Beauty Q&A: How Do You Get Hair Dye Off Skin?

There are so many great at-home hair dye kits out there that make it easy (we love the L’Oréal Paris Féria line). Still, successfully dyeing your hair at home can take some practice, especially if you’re new to the process. In addition to making sure you get the shade right and achieve evenly distributed results, you also need to think about keeping the dye off of your skin. Leftover dye marks in areas near your forehead, hairline and ears is probably not exactly the makeup look you’re going for. Ahead, we chatted with L’Oréal Paris Celebrity Hairstylist and Colorist Jonathan Colombini about what to do if you get hair dye on your skin and how to prevent it in the first place.

Why You Should Remove Hair Dye From Your Skin

Besides not looking great, there's a good reason why you don’t want to leave hair dye on your skin for too long. “You want to make sure you remove all dye from the skin before you shampoo because the pH balance is typically on the alkaline side (the same as skin), and if the formula hits the dye that’s on the skin, it will set the color stain,” says Colombini. Translation: you’ll have a much harder time getting it out of your skin the longer you wait. 

Remove Dye With...Dye?

When it comes to removing the dye pre-shampoo, “erasing the proof is a lot easier than you might think,” says Colombini. After your hair-processing time is finished and before you rinse out, you can actually remove the dye on the skin with dye that’s on your hair because “color removes color.” Using a glove, apply a small amount of leftover dye on the stains and lightly rub. After you’ve done this, grab the corner of a soft towel and wipe the remaining color off in the direction toward the hair and away from the face. “You can finish this off with a damp corner of another towel and continue to wipe the color off until it’s completely gone,” he adds. 

How to Avoid Getting Hair Dye on Your Skin in the First Place

To ensure that you don’t get hair dye on your skin again, Colombini recommends using a barrier cream, which you can apply to the skin before you apply your color. As far as the dye itself, be careful as to how much you use. “Most brands only supply a bottle applicator for at-home hair coloring. I recommend pouring a small amount of your color in a bowl and applying it with a brush to avoid the mess,” he adds.

Try one of these personalized color kits from L’Oréal Paris to help get you started: