pH can and will have a negative effect.

For instance, using citric acid too frequently may cause your hair to become excessively dry and weak, making it more prone to breakage. Using baking soda in your hair often may cause similar effects, as well as issues like scalp irritation, frizz, and cuticle damage.

Messing with your hair’s pH can lead to significant damage in the long run and sometimes even irreparable. This is why washing your hair with a bath bomb should only be done occasionally. So, don’t make it a daily habit if you don’t want to end up with harmful long-term effects, whereas greasy hair is the worst that can happen if you only do it from time to time.

Can you wash your hair with Lush Bath bombs?

Lush bath bombs should never be used to wash your hair, especially when we know that Lush Bath bombs contain a lot of colorants. In fact, you can easily find tons of horror stories on the Internet about people accidentally dying their hair after washing it with a Lush bath bomb and then struggling to remove the color from their hair.

While Lush bath bombs are incredible products, they contain a lot of synthetic ingredients, but the amounts are quite high. On top of that, Lush bath bombs contain fairly strong colorants a lot of the time as well. 

Will the colors in the bath bomb dye my hair?

As you may have guessed, the amount of colorants Lush bath bombs contain is enough to dye your hair if you wash it or leave it in the water for too long. 

But this might not be the case with handmade bath bombs. We also mentioned that we always check the ingredients before using them. But, if the bath bomb you bought also has a lot of colorants, then the answer is similar, you should avoid washing your hair in it. 

It’s also worth noting that bathing in water with a Lush bath bomb should be avoided even more if your hair is light-colored. The colorants are more likely to penetrate lighter-colored hair — the lighter the shade, the more likely it will absorb the bath bomb’s color. Having said that, this will most likely not be a concern for people with darker hair colors but could still affect in some cases.

Conclusion

Some bath bombs can be used to wash your hair, while others cannot. If your bath bomb contains high amounts of oils, it will likely make your hair greasy afterward. Whatever the case may be, we recommend reading the ingredients of your bath bomb to confirm that it is 100% safe before using it.

We also recommend rinsing your hair after you’re done with the bath, regardless of how many oils the bath bomb has. Doing so will prevent your hair from being unpleasant to the touch and from accidentally being dyed the color of the bath bomb. If you notice that a bath bomb has excessive colorants and you have light-colored hair, it’s better to avoid washing your hair with the bath altogether.

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