I started coloring my hair when I was 13, and I never looked back.
My hair is naturally pretty light, and dyeing it has always been the way I express myself — and the way I create my own identity. Changing my hair — whether that's by coloring it blonde, black, brown, red, purple, pink, or orange — is how I show the world who I am, and who I want to be.
But whether you dye your hair yourself or get it colored at a salon, one question ALWAYS remains: How do you get hair dye off your skin? And friends, I am here to save you. Because no matter what you use to color your hair, or where you get it done, there's only ONE product you need to get hair dye off your skin.
I've tested this method on a range of permanent, semi-permanent, demi-permanent, and temporary dye stains. I've used it with box dye and professional color. It is still the ONLY thing that reliably removed dye stains from skin.
And friends, I'm about to bless you with it.
Turns out the best thing for getting hair dye stains off skin isn't a beauty product at all — it's olive oil.
Olive oil.
That's it.
You probably already have it in your kitchen.
I've tried this with the fanciest gourmet extra-virgin olive oil, and the stuff you can buy for $5 at the corner store — the results have always been the same. Olive oil is the BEST hair dye remover on the planet.
Though you can use a cotton washcloth, paper towels, or cotton balls, if you're SERIOUS about getting hair dye stains off your skin, you'll want to buy some exfoliating cotton rounds.
Though I've used paper towels and normal cotton pads before, I've found that the exfoliating cotton rounds ($3, Target) REALLY take your removing-hair-dye skills to another level. These pads, if you haven't seen them, are quilted on one side, and have soft yet firm exfoliating bumps on the other.
The side with the little bumps is AMAZING for scrubbing hair dye off skin — but isn't *so* rough that you're going to irritate your skin. These rounds are also incredible for removing nail polish, btw, especially if glitter is involved.
Once you have these two simple things, actually getting the hair dye off your skin couldn't be easier.
To get hair dye off your skin, pour the olive oil onto the bumpy side of the exfoliating round. You want enough oil to coat the cotton, but not SO much that it's completely sodden.
Gently but firmly rub the cotton round in small circles anywhere on your skin where you have hair dye marks. You may need to use several rounds to remove all the color, depending on the type of dye used, but you'll see it coming away on the rounds REALLY quickly.
Oh, and an important note: If you have sensitive skin or certain skin conditions like eczema, talk to your doctor before coloring your hair OR using olive oil to remove stains.
No matter WHERE those hair dye stains may be — olive oil will remove them.
When you get your brows professionally dyed — don't do this at home! EVER! — there's always a strange "halo" of stained skin left behind. If you don't like looking like budget Thranduil while those dye marks fade away on their own, olive oil on a cotton round will be your savior.
I recently made a really major hair color change, and after each appointment was left with some pretty intense brown-red demi-permanent dye stains on my neck and forehead. Guess what got them off? Olive oil.
Unlike expensive dye removal cloths that you can buy, olive oil is WAY less likely to irritate your skin, smell like chemical death, or require so much scrubbing that you open up cuts on your head.
Not that I'd know that, of course…
Coloring your hair is one of the great joys of life. Now go forth and rock every hair color in the rainbow, secure in the knowledge that you can get ANY hair dye off your skin quickly, safely, and easily.
Your follicular creativity is safe, as long as you have olive oil — and some scrubby pads — nearby.
