We Tried It: Dyeing Our Hair with Kool-Aid
Who tried it: Maria Yagoda, Writer-Reporter
What is it: Grape Kool-Aid as a hair dye
Why she did it: I’m not sure what it is about the warmer months that moves me to do strange things to my hair, but I just can’t help it. Two summers ago — in a woefully unsuccessful attempt to emulate Rihanna — I got an undercut, but this year, I wanted to freshen up my look with some funky color. Blues, reds, pinks and purples were calling out to me, just as they have been for a growing number of stars (Hilary Duff, Kaley Cuoco, Julianne Hough” and more) who’ve dyed their hair bold colors for funsies or Coachella or for the Instagram photo op
Level of difficulty: 4/10 (or 3/10 if you have a friend on-hand to help apply to the back of your head)
I’d heard about using Kool-Aid as a hair dye, but I’d assumed it was just an urban legend, or that if it did work, the color wouldn’t show up on my dark brown hair. After a bit of professional research (i.e. Googling), I discovered that the process was fairly easy — simply mixing a packet of grape, fruit punch, strawberry cherry Kool-Aid with some water and conditioner.
Not as brave as the woman I was two years ago who shaved off half her head, I opted to only color the tips. I chose the grape flavor, because I love both purple and the aroma of artificial grape, and I made sure to purchase the sugar-free kind, which allows the color to better adhere to the hair folices (as Kool-Aid-dying pioneers advised me in demos). I mixed one packet with a few tablespoons of water and several healthy squirts of conditioner, which I then blended with a paintbrush until the mixture formed into a paste.
On dry hair, I worked the concoction into the bottom three inches of my hair, making sure every strand was fully covered — you would do this process to all of your whole head if you wanted a complete change in hair color. (NOTE: Make sure to wear a towel you don’t care about — or an ex’s t-shirt — around your shoulders because Kool-Aid does stain.) Next, I watched an episode of Scandal as my strands dried and soaked up the color. The longer you keep the Kool-Aid on your head, the richer the color — fifteen minutes provides a subtle tint, while five hours ensures a deeper, more uniform final product.
After I finished the episode (and a family-sized bag of tortilla chips), I took a shower and washed my hair with shampoo and conditioner until the water ran clean. When my hair dried — voila! I had reddish tips! The look wasn’t as dramatic as I’d anticipated, but it was definitely noticeable to my more observant friends and coworkers, especially in the sun. The best part? The color will wash over the course of a few weeks, so I can move on to my next hair-speriment because commitments are scary.
Verdict: If you’re looking to experiment with your hair — maybe you just got dumped, or want to look edgy at a new, hip job — definitely go for it. Just make sure you’re prepared that, as a non-professional hair stylist, you may not administer the color perfectly evenly, or that the final result may not be as bold (or as subtle) as you’d like, depending on your initial hair color. If you have lighter hair, the color will definitely look more dramatic, and may take longer to wash out in the shower. (At least Vanessa Hudgens got to see my freshly-dyed strands at a yoga glass even in N.Y.C. I know the on-again-off-again redhead would approve of the shade!)
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