Homemade Beauty 101: Kool-Aid Hair Dye

With bold, Crayola-colors like green, pink, and burgundy cycling back into style, now might be a good time to consider spicing up your hair color. But even though you’re all read-up on different types of hair dye applications, some of you might be wondering if there’s still another way. Some others of you might have heard about an inexpensive, easy way to try new hair colors and funkier shades, but aren’t quite sure how to do it. Well, there is another method, and it can be a time- and money-saver – hair coloring at home with Kool Aid drink mix. Here are step-by-step instructions.

Before you begin, make sure you’re ready for this step. In addition to all the other considerations that go into picking a hair color, think about the overall final effect you want carefully, especially if you have darker locks. Brunettes and redheads will likely end up with a more subtle tint than any bright, dazzling hue, so keep this in mind when choosing a shade. If you really want the color to pop, consider bleaching or lightening the hair prior to using the Kool Aid hair dye recipe described here.

Now that you know what you want, gather materials:

• 2-3 packets of unsweetened Kool Aid mix
• a disposable bowl or cup
• a popsicle stick or disposable spoon
• petroleum jelly
• plastic wrap
• aluminum foil (optional)
• enough of your favorite rinse-out conditioner to cover all your hair
• Do NOT use pre-sweetened drink mix or add sugar; this will not only interfere with your color application, but leave your hair a syrupy mess that’s hard to rinse out.

Prep hairline and tresses by wetting hair until damp, and coating your hairline and ear areas with petroleum jelly or another thick oil. This will help prevent the color from staining your skin, and color will bond more quickly to wet locks.

Now mix your hair dye. Pour the Kool Aid into the cup and stir in conditioner with the popsicle stick or spoon. (Make sure to use containers and stirrers that you can throw away, as the chemicals in the conditioner will make them unsafe to eat or drink from again.) The mixture should form a smooth paste; keep stirring until all lumps are gone.

Next, apply the Kool Aid-conditioner concoction to your locks, but not your scalp. You may want to ask a friend to help with this, especially if you’d rather have highlights or a creative pattern than all-over color. For highlights, separate dyed strands with foil.

Once you’ve applied the Kool Aid hair dye to all desired sections of hair, wrap lengths in plastic wrap and let process for 2 to 8 hours; the longer you wait, the better the results will be. Afterwards, rinse dye from hair and style as usual. Your new tint should last a few washings, and range from a subtle undertone to a striking splash of color, depending on your original hair shade.

Who knew hair coloring at home could be so easy and fun to experiment with? Enjoy!