If your blonde or light coloured hair extensions have ever turned pink, peach or orange after being in the sun, it’s not a hair fault — it’s sunscreen.
Living on the coast near the beach in a tropical climate, we’re far more exposed to sunscreen, saltwater, sweat and UV rays year-round — which means this type of discolouration happens much more frequently here than in cooler climates.
Most hair extensions are chemically processed to achieve blonde shades, making them highly porous. This allows certain chemicals in sunscreen to soak into the hair and cause staining.
The Main Ingredient to Blame
The biggest culprit is Avobenzone — a UV filter found in many chemical sunscreens. When it reacts with minerals, sweat and processed hair, it creates pink and orange tones that can permanently bond to extensions.
Other ingredients that can also stain include:
- Oxybenzone
- Octocrylene
- Homosalate
- Fake tan and bronzing lotions
How to Prevent Staining
- Use mineral sunscreen (zinc oxide or titanium dioxide only) – example Sunbum Mineral
- Apply sunscreen and absorb in before doing your hair
- Use a leave-in conditioner or hair oil as a barrier
- Avoid touching your hair with sunscreen-covered hands
- Tie your hair back when sunbathing or swimming
How to Fix Pink, Peach or Orange Tones in Hair Extensions
Sunscreen staining becomes more stubborn once heat is applied. When you use hot tools like straighteners, curlers or blow dryers, the heat locks the pigment into the hair, making it much harder to remove. The longer the discolouration is left untreated, the more deeply it sets into the hair.
In salon, we can perform a specialised treatment designed to help remove the unwanted tone using Malibu Crystal and retoning, but results are case by case depending on how long the staining has been present and how much heat has been used on the hair.
To support this and help prevent further staining, we strongly recommend the following home care:
Leave-in protection (before sun, swimming or heat):
- Kérastase Chroma Thermique Spray
- Coastal Grl Pre-Swim
These create a barrier on the hair to reduce product, mineral build up.
This helps remove mineral and metal buildup that can react with sunscreen and worsen pink and orange tones.
The sooner staining is treated and the right products are used, the better the result — prevention and protection are key to keeping your extensions blonde and beautiful.
All products are available in salon or online.
The Bottom Line
In hot, sunny, coastal environments, sunscreen staining is one of the most common causes of discoloured blonde extensions — but with the right products and care, it’s completely preventable.