How to Wash Hair Dye off of Your Hands

The harsh chemicals used in hair dye can sometimes leave behind an inconvenient and unsightly stain on the skin. To keep that from happening, it is important to know how to remove the dye before it sets in or begins to irritate sensitive skin. While most hair dye comes with instructions on how to remove it from paper, fabric or other items, the instructions do not always explain how to remove the dye from the skin. There are, however, several methods available to do just that.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Hair dye stain
• Baby wipes
• Buttermilk
• Make-up sponge
• Arm & Hammer Baking Soda
• Whole milk
• White cider vinegar
• Olive oil
• Cotton balls
• Gentle, nonwhitening toothpaste
• Women’s moisturizing shave gel
• Extra soft toothbrush
• Nail polish
• Rubbing alcohol
• Mouthwash
• Gin
• Skin cream

1. Try baby wipes. Oddly enough, this soothing moisture-enhanced product will often remove many different types of hair dyes from the skin. If this method doesn’t work, move on to the next option.

2. Sponge buttermilk onto the stain with a make-up sponge. Let it sit on the skin for two or three minutes and then wash it away. If the stain lightens but doesn’t go away, repeat the process one more time. If the second application fails to remove the stain, move to the next step.

3. Make a paste with Arm & Hammer Baking Soda and whole milk. Keep the mixture fairly thick. Using a very soft bristled toothbrush, work the paste into the stained skin. Let sit for a few seconds, up to one minute, and then wash away. If this doesn’t remove the stain, move on to the next option.

4. Dab a bit of white cider vinegar onto the stain with a make-up sponge or cotton ball. The stain should begin fading right away. If not, then it isn’t likely to work on the stain at all so move on to the next step.

5. Rub a bit of olive oil into the skin area where the stain occurred. Let it sit for a couple of minutes and then rinse off with soap and water. If the stain remains, move on to the next alternative.

6. Squeeze a small amount of gentle, nonwhitening toothpaste onto the area of skin stained by the dye. Using a sponge or very soft bristled brush, work the paste into the stain. Let sit for up to 45 seconds, and wash it off. If this process does not work on that particular dye stain, move on to the next step.

7. Spritz some moisturizing women’s shaving gel onto the stained area. Rub lightly into the skin and wash away. If it does not remove the stain right away, it probably won't work at all so try moving on to the next step.

8. Pour nail polish remover onto cotton balls. Use the cotton to swipe the area of the skin affected by the dye. If the stain doesn’t begin to fade away immediately, chances are this method won’t work on that particular dye stain. Try the next option.

9. Use an alcohol based product like rubbing alcohol, mouthwash or gin mixed with a small amount of skin cream (preferably a moisturizing version). Apply the mixture with a small make-up sponge using a dabbing motion. The stain should begin to fade right away. It may take another application to erase the dye entirely.

Tips & Warnings

• If any of the recommended products sting upon application, remove it immediately as it might indicate a sensitivity or allergy to the product.
• You can repeat application of any of the above steps once or twice. However, if the dye remains after that, move on to another option.
• Stay away from using Magic Erasers to remove dye stains. Although they apparently work on some dyes, the chemicals within the sponges may cause far more damage than the dye ever could.

Who Can Help:

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