shelf life of opened Manic Panic hair dye?

[carakitty]

I have my jar of Purple Haze and want to do a 'test patch' just for fun before I do the rest of my head. I know on the drugstore brands once the color is opened and mixed it needs to be used within 24-48 hours or it will go bad.

I didn't think this was the case for MP though. My brother and I used to have jars open for months at a time and they'd still work fine. Is that still the case or has the formulation of MP changed?

Thank you Oh Wise and brightly colored ones

[*Twitch]

It'll be fine, don't worry.

[Hearts_Purple]

The drug store brands are permanent & semi-permanent which lift some of the color from your hair and deposit new color. The chemicals make them a possible exploding hazard if you attempt to seal them up after you've mixed them(IIRC).

Manic Panic is a 'deposit only' color, meaning that you don't have to mix it with any nasty chemicals to activate it(also you'd need to bleach your hair to get a strong color unless you already have blond hair). I'm not sure if it has a shelf life, but I'd be willing to bet that you can store whatever unused portion remains in the container. Since you're not adding other chemicals to it, it should be safe.

[carakitty]

Awesome, that's what I thought. I love these rare moments when I'm right!

Wolfie- I'm naturally medium-dark brown but get highlights if I spend time in the sun and am starting to get greys popping up. I have "Deep Burgundy Brown" from Garnier growing + fading out currently. I am not going to bleach first for my whole head (I don't think). We'll see how this 'virgin' strip turns out. I don't think it would be wise to have totally drastic hair in my field but since it's just school + volunteer work for now going a little crazy would probably be tolerated. aaaand... That's probably way more info than you needed to know, isn't it?

[Saya]

Let me know how it turns out, been meaning to pick up some for a while now, and it sounds like we got the same hair color.

[carakitty]

Most certainly my dear. If I manage to get a decent pic, I'll post it in the (ahem!) appropriate thread

[Pineapple_Juice]

Yeah I have a jar of it that's been open for a few months. It's cool.

[*Twitch]

Originally Posted by Saya

Let me know how it turns out, been meaning to pick up some for a while now, and it sounds like we got the same hair color.

Use Special Effects dye instead. I find it gives better colour for longer, and it's only...$2 more?

[Serian]

I"ve got some blue that I've had for about a year. Methinks its still good. :3

[carakitty]

Well, I've done my front patch (on mostly natural hair) tonight. All rinsed out and I'll try to get some shots of it in the sun and indoors tomorrow. By the light of the PC monitor it doesn't look all too spectacular. But I'm going to the hairdresser next weekend so maybe they can bleach for me when they do the cut and I can try again. Hair is so much fun!

Where is Special Effects found? I've never heard of it I don't think...

[Hearts_Purple]

Special Effects

I would also suggest rinsing your hair with cool/cold water when you wash it.

[KontanKarite]

Manic Panic is a deposit only color. It has no oxidizing ingredients in it to cause it to have a chemical reaction. You can apply it to moist hair and add heat to get a better penetration so that the molecules go under the cuticle a bit better.

However, on pre-treated hair, Manic Panic will be a semi-permanent color because the pre-treatment leaves the cuticle permanently open.

In all seriousness, a gentle pre-lightening is always a good idea before using manic panic. Just lift your natural color a couple of levels. This will get better results than just slapping it on dark virgin hair.

Heart's Purple beat me to it.

[carakitty]

I rinsed with cool water.
Pic is up in the pics thread.

I didn't lighten first this time, but might see if I can get a lightening done when i go in for my cut next week. Thinking about an asymmetrical bob or a 'long' pixie cut. I want to play around with teasing.

Then I might try to color it again because I don't really like the current results very much.

Thanks for the link, I'll keep an eye out for SFX.

[carakitty]

You posted while I was shopping KK =)

I know, pre lightening is always best and I know I should do it but I never do, and almost always regret it.

When i was growing up in SoCal, I would get better results. My hair was a little bleached + damaged from sun, chlorine + saltwater.

[lady_cthulhu]

Also, to make either Special Effects or Manic Panic (or ANY haircolor, for that matter) last longer, try to use a sulfate-free shampoo. There are a couple fairly inexpensive brands out there, Loreal's EverPure is pretty good. Burt's Bees is the best for keeping your haircolor, but it's the most costly too. Like others have said, wash your hair in cool water and keep a shower cap on it when you shower, as the steam will pull the color out even if you don't get it wet directly. Washing less frequently will make it last longer too.

[carakitty]

I mostly use LUSH shampoos + conditioners. Currently Reincarnate 'poo and usually Jungle 'dish but am using up the mini 'dish that comes with hair color in a box. Or I also recently was using the Pantene Red Expressions 'poo and 'dish.

Didn't realize plain old steam could make the color come out. I wash twice a week, tops.

[lady_cthulhu]

I'm not 100% sure that the steam actually does, I just noticed that my hair looked more faded after it had been exposed to it. In theory, the steam would open the hair follicle, and the sweat would then pull the color out. Less of a problem for permanent hair color I think, but it also makes my hair greasy and unattractive-looking.

I considered using Lush before, but it's also go sulfates in it. I'm flat-out sensitive to the stuff, so I can't use it regardless (causes serious scalp irritation). I have had bad luck with the Pantene in the past, faded my permanent dark auburn hair dye to bright pumpkin orange in one month. Then again, I was also washing my hair every day to control the itching (little did I realize my shampoo was actually causing it!). With as long as you go between washings you're probably okay using an SLS shampoo even with the MP.

[carakitty]

Thanks for those insights.
Sorry you have a sensitivity =(
I can only tolerate 'cones in small amounts.

[carakitty]

GAH! Finally got around to actually washing my hair last evening, and the color is already almost completely washed out! =( WTF? One shampoo and it's gone?!

I must have some massive build up, or ungodly healthy hair to never have color stay in.