People Are Using Dunkin’ Donuts Coffee to Dye Their Hair

People are using coffee as hair color. (Photo: Getty Images)
People are using coffee as hair color. (Photo: Getty Images)

There have been plenty of outlandish beauty tricks and tips to hit the Internet of late. Social media has shown people using mouthwash to eliminate dandruff, deodorant as a makeup primer, and now people are using Dunkin’ Donuts coffee to dye their hair.

Crazy, right? Well, not everyone thinks it’s such a strange idea. According to a DIY guide on Spoon University, our morning must-have drink can double as a natural alternative for dyeing your hair darker, and it’s actually easier to do than you’d think.

According to the guide, you start the process by first brewing two cups of the Dunkin’ Dark Roast ground coffee (we’re pretty sure any dark roast will do) and letting it cool. Then, mix two cups of conditioner with the cooled coffee and spoon it together until the grounds completely dissolve and the contents appear smooth. Once the color solution has been prepped, wash your hair with shampoo as you normally would (skipping the conditioner step), hop out of the shower, and squeeze out the excess water from your hair.

Now it’s time to add the dye. Apply the color solution you just mixed onto your hair, soaking every strand and making sure the roots are covered. Place a shower cap on your head and let the solution soak into your hair for an hour before rinsing it out. Once hair is washed and dried, you’ll be left with a darker-hued tone that would have cost an arm and a leg to get at the salon.

Now, not only does this coffee trick help tint your hair a darker shade, it has quite a few hair health benefits as well. The guide reveals that studies have shown the caffeine in coffee can stimulate hair growth and even give hair a shinier appearance. So using it to dye your hair doesn’t seem like such a bad option after all.

However, after interviewing a professional colorist, Refinery29 points out that coloring your hair at home with coffee grounds isn’t going to give you the same flawless outcome that a salon process would. In fact, it’s extremely difficult to get an even color application using this method at home.

As you can see in the before (above) and the after (below), it’s a very minor color change, but it is noticeable.

Our verdict: If a perfect color application isn’t high on your list of priorities when it comes to dyeing your hair, give the Dunkin’ Donuts trick a try. You’ll save a ton of money, and the natural ingredient will help save your hair from the unwanted damage that frequently comes with in-salon color processes.

Related: 12 Irresistibly Weird Beauty Hacks

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