How To Dye Your Hair With Kool-Aid
If you’re looking to dye your hair a crazy color but don’t want a permanent shade due to school, college or work commitments then Kool-Aid dying can be a great alternative. Even a lot of the semi-permanent dyes on the market can be tough to remove even after it’s began fading and this can be detrimental to those that only wanted a bright shade for their holiday break or are just testing out a new color. Dying your hair with Kool-Aid is short-term, relatively easy to remove and can provide you with the fantastic hair color that you are looking for – without having to commit!
Another benefit of using Kool-Aid to dye your hair is that it doesn’t use harsh chemicals. If you are worried about using traditional hair dyes because of damaging your hair, or your parents won’t let you use anything chemical-based, then this can be a simple way to get around it! It also won’t leave you with that chemical smell lingering in your hair – in fact you can smell the flavor of Kool-Aid that you used! Even if your hair is dark then Kool-Aid can show up a bit of color and liven it up, but it is much more vibrant on those that have light hair.
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Selecting Your Kool-Aid Mix
When buying your Kool-Aid mix make sure that you go for the unsweetened packets. This is because the sweetened ones may leave your hair a bit sticky afterwards, which will not only make it look less fantastic, but will also leave you feeling a bit like a giant lollypop. If you want a specific shade that none of the packets will create alone then you can mix them together in order to create the color that you are looking for. Remember, also, that if you have long or thick hair then you will need more packets of Kool-Aid.
Make Sure That You're Only Dying Your Hair
Remember that you are using the Kool-Aid to stain your hair, so it may also stain other things, such as clothing or skin. Ensure that you are wearing clothes that you aren’t worried about getting ruined or alternatively cut head and arm-holes into a garbage bag and use that to protect you. Investing in a pair of rubber or plastic gloves may be advisable so that you don’t stain your hands, and smearing petroleum jelly around the edges of your forehead and on your ears will stop the Kool-Aid dye from dying your face so much – not a good look!
Doing The Dying
One way of dying your hair with Kool-Aid is to add a small amount of water to the mix (and conditioner, if you’d like, which helps the color to sink in) in order to make a paste. Then apply this to your hair and cover your head with a shower cap. This method takes a while for the Kool-Aid to show good results, so keeping it on overnight is advisable for the bright color that you are looking for. You may want to cover your pillow with an old towel in case the shower cap comes loose as you sleep. Taping around the cap may also help ensure that you do not stain anything, and will also help the dye permeate the hair by keeping your head warm. To remove, simply wash your hair as normal with shampoo and conditioner.
An alternate way of using Kool-Aid t dye hair is one that is only ideal for dip-dyes or streaks, but it takes considerably less time. For every packet of Kool-Aid that you use add one cup of water and boil it in a saucepan. Once boiling, pour the mixture into a bowl (ensure that this is heat-proof). Then dip your hair into the Kool-Aid mix and leave it in for five minutes. You will need to cover any and all surfaces for this method, or you may want to try it outside. When you remove and dry your hair you should have the bright color that you are looking for! If you are going to do more sections of your hair then you will need to boil the Kool-Aid again so that it remains hot enough.
Depending on your hair, dying with Kool-Aid should last between two and six weeks. If your hair has been chemically permed, straightened or relaxed, or has undergone a lot of damage, then you may find that it lasts longer than expected. Kool-Aid can be a wonderful alternative to semi-permanent dyes if you are looking to ensure that your hair will not be damaged by chemicals or if you are worried about the long lengths of time that some semi-permanents take to fade and wash out.
Comments
Nicely done, I'm trying to figure out how to better my hubs so I'm going around the site looking at some examples. Yours is great, just thought I'd comment and let you know. I love the layout and how informative it is. Thanks!
I love it! Im going to try it right now!!!! sweet :D
Trying it now!! Hope it works!
awesome imma dye mi tips now gracias((((;
cool i did that but i have black hair but it sill came out good :)
Wow that is so awsome and u don't even have to due ur hair !!!! I am going to try it know!!!!!! :)8)
I just tryed it and it is AMAZING!!!!!
i have chicken pox
Recover soon, poobaa!
so awesome can't wait to try it!!!
So beasty!!!!(: I used red and it so bright before it wasn't bright but after reading this I figured out what I did wrong!!!!(: THANKS!
Gonna try it, so excited!!!!!!
sooooooo much fun!!!!!!
thank u for telling me how to do it now im going to she my friend megan when she comes over !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D
sadly this doesn't work well for natural redheads :( I tried darker colors like purple and blue but it doesn't work
Try food coloring!
I have the exact same laptop! bahaha I did this and I looks pretty cool! Except mine is blue...
This video was helpfull
Me and my friend are doing this today
is it ok if ur hair is wet?
This looks so cool I have black hair and I'm gonna try dip dying it red :P hope it works!
My head feels like its on fire. That common?
Linamay - if you suspect that you're having any kind of reaction to this then rinse the Kool Aid from your hair immediately.
These directoins don't specify if you're to have wet or dry hair when apply the Kool Aid mixture. Just wondering.
You should apply the mixture to dry hair, Lauren x
what is kool-aid it doesn't look like its for hair ? why not just buy a crazy colour
Kool-Aid is a powder that you mix to make drinks, Allyson. It's not designed for hair, but it is cheap & easy to find in the US & so many people use it if they're looking for something super temporary or if they can't afford branded dyes x
I just did the boiled dip-dye method with a strawberry lemonade kool-aid on my medium/light brown hair. It turned out absolutely amazing!
Will this work on a medium brown/ darkish red tinted brown?
All hair is different & results vary between person to person, Juliana. I would suggest doing a strand test beforehand to see what the depth of colour will be like x
I have dark brown curly hair. I'm thinking of only dying the tips green. Do you think it would still work with my type of hair? And, how long do you boil the water for?
So i've been researching around for this and i know how to do it really well, but for some reason a part of me still doesn't know how! Around where i live, they dont have unsweetened kool-aid so I don't know what to you! Just a question, what works better, the conditioner or the boiled? Thanks!
The boiling method is probably much easier for dip-dyes, whereas the conditioner method would be preferable for whole-head dyes. As to which method provides a better depth of colour, I'm unsure - if anybody has experience of both then please post a comment & let us know! :)
can u wash ur hair with any shampoo/conditioner or will it come out?
You can still wash your hair with products but the less often you do so, the more it'll last in your hair. All hair is different so the amount that the colour will fade per wash is dependent.
i dyed my hair black yesterday and now im gonna do blueish coloered highlights =D cant wait!!!! =)
why dosent it work for natural red heads
I've seen images of some great outcomes on naturally red hair - all hair is different, though, & some people's might not be porous enough to take on much depth in colour, unfortunately. Ideally, strand test first to see what the results will look like!
i hot porpus hair an its in the in the kind brown i guess but not dark im wanting to but a blue highlight what would be the corect mix to buy to try an get a vivid blue on my hair
I would suggest making some mixes & doing strand tests so that you can see the different turn-outs & which one looks best on your hair/is the shade that you wanted! x
Can the kool aid come out in under a day? And also is there a way to do it under an hour?
Can the kool aid come out in under a day? And also is there a way to do it in an hour and will it be okay to flat iron after?
Izzy, the results will differ from person to person, so do a strand test. Application times will also vary due to the length of your hair, but the method of boiling the Kool-Aid is quickest. You will be fine to flat iron your hair afterwards, although the application of heat may make the colour stay in your hair for longer.
I did this to my hair about a week ago with Cherry and it didn't turn out good ONLY because it was too soupy. So be warned, add water cautiously! And I have strawberry blonde hair, and the red would've turned out better if I hadn't added so much water. And also, remember that each color fades to a different color soon after you dye your hair (mine changed from red to orange/pink in a few days).
uhmmm what happens if i forgot to add water?
I'm not quite sure, I'm afraid!
I have medium brown hair and I only want a soft tint to my hair and not a crazy color. How long should I leave the Kool-Aid in my hair?
Do timed strand tests & pick the time which yielded the results that you wanted, sdfgch!
If u dont leave the Kool Aid in over night, will this effect your dying process?
This will probably affect the depth of colour. However, you could try applying heat whilst the Kool Aid is on your hair in order to speed up the process? (A hair drier, for example).
I have a dance this FRiday and I need a blue tint to my hair, like a strand. I want it to last long. Can you give me some tips?
If you're looking for something more long-lasting then I would suggest a semi-permanent dye; Manic Panic or Directions, for example!
Thanks. I tried the Kool-Aid dye but, it isn`t bright enough for my hair color ( Very light brown or sandy,dark blond). How long does the Manic Panic dye last for?
It`s a Mardi Gras theme for the dance (I h8 it and most of my friends do,too). But, anyway, I want it in the back and my mom wants the tips to be died blue. Like I said, if anyone has any tips or ideas for an aqua blue hair color idea, just post it on here. Thx! :)
Manic Panic generally lasts around a month, although it depends on your hair individually. You can buy colour removal products if you want to get rid of it sooner, though!
After dying it, would it rub off on my white clothes/pillows, or woulld it streak out if i were to stand in the rain or something??
I can't be too sure, Jenna - try strand testing & then rubbing your hair on rags/dampening your hair in order to see the results.
Thank you so much for all of the ideas and tips, Courtney! :)
i want to try this but im scared that it will damage my hair or stay in to long... i just want it for like 2 days to see how it looks so how can you take it off? (my hair is dark brown)
Using Head & Shoulders shampoo should hasten the fading/removal process!
i already tried it it wored out good i just wanted to see you opinon because people have difrent statment on the instructions but yea this is how i did my hair it stayed in for 3 days this way
if i have blonde hair and i sleep with the boiled kool aid tips in mah hair will the blue become brighter?
It should do, Caroline, although all hair is different so there is no guarantee! Sleeping with Kool-Aid on your hair works because of the prolonged heat, so it should make the colour more vibrant.
yayyyyy kool this sounds like so much fun im gonna do i tonight!!!!
Im gona try this soon!:D But will a color like purple show up in hair thats dark brown
It may do, Mariah, but it depends on your hair individually. Try strand testing first to see what the results will look like!
Hey, Would This Work On Natural Red Hair? I've Always Wanted To Dye Just The Underneath Of My Hair a Bright Blue! You Prob. Think I'm Crazy. xD I Hope It Does Work Because My Parents Would Never Let Me Officially Dye My Hair & I Wouldn't Want To Ruin My Bright Red Hair. ;P
Do a strand test, Maddie - you can't be sure of the results until you've tried them for yourself as they will vary from person to person.
Do take a shower after you do it?
Does it work if you wanna do all of your hair? I suppose probably would just take longer.
The sooner & more frequently you shower, the more faded the colour will be.
If you want to do all of your hair, use the water & conditioner method rather than the boiling water one.
How long do u boil it for?
Until it's boiling!
GONNA TRY THIS NOW!!!
So everyone that I know has done red and they all have brown hair. Do you know if in brown hair blue works better or worse?. If it all depends then can you just guess?
I would guess that they'd work about the same, so long as the shades were about the same depth!
I have a light brown hair with blonde highlights and blonde streaks and I was wondering would a blue or purple work?
um...i have brown hair and im trying blue with just one packet and i need to kno if i use shampoo and conditioner to wash it out
Lenore Robinson 9 months ago
Wow...this was a first for me! I had no idea! I can't wait to pass this on! Good hub! Up and useful!