Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (2024)

Table of Contents
One and done The Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids at a Glance Eva NYC Kweeen Silver Body and Hair Glitter Spray Punky Colour Temporary Highlight Spray Mofajang Hair Coloring Wax Jerome Russell Temporary Hair Color Spray YaFex Colored Clip-in Hair Extensions Hally Shade Stix Temporary Wash Out Hair Color L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup Good Dye Young Semi-Permanent Dye Curlsmith Hair Makeup dpHUE Gloss+ Semi-Permanent Hair Color & Deep Conditioner Meet the Expert How to Apply Temporary Hair Color for Kids Best Glitter What We Like What We Don't Like Eva NYC Best For Ombré Highlights What We Like What We Don't Like Punky Colour Best For Colorful Tips What We Like What We Don't Like Mofajang Best For Colored Highlights What We Like What We Don't Like Jerome Russell Best For Kids Who Can’t Decide What We Like What We Don't Like YaFex Best For Chunky Streaks What We Like What We Don't Like Hally Best For Dark Hair What We Like What We Don't Like L'Oréal Paris Best For a Lasting Look What We Like What We Don't Like Good Dye Young Best Vegan Color What We Like What We Don't Like Curlsmith Best for Permanently Dyed Hair What We Like What We Don't Like dpHUE Summary Frequently Asked Questions What is the best semi-permanent hair dye for kids? What is the best semi-permanent hair dye for kids? What hair dye is safe for children's hair? What hair dye is safe for children's hair? Beauty Director Resident Hufflepuff, Beyonce historian, self-proclaimed tea sommelier

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One and done

Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (1)

By Jenny Jin

Published Jul 9, 2024

Additional reporting by

Stephanie Sengwe

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Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (2)

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Your little Katy Perry is begging for rainbow streaks, but you’re worried about whether or not it’s safe to dye her hair at all. The good news? There are plenty of temporary options you can try that won’t damage your child’s strands.

The Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids at a Glance

1

Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (3)

Best Glitter

Eva NYC Kweeen Silver Body and Hair Glitter Spray

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2

Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (4)

Best For Ombré Highlights

Punky Colour Temporary Highlight Spray

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3

Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (5)

Best For Colorful Tips

Mofajang Hair Coloring Wax

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4

Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (6)

Best For Colored Highlights

Jerome Russell Temporary Hair Color Spray

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5

Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (7)

Best For Kids Who Can’t Decide

YaFex Colored Clip-in Hair Extensions

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6

Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (8)

Best For Chunky Streaks

Hally Shade Stix Temporary Wash Out Hair Color

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7

Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (9)

Best For Dark Hair

L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup

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8

Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (10)

Best For a Lasting Look

Good Dye Young Semi-Permanent Dye

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9

Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (11)

Best Vegan Color

Curlsmith Hair Makeup

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10

Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (12)

Best for Permanently Dyed Hair

dpHUE Gloss+ Semi-Permanent Hair Color & Deep Conditioner

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Meet the Expert

Brian O’Connoris a celebrity hairstylist and co-founder and chief innovation officer ofGood Dye Young. He’s also co-founder of theFruits Hair Lab, a salon located in Nashville, Tennessee. His exclusive client (and fellow brand partner) is singer and songwriter Hayley Williams.

As O’Connor explains, “If you’re looking for quick and easy color, there are pastes, sprays and chalks that you can wear and wash out easily in one shampoo. The next level up would be a semi-permanent dye, which will last anywhere between four to eight weeks before gradually fading."

Once you’ve decided on the color, you’ll want to take a few precautionary measures to ensure you have the safest and most enjoyable experience possible (and by that we mean one that requires the least amount of clean-up afterward).

How to Apply Temporary Hair Color for Kids

  1. For starters, set up a well-ventilated workstation. Sitting outside is your best bet, but if you’re indoors, make sure to open any windows and cover the floors and countertops with newspaper to prevent stains.
  2. Keep a pair of plastic or rubber gloves on hand, a comb and something to drape over your kid’s shoulders (like an old towel or a garbage bag with a hole cut out of it so it serves as a makeshift poncho).
  3. Get to coloring!

OK, ready to color? We’ve found ten options for you, at varying levels of permanence.

Best Glitter

1. Eva NYC Kweeen Silver Body and Hair Glitter Spray

What We Like

  • ultra-fine silver glitter
  • washes out with one shampoo
  • infused with Argan oil for moisture

What We Don't Like

  • smell can be a bit overwhelming at first

Eva NYC

This spray-on sparkle is pure magic in a can. Packed with the finest flecks of glitter, it will make strands (and skin) glimmer whenever it hits the light. Just make sure you give the can a good shake before every use as glitter tends to settle to the bottom. Treat this like you would a hairspray and use it as a finishing touch on dry hair.

Best For Ombré Highlights

2. Punky Colour Temporary Highlight Spray

What We Like

  • affordable
  • washes out easily

What We Don't Like

  • can drip a little

Punky Colour

For sun-kissed strands without any bleach or sunburn, try this subtle highlight spray. As with any spray-on formula, we recommend that you protect your child’s eyes and mouth by covering their face with a shield or towel before you spritz. Make sure to hold the can at an arm’s length from the hair and spray in quick, small bursts to get an even application. The no-commitment color dries quickly, doesn’t make strands sticky or crunchy and washes out easily with shampoo.

Best For Colorful Tips

3. Mofajang Hair Coloring Wax

What We Like

  • very pigmented
  • spreadable texture

What We Don't Like

  • can feel stiff in hair if you apply too much

Mofajang

Though it’s labeled as “hair coloring material,” users describe this temporary color as having a wax- or pomade-like texture. Apply it to slightly damp hair (you want it to be at least 80 percent dry) and start with a finger’s worth of wax on each section of hair you want to color. The more wax you use, the firmer it will dry. The highly pigmented color (in shades like purple and red) and spreadable texture wins bonus points for its compatibility with curly and natural hair.

Best For Colored Highlights

4. Jerome Russell Temporary Hair Color Spray

What We Like

  • easy to spray and use
  • TSA compliant

What We Don't Like

  • some reviewers say it has a strong scent

Jerome Russell

Prefer a more hands-off approach? This saturated spray adds colorful streaks wherever you direct them. Choose from various hues including white, neon pink, blue, orange and green. Tip: Apply some mousse or gel to each section you want to color before spraying if you want it to look even more pronounced.

Best For Kids Who Can’t Decide

5. YaFex Colored Clip-in Hair Extensions

What We Like

  • can clip in and clip out
  • comes with 12 extensions

What We Don't Like

  • synthetic hair tangles easily

YaFex

Changing hair color doesn’t get any easier than this. Each extension is 22 inches long and is attached to a small comb-like barrette that easily clips in and out of your kid’s hair. The synthetic strands are surprisingly soft and heat-resistant so you can curl or flat-iron them on a lower heat setting. Pick from solid shades like pink or blue, or go for the multi-color pack for variety.

Best For Chunky Streaks

6. Hally Shade Stix Temporary Wash Out Hair Color

What We Like

  • applicator comes with a built-in comb
  • one of the easiest to apply
  • vibrant colors

What We Don't Like

  • can make hair feel stiff

Hally

Hair chalk is great because you can really target each section you want to color. Simply separate one-inch sections of your child’s hair and brush through them to make sure there aren’t any tangles before you glide the chalk over them. Start at the top of the head and work your way down to the tips before coating the undersides of each section. Set the color with a fine mist of hairspray to finish.

Best For Dark Hair

7. L’Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup

What We Like

  • highly pigmented formula

What We Don't Like

  • slightly wet-to-the-touch when first applied

L'Oréal Paris

For dark brown or black hair, we like this highly saturated, squeeze-on color. Place an old towel over your kid’s shoulders to start. Then, using your fingertips, apply a dime-sized amount onto a thin, dry strand of hair. The color will be slightly wet-to-the-touch when first applied but will dry on its own after a few minutes (though you can speed things up with a hairdryer). Repeat as needed and simply shampoo to remove the tint.

Best For a Lasting Look

8. Good Dye Young Semi-Permanent Dye

What We Like

  • peroxide- and ammonia-free

What We Don't Like

  • semi-permanent formula that lasts four to six weeks

Good Dye Young

If you’re OK with using a slightly more permanent color, we like this peroxide- and ammonia-free option from Good Dye Young. It’s a semi-permanent formula that lasts between four to six weeks and has a creamy, conditioning base that’s less drying. Still, we’d recommend doing a patch test before plopping this all over your kid’s head to make sure they don’t have any reaction to it. If they’re in the clear, proceed with an ointment (like Vaseline or Aquaphor) around their hairline and the tops of their ears to prevent the dye from touching the skin directly in those areas.

“If you’re using a semi-permanent dye, youmayhave to lighten your child’s hair first for the true color to shine bright,” O’Connor says. “Not into bleaching? Pick a bolder color like blue or purple that will show up on darker, unbleached hair.”

Best Vegan Color

9. Curlsmith Hair Makeup

What We Like

  • doesn't transfer
  • no sulfates, silicones, mineral oils or phthalates

What We Don't Like

  • limited colors

Curlsmith

With no sulfates, silicones, mineral oils or phthalates, Curlsmith’s Hair Makeup is a cruelty-free option that will please parents and kids alike. Not only is it vegan, but it's super easy to use. Apply it to damp hair the same way you'd use styling gel and transform your tot into Poison Ivy or Princess Ariel. Once it sets, the formula doesn't stain or transfer easily, so there’s no need to worry about your pristinewhite walls.

Best for Permanently Dyed Hair

10. dpHUE Gloss+ Semi-Permanent Hair Color & Deep Conditioner

What We Like

  • boosts existing color
  • adds shine

What We Don't Like

  • a bit pricey

dpHUE

This color and conditioner combo is ideal for when your teen’s already dyed hair is starting to grow out, but it’s not time to hit up the salon just yet. The semi-permanent solution merely boosts existing color and gives those tresses some new bounce, shine and vitality. Available in 11 shades, dpHUE Gloss+ Semi-Permanent Hair Color lasts up to ten shampoos.

Summary

These temporary and semi-permanent hair dyes are perfect for kids and teens who want to experiment with fun colors without so much commitment or safety concerns. Choose from our list to enjoy vibrant, temporary hair transformations that will wash out gradually at home.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best semi-permanent hair dye for kids?

For maximum ease and speed, the best semi-permanent hair dye for kids is actually a hair chalk like Hally Shade Stix Temporary Wash Out Hair Color, which can be swiped directly onto hair and washes out in one shampoo.

What hair dye is safe for children's hair?

Again, you can't really go wrong with a hair chalk or even a color wax, which are both easy to apply and easier to wash out than some other formulas.

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Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (23)

Jenny Jin

Beauty Director

  • Oversees all beauty content at PureWow
  • Has over a decade of experience in writing and editing, both in print and digital media
  • Produces 'Youngish' newsletter, a guide to beauty in your 30s and beyond

read full bio

Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (24)

Stephanie Sengwe

Resident Hufflepuff, Beyonce historian, self-proclaimed tea sommelier

Steph is a native of Zimbabwe who is both enamored and genuinely baffled by the concept of silent letters. From 2020 to 2022, she served as Associate Editor at PureWow covering SEO content. That includes anything from finding the best lightweight foundations and compiling an expansive list of the best dog costumes to giving you a thorough breakdown on how to clean your sponge.

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Best Temporary Hair Color for Kids 2024: 10 Safe and Fun Products (2024)
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