Green hair dye or hair dye that appears green can be difficult to remove, especially if you cannot go to a salon or have all the tools you need but some ingredients in your kitchen could help, such as ketchup.
However, you may be curious as to whether ketchup truly removes green hair and if ketchup is safe to use on the hair. I did the research, and here is what I learned!
Does Ketchup Remove Green Hair?
Ketchup can remove green hair because ketchup is red, which is the color opposite to green on a color wheel. Therefore, ketchup’s red color will cancel out green tones in hair, but you may need to use ketchup several times to remove intensely green hair. Typically, it is best to leave ketchup in your hair for up to thirty minutes at most.
Do you want to learn more about how ketchup removes green hair, how to use ketchup to remove green hair, and what kind of ketchup you should use? Keep reading!
What Does Ketchup Do To Green Hair?
In theory, the idea behind using ketchup on green hair is to neutralize the green color because red and green are opposite to each other on the color wheel, meaning red will cancel out green.
Therefore, the idea of applying red hair dye to green hair or green tones will neutralize the color green, and some people state that ketchup can work similarly to red hair dye.
However, the way red hair dye works and ketchup is different because red hair dye will dye the hair red and cancel out the green whereas ketchup “strips” off the green.
So, applying ketchup’s red tones on green hair can remove any green colors of hair, which is especially good if you have blond hair.
Other than ketchup’s color, ketchup removes green hair because ketchup is acidic since the acidity “strips” the dye or unwanted colors.
For instance, white vinegar can be used to strip off dye since hair dye is made from non-acidic properties, so ketchup’s acidity can work similarly.
How Do You Use Ketchup To Remove Green Hair?
Generally, you can simply slather ketchup on the green parts of your hair, being sure to cover each strand of hair in ketchup while keeping ketchup away from your face.
You may also opt to use cling wrap, a hairnet, etc., to keep the ketchup away from your body and face while you wait for the ketchup to work.
Some people opt to dampen their hair with water before applying ketchup, but this step is not always necessary.
Once you have waited for the ketchup to work, you can thoroughly rinse out the ketchup from your scalp using water.
It is ideal to follow up the rinsing by cleansing your hair with a gentle shampoo and conditioner to remove any traces of ketchup from your head.
Keep in mind that you may have to repeat the process of putting ketchup into your hair several times to see noticeable results.
While ketchup is deep red and acidic, ketchup is not as strong as other products specifically made for hair, so some people put ketchup on their hair up to three times to completely remove green tones.
How Long Do You Leave Ketchup On Green Hair?
How long you leave the ketchup on your hair to remove green hair will depend on how green your hair currently is.
However, it is typically best to leave the ketchup on your hair for at least 10 minutes or up to 30 minutes.
Will Ketchup Remove Green From Brown Hair?
Since ketchup can remove green tones in general, ketchup can remove green tones from brown hair.
Brown hair may look muddy because there are green tones, which can occur if you had blonde hair then applied brown hair dye over the blonde hair without canceling the blond’s yellow tones with red.
Therefore, applying ketchup can remove excess green tones from otherwise muddy brown hair.
However, it is best to keep your expectations low when doing so since ketchup is only effective at removing mild to moderately green tones.
Will Ketchup Take Blue Out Of Hair?
Ketchup may mildly tone down blue from hair, but ketchup will not remove blue from hair as effectively as ketchup can remove green from hair.
Generally, applying ketchup to blue hair will leave you with a more muted blue or purplish-blue color since blue is cool-toned while red is warm.
Will Tomato Sauce Remove Green Hair?
Most tomato sauces contain vinegar like ketchup, making both ketchup and tomato sauce acidic, so tomato sauce can also remove green hair.
Moreover, tomato sauce is often a deep red color like ketchup, meaning applying red to green hair can cancel out the green tones.
However, it may feel more tedious to apply tomato sauce to your hair instead of ketchup since tomato sauce is often more liquidy and runnier than ketchup.
Is It Safe To Put Ketchup In My Hair?
Generally, it is safe to put ketchup on your hair with little to no side effects since most ketchup recipes are made with natural ingredients.
However, you should not put ketchup in your hair if you are allergic to tomatoes because you may develop an allergic reaction once your skin comes in contact with ketchup.
Moreover, you should only leave ketchup in your hair for 30 minutes max and rinse the ketchup from your hair well to avoid developing an irritated scalp.
What Kind Of Ketchup Should I Use On My Hair?
Almost any kind of ketchup is safe to use on your hair, and you can use more store-bought ketchup brands like Heinz, Hunts, Del Monte, and more.
If you want to learn if ketchup removes hair dye, if ketchup removes rust, and if ketchup goes bad, read our related articles.
Conclusion
Ketchup can remove green hair dye and green tones from hair because ketchup’s deep red color can neutralize green.
Moreover, ketchup is acidic thanks to the tomatoes and vinegar in the ingredients, meaning the ketchup’s acidity can “strip” off green dye.