Many people choose to dye their hair at home since it is convenient and cheaper than heading into a salon. Yet coloring your hair at home can sometimes lead to a frustrating side effect--getting hair dye on your skin. If you need to remove hair dye from your hands, face or neck, try the following steps to get the dye safely off of your skin.
Wash your skin. Use soap, such as hand soap or a bar of soap, to wash the affected areas on your skin. If you have hair dye on your face, use a facial cleanser instead since regular soap may irritate and dry out your skin. Be careful not to over-scrub your skin though. If the dye doesn't come off with two to three washings, then try other ways to remove the dye.
Use a body scrub. Body scrub contains exfoliating agents that can help remove hair dye from your skin. Apply a dollop of the product onto your skin and gently scrub the area to get off the hair dye. If you do not have any body scrub in your home, you can make your own with oatmeal and white sugar. Mix 2 tbsp. of oatmeal with 2 tbsp. of sugar. Add a little bit of water for moisture. Rub the homemade scrub onto your skin and the rinse it off with warm water.
Try using toothpaste. It may sound strange, but toothpaste often works well to get rid of hair dye on the skin. Squeeze some toothpaste onto your finger and apply it onto your skin. Let the toothpaste sit for about 10 seconds and then rinse it off with water.
Make a mixture of baking soda and dishwashing liquid. A combination of these two products can help remove the dye from your skin. Mix 2 tbsp. of baking soda with 2 tbsp. of dishwashing liquid to make a paste. Use the paste on your skin like a soap and then rinse it off with water.
Try a hair dye removing product. If the above steps do not remove the dye from your skin, head to your local drug store to purchase a dye removing product. This product is usually stocked in the same aisle as the hair dye. After you have purchased the remover, carefully read the instructions provided and follow the directions.
See a professional. If the hair dye doesn't fade away from your skin after a few days, you should book an appointment with your hair stylist. Your stylist will have access to salon quality products that can remove the dye from your skin.
Tips
If you decide to dye your hair at home in the future, make sure to take the right precautions to prevent the dye from getting onto your skin again. Before you start the dying process, apply a layer of petroleum jelly or Vaseline onto your neck, ears and forehead. You should also wear a pair of plastic gloves to keep the dye from touching your hands.