How To Protect Your Fur Coat From Oil Damage

If you have recently purchased a new or a vintage fur coat, then you surely want to keep the coat in wonderful shape. Many types of fur coats, like mink varieties, can last for 20 years or more. However, many people make mistakes that actually ruin their coats well before the 20 year mark. Your fur coat may cost you as much as $10,000. This means that you want the greatest return on your invest. This is possible as long as you try to avoid some common fur care mistakes. One of these mistakes is allowing oils to soak into your fur coat. Learn why this is a bad thing, and also find out how to avoid the issue. 

Oils Soaking Into Your Coat

If you purchase a fur coat with a wide and expansive collar, then the fur is likely to rub against the skin of your neck and face. This is likely true of the cuffs as well that rub against your hands. If you wear beauty products in these areas of your body, then they can easily transfer to your coat. This may not be a huge issue if you wear water-based products or light perfumes, since it is suggested that you take your coat to a professional cleaner once a year. The cleaner will use a sawdust material and a cleaning solution to remove dirt, dust, and other debris from the coat. Glazing solutions will also be used to bring the natural shine and luster back to the fur. Unfortunately, this process cannot remove oily materials that have soaked into the hide of the fur. This includes oils from beauty products as well as any that transfer from your hair. 

Oily Skin Products 

Oily materials, like coconut, mineral, hemp, olive, flaxseed, jojoba, and argan oil, can easily soak into the hide of a fur coat, and these materials are common in beauty products. Once the oil soaks in, it can cause a dark stain to appear permanently along the hide. Also, you are likely to smell an odor from your coat, because the oils can become rancid. This issue is more common with food-grade oils like coconut and olive oil. Rancidity occurs when the oils are subjected to oxygen and heat over a long period of time. The rancid smell is a musty odor that will remain as long as you keep your coat.

You can prevent this smell by using water-based beauty products. If you decide to use oil-based items, allow them to soak into the skin completely before putting your coat on. You may also want to think about switching to products that contain oils with fairly high absorption rates. Some of these oils include rose hip, grapeseed, hazelnut, camellia seed, and passionfruit varieties. Try to avoid products with low absorption rates like palm, olive, sunflower, neem, and coconut oils.

Hair Oils

While the natural oils from your hair are not as big of an issue as oil-based products, they can stain your jacket if your hair constantly drags against the collar and the upper part of your coat. This also may be an issue if you have excessively oily hair. If this is the case, then make sure to wash your hair every two or three days. If you wash your hair any more than this, then you may actually be encouraging your oil glands to produce more oil than is needed. Use a shampoo with aloe vera to get rid of some of the hair oils naturally, and also invest in a clarifying shampoo that will get rid of any oily build-up that forms on your head. Use the clarifying shampoo once a week.

Also, do not use items that apply heat to your head like blow dryers and curling irons. The heat will open up the oil glands around your head and more oil will be released. If possible, try to wear your hair up and away from your neck too when wearing your fur coat. An astringent cleaner used around your neck and face is a good idea as well to get rid of some of the oils that have transferred to the skin.


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