Eyes may be the window to the soul, but we’d argue that eyebrows are just as important. Not only do eyebrows convey your moods and emotions without words, but they frame your face and add symmetry to your expression.
But some of us weren’t blessed with perfect brows. Having light or thin eyebrows and filling them in with makeup every morning can get tedious over time.
Getting your eyebrows dyed can save you lots of time in the morning and transform your features seemingly in an instant. But let’s face it – not everyone has the money or the time to go to a pro every few weeks to keep it up.
So, can you use hair dye on your eyebrows? The short answer is no. You should not use hair dye on eyebrows, lashes, or any other hair that is not on your head, because it can be dangerous for your eyes and skin.
In this post, we will discuss the dangers of using hair dye on your eyebrows, what kinds of dyes are safer to use, and how you can use them to achieve your dream brows at home without losing them to harsh chemicals.
Why You Shouldn’t Use Hair Dye On Eyebrows
There are three types of hair dyes:
- permanent
- demi-permanent
- temporary or semi-permanent
Most boxed hair dye at the store is permanent. Permanent hair dyes contain two parts: the dye itself, and a developer (usually hydrogen peroxide), which is a major irritant for skin and eyes.
Although hydrogen peroxide is usually safe to use on the scalp, it’s not recommended to put it anywhere else, especially not the thin and delicate skin near your eyes.
The area around your eyes has the most sensitive and thin skin on your body. The skin around your eyelids has fewer oil glands, so it has no protective barrier (unlike your scalp) and tends to dry and crack easily. It also takes longer to heal if it gets damaged.
Hydrogen peroxide can cause redness, swelling, itching, and peeling of the skin, so putting it on the most sensitive skin of your body is not a good idea.
It is also a bleaching agent, designed to lighten your hair a few levels before the dye is applied to it. This may work on the hair on your head, but your eyebrows have much finer hairs. The peroxide can damage them to the point of breakage. You could be left with no eyebrows at all.
Not to mention the danger hydrogen peroxide can cause if it gets into your eyes. The FDA actually prohibits the use of hair dye on eyebrows and eyelashes because “to do so may cause blindness.”
But what about temporary and demi-permanent dyes? Demi-permanent dyes also contain hydrogen peroxide, just in a smaller amount. Temporary (semi-permanent) dyes don’t contain any hydrogen peroxide, but they’re not ideal either.
Temporary dyes, because they don’t lift the cuticle of your hair and don’t lighten it before depositing new color, can only work if you want to color your eyebrows a few shades darker than they currently are. They’re also full of other ingredients you don’t want to put on your face.
All hair dyes, including temporary ones, contain a chemical called PPD (paraphenylenediamine). This ingredient is responsible for all those warnings in boxed hair dyes that implore you to do a patch test 24 hours before you dye your hair.
This test is to see if you may have an allergic reaction to PPD because reactions are so common. PPD can cause you to have redness, itchiness, pain, and blistering at the site where the dye made contact with your skin.
PPD allergies often don’t develop until a few days after contact, and lesions can remain on your skin for weeks. This is a risk we don’t recommend taking with your face.
Long story short, hair dye should not be used on your eyebrows because it can cause irritation, hair loss, pain, and allergies. There are much safer products you could use instead, which brings us to our next point.
What Dyes Are Safe For Eyebrows?
Luckily, you can buy products that are specifically made for dyeing eyebrows. These products don’t contain hydrogen peroxide and are overall safer to use on the face.
Look for “eyebrow tint” kits in beauty stores and Amazon. For instance, this Godefroy Instant Eyebrow Tint does not contain hydrogen peroxide or PPD and lasts up to 4 weeks.
There are lots of similar eyebrow tints and kits on the market. Make sure to read the ingredients, because we’ve come across some that contain the same harsh ingredients as hair dyes even though they are being marketed for use on eyebrows.
Note: Always be vigilant and thoroughly read the ingredient list when you’re putting a new product on your face.
If you can’t find eyebrow-specific products, consider using men’s beard and mustache tints. They are also designed to be used on facial hair and contain fewer irritating ingredients than hair dyes.
They come in a variety of natural-looking colors so they’re a great alternative to eyebrow tints.
You could also consider using tinted brow gels, like the Maybelline New York Brow Tattoo Tint – this product washes out after a few days, but it is much safer and gentler on your eyelid area than hair dye because it does not contain any of the harsh chemicals listed above.
How To Dye Your Eyebrows At Home
Once you have found a product that is safe for your eyebrows, follow the instructions on the package. Most of these products require you to go through the following steps:
- Start with a clean, washed, and dry face.
- Use vaseline around your eyebrows to prevent the dye from staining areas you don’t want to be colored.
- Mix the dye as instructed. Some dyes come in powdered form, while others are cream or gel-based.
- Brush your brows out and shape them.
- Use the applicator that came with the kit or an angled brow brush to apply the color to your brows.
- Clean up any stains that landed outside of your desired brow area.
- Leave the dye on for as long as the package recommends. Temporary brow tints usually need to be left on for a few minutes, while the more long-lasting ones need to be on for several hours. Make sure to follow the instructions for each individual product.
- Once the time is up, gently wash off the product with warm water. You are done!
Depending on the product type and ingredients, the instructions may vary, so make sure to follow the steps listed on the package. The whole process is quick, painless, and leaves you with great-looking eyebrows without the risks that come with coloring them with hair dye.
How Long Does Eyebrow Tint Last?
Eyebrow tint can last from 3-4 days to several weeks, depending on the product you choose. These products don’t contain any of the harsh dyes that traditional hair dyes do, the downside of which is that they are not permanent.
But some of them can still last several weeks, saving you tons of time getting ready in the morning.
These products eventually wash out, returning your eyebrows back to their natural color, which makes them way less risky than some of the more permanent options, like microblading.
How Can You Naturally Darken Your Eyebrows?
If you prefer to avoid putting any chemical dyes on your eyebrows, there are some home remedies you could try. While these methods won’t change the color of your eyebrows drastically, they can help darken and thicken your brows over time.
Here are some natural remedies that have worked for some people:
- Olive Oil – This oil is easily available in most kitchens and is full of vitamins like vitamin E and vitamin A that help your hair grow. Be mindful, however, that olive oil can cause breakouts on some skin types.
- Hibiscus Flowers – Crush some hibiscus flowers into a fine paste. You can mix them with a little bit of hair conditioner so that the paste is easy to maneuver. Putting this mixture on your eyebrows overnight can help them grow thicker and darker over time.
- Castor Oil – This oil has been used for centuries for different beauty needs. It stimulates blood flow, moisturizes, and allegedly helps your brows grow thick and dark. Unlike olive oil, it doesn’t cause breakouts, so it might be a good option for you if you have acne-prone skin.
As with any new product, please make sure to do a patch test of these natural remedies before you use them on your brows. Just because something is natural does not mean you can’t have an allergic reaction to it.
Keep in mind, these natural remedies aren’t quick fixes. They are meant to be used nightly and produce results over long periods of time. If you are looking for an immediate result, we highly recommend going with one of the brow dyes/tints we mentioned above.
Some Final Thoughts
If you’ve ever considered using hair dye on eyebrows, we get it. It sounds like such an easy and affordable way to kill two birds with one stone – coloring your hair and eyebrows in one go with the same products.
But unfortunately, hair dyes are not safe for your eyebrows. The risk of losing your brows and developing a rash on your face for weeks, is just not worth it. Especially with so many other great products on the market that can help you get good results at home.
Whatever you choose to do, make sure you are exercising caution by using the safest products possible and keeping your eyebrows healthy first and foremost.
Up Next: Black Eyebrows With Brown Hair – Does It Work?
