Dying your hair at home is a fun way to change your look, but dripping dye can lead to dark stains on your skin. Going out in the rain after getting new hair color can also cause the dye to drip and stain your skin, according to the Hair Finder website. Salons and beauty stores sell products designed to remove hair color from your skin, but you can use some common household items to remove dried-on hair dye as well.
Toothpaste
According to the Curly Hair Salon website, you can use toothpaste at home to remove hair color from your skin. Toothpaste contains a mild abrasive that helps scrub away dried hair dye. Apply toothpaste to hair color on your skin and scrub using your fingers or an old toothbrush you don't use anymore. The Methods of Healing website suggests using white toothpaste and not gel toothpaste.
Soap and Water
The Methods of Healing site suggests using a wet washcloth and antibacterial soap to scrub away dried hair color. The Curly Hair Salon site states that buffing your skin with water and a mild cleanser repeatedly will remove dead skin cells and hair dye. It may take several scrubbings to remove all of the dye. Extensive scrubbing can lead to dry skin, so use a moisturizer after this treatment.
Hydrogen Peroxide
You can remove hair color from your skin using hydrogen peroxide, according to the Hair Finder site. Apply 2 percent hydrogen peroxide to dried-on dye. The peroxide will gradually lighten and remove it. Be careful using this technique—if you accidentally get the hydrogen peroxide on your hair, it will remove the dye from the hair shaft as well.
Bleach
For very stubborn hair color stains, the Hair Finder site claims that you can use chlorine bleach to get rid of the dye. Bleach is a harsh chemical and people with sensitive skin should not attempt this method of dye removal. You shouldn't leave bleach on your skin for too long. To remove hair dye, use a cotton ball to apply bleach to stained skin. Immediately rinse the bleach away with water and wash your skin with soap and water to remove all the bleach. Follow the bleach treatment with a moisturizer to prevent over-drying your skin.