Making Beetroot Dye
Cut 1 beet into wedges. Set your beet down on a cutting board and cut off the top leaves. Slice your beet in half widthwise, and then slice the halves into 4 wedges. Use caution and always keep your fingers out of the way of your knife. If your hair is longer than waist-length, use 2 beets.
Wrap the wedges in foil and place them on a baking tray. Wrap each wedge individually and then spread them out on a baking tray in a single layer. Make sure the wedges aren’t touching each other so they heat up faster.Tip: If you have a juicer, you can use that to get beet juice instead. The foil helps to concentrate the heat of the oven without burning the beet wedges.
Bake the beet wedges for 30 minutes at 400 °F (204 °C). Check on your beet wedges after 30 minutes to see if they are soft. If not, put them back in the oven in 5 minute increments until they soften up. Use a fork to poke the beet wedges so you don’t burn your fingers.
Blend the beet wedges in a blender or food processor. Pulse your blender or food processor 5 to 10 times until the beet wedges are mostly smooth. Stir them around slightly with a wooden spoon and then pulse them again to remove any large chunks.
Strain the blended beets with a strainer. Pour your beets through a strainer and catch the liquid that comes out in a small bowl. Make sure all the large chunks of beets have been caught in your strainer. You can use the bigger chunks of the beets to put in your smoothies if you’d like to.
Mix the beetroot juice with 3 tablespoons (44 mL) of coconut oil. Soften some coconut oil until it is room temperature and then use a metal spoon to blend it into your beet juice. The coconut oil will make it easier to spread onto your hair as well as give your hair some extra shine. Coconut oil will also make the dye last longer in your hair. If you are using 2 beets, add 6 tablespoons (89 mL) of coconut oil.
Applying the Dye to Your Hair
Put on gloves and old clothes to prevent staining. Beetroot will stain your skin and any clothes that it comes into contact with. Cover your hands with latex or rubber gloves and put on an old T-shirt that you don’t mind getting stained. You can also spread a towel out on your counter or table if you are worried about staining your work area. Keep a few towels nearby in case you spill any of the beet juice.
Apply petroleum jelly to your forehead and ears to protect your skin. Pick up a glob of petroleum jelly and spread it around your hairline and on your ears. Make sure all the skin near your hair is protected so that the beet juice doesn't stain it. If the beet juice does get on your skin, it will take 1 to 2 days to fade.
Spread the beet juice mixture onto your dry hair with your hands. Put on gloves to protect your hands and pick up a handful of the beet and coconut oil mix. Start with the ends of your hair and gently rub the dye into your hair. Work your way up to your scalp so that all of your hair is covered in dye. You may want to have a friend or family member check the back of your head to make sure you covered it all.
Use a wide toothed comb to disperse the beetroot evenly. Start from the ends of your hair and gently run a wide toothed comb through your strands. Work your way up to your scalp to make sure the dye is even and covers your whole head.Tip: Rinse off your comb afterwards so the dye doesn’t stain it.
Let the beet dye sit for 1 hour. Beetroot is a very mild dye, so it needs a while to adhere to your hair. Leave it on at least 1 hour and keep it on as long as 8 hours for a deeper red color. You can cover your hair in plastic wrap or a plastic bag if you are worried about getting dye on your furniture.
Rinse your hair with cold water. Cold water is less damaging to your hair. Rinse your hair until the water runs clear, and don’t use any shampoo as you rinse. You can put some conditioner in your hair if you’d like to, but the coconut oil may smooth out your hair on its own.
Dry your hair naturally or with a blow dryer. Let your hair air dry if you have the time, or put a heat protectant on your hair and dry it quickly with a hair dryer. Enjoy your new hair color for a few weeks until it washes out on its own. If your hair is blond or light brown, the dye will turn your hair red or pinkish. If you have darker brown hair, it will turn your hair a subtle shade of purple that you might only be able to see in the sun.
Wash your hair as little as possible to maintain the color. Since beetroot juice is a temporary dye, it will wash out within a few weeks. Cold water preserves the color of your hair more than warm water does, but you should still try to wash your hair as little as possible to make it last. Using heat styling tools, like a hair dryer, straightener, or curling iron, may also make your hair color fade faster.
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