Stop Your Hair Products from Staining Your Towels, Sheets, and Pillowcases with Our Best Tips
Getty / Jamie Grill
Have you ever taken a shower at night and allowed your hair to air dry, only to wake up with yellow stains on your pillowcases? Or perhaps you hopped into bed sans washing and found the same marks upon rising the next morning? We know the culprit: It's your haircare. Like specific ingredients found in your favorite skincare products (like benzoyl peroxide), there are certain ones in your go-to hair formulas that can discolor your favorite linens (including your towels and sheets). To uncover why this happens, we tapped a few professionals who see this regularly, on a first-hand basis—hairstylists. Here, they offer an explanation, and share their best tips for preventing yellow stains from happening in the first place.
Related: The Best Tips for Perfect Laundry
All About Oil
According to celebrity hairstylist and artistic director Paul Labrecque of Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa, it all comes down to oil. "The oil in the product absorbs into the linens and can cause discoloration," he explains. "This will only happen with oil-based products." If you're unsure if the products you're using fit into that category, Labrecque says to be mindful of anything with lipids on the label. "Lipid is another name for oil," he explains, noting that oils like palm and carrot are very yellow and can do the most damage to your pillowcases and sheets.
Oxidative Agents
Notice that tell-tale yellow stain after an appointment with your colorist? In addition to oils, hairstylist and VaultBeauty member Savannah Derritt points out that oxidative agents—like hydrogen peroxide, which is often used in color developer—could also be to blame. "Those agents open up your hair cuticle to accept color. When your cuticle is open, it can also release color or products that haven't been sealed into the cuticle," she says.
Fighting Stains
Luckily, prevention is simple. Don't go to bed with oils in your wet hair; if you've applied them in the morning, shampoo them out before you sleep. And if you simply need to apply that good-hair-day making, frizz-fighting hair oil before your head hits your pillowcase? Consider sleeping with an old towel draped over your pillow. It's an extra step, but a worthwhile one, since the alternative—bleaching your linens weekly—can shorten their lifespan.
