How to Remove Eyebrow Tint

Co-authored by Melissa Jannes and Sophia Bell

Last Updated: April 19, 2024 Fact Checked

If you’ve gotten your eyebrows tinted and think the color is too dark, you may be wondering what to do next. Don’t stress out, eyebrow tint will fade over the first week from the natural oils in your skin and also from cleansing your face. However, if you still aren’t happy with the color after a week, there are some things you can do to remove the tint. Try washing your brows with a clarifying shampoo or a combination of baking soda and shampoo. You can also apply a facial toner or lemon juice to your brows to lighten their color.

Method 1

Method 1 of 2:

Lightening Your Brows

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In the morning, squeeze a little lemon juice onto a cotton pad and wipe it onto your brows. Be careful not to get the lemon juice into your eyes! Let the lemon juice stay on your eyebrows until you cleanse your face that night. Spend some time outside while the lemon juice is on your brows, as the sun will increase the lightening effect.
Pick up a facial toner, like witch hazel, from your supermarket or beauty shop. Squirt a little bit of the toner on a cotton pad, then gently wipe your brows with the cotton pad to lighten the tint. You can repeat this process as many times as is necessary, but keep in mind that if your toner contains alcohol, it may dry out your skin.^{[1]
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A clarifying shampoo is designed to strip residue from your hair, so you can use it to strip color from your brows. Be very careful not to get the shampoo in your eyes, though! Use an eyebrow brush or a new toothbrush to brush a clarifying shampoo onto your eyebrows. After 60 seconds, wipe it off, then wash your face as usual to remove any residue.
Combine 1 part baking soda and 1 part of your usual shampoo in a small bowl. Stir the mixture until it forms a thick paste. Use a foundation brush to apply this paste to your eyebrows. After a couple of minutes, carefully rinse the paste off, making sure not to get it in your eyes. You can repeat this process, if necessary.
Choose a colored brow gel at least one shade lighter than the tint. Use an eyebrow brush to lightly sweep the gel over your eyebrows. Make sure you comb through the entire brow so they get an even coloring. Allow the gel to dry, then repeat if you’d like to further lighten the appearance of your brows.
6
Use facial bleach as a last resort. It’s best to have an expert do this for you, rather than trying it yourself. Go to a beauty or hair salon and ask a stylist to apply facial bleach, which is first-aid-strength hydrogen peroxide, to your brows in order to lighten them. Your stylist will likely put a few drops of the bleach on a cotton pad, then lightly wipe your eyebrows with the pad to remove the tint.
- Make sure the bleach does not come in contact with your eyes.

Method 2

Method 2 of 2:

Getting Tint off Your Skin

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1
Use makeup remover on your face. Sometimes, your eyebrows may look too dark because the dye has soaked into your skin, instead of just your eyebrow hairs. Choose a silicone- or oil-based makeup remover to remove the color from your skin. Dip a cotton ball in the remover, then gently wipe it over your eyebrows. You may be able to see the color transferring from your skin to the cotton ball.
- Take care not to get the makeup remover in your eyes.
Bobbi Brown, Makeup Artist

When removing eyebrow tint, be extremely gentle and take great care not to scrub the delicate skin. I recommend using a mild makeup remover on a cotton pad and gently wiping — no rubbing — to slowly lift the tint without causing irritation.
Some eyebrow tinting kits come with tint remover in case you get the color on your hands. Read the directions carefully, as this product is usually not intended to be used on your eyebrows or face. Soak a cotton pad in the tint remover, then use it to scrub the stained area. Wash the area with soap and warm water once the color is gone to get rid of any residue from the tint remover.
If you got eyebrow tint on your skin, it may come off with toothpaste. Squeeze a small amount of non-gel toothpaste on a new toothbrush. Scrub the stained area with the toothbrush to remove the color. Repeat, if necessary. Then, rinse off the paste and wash the area with warm soap and water.
Exfoliators, like lava soap or face or body scrub, will help remove the tint from your skin. Wet your skin, then add a small amount of the lava soap or exfoliator to the area. Scrub your stained skin, rinse, and repeat until the color comes off. If you’re using this method on your face, make sure to use an exfoliator designed for facial skin and ensure the product doesn’t get in your eyes.
If the tint is on your hands, arms, or another area away from your face, you can get rid of it with nail polish remover. Dip a cotton ball in nail polish remover or isopropyl alcohol. Gently rub the cotton ball over your skin where the color has stained it. You may need to repeat this process several times to remove all the dye. Wash the area with warm water and soap after using nail polish remover or alcohol.
Do not use WD-40 on your face, only use it on your hands, arms, etc. Spray a small amount of WD-40 onto a cotton ball. Rub the cotton ball over the stained skin to remove the color. Make sure to thoroughly wash and rinse the area after using the WD-40 to remove any residue and keep it from irritating your skin.

Expert Q&A

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Question

How long does it take for eyebrow tint to fade?

Melissa Jannes
Licensed Esthetician
Melissa Jannes is a Licensed Esthetician and the owner of Maebee's Beauty Studio in Philadelphia, a single practitioner space providing quality services with individualized attention. Melissa is also a National Educator for Universal Companies. She received her esthetics degree at The Beauty School of Middletown in 2008 and is licensed in both New York and Pennsylvania. Melissa won the "Best of Beauty" award from Allure magazine in 2012 for the quality of her bikini waxing.

Melissa Jannes

Licensed Esthetician

Expert Answer

In my experience, eyebrow tint fads away in roughly four weeks. It may be a little longer or shorter depending on the shade you went, but it won't take too long.

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What do you do if your eyebrow tint is too dark?

Melissa Jannes
Licensed Esthetician
Melissa Jannes is a Licensed Esthetician and the owner of Maebee's Beauty Studio in Philadelphia, a single practitioner space providing quality services with individualized attention. Melissa is also a National Educator for Universal Companies. She received her esthetics degree at The Beauty School of Middletown in 2008 and is licensed in both New York and Pennsylvania. Melissa won the "Best of Beauty" award from Allure magazine in 2012 for the quality of her bikini waxing.

Melissa Jannes

Licensed Esthetician

Expert Answer

It depends on how dark is too dark for you, but you could just wait it out. Eyebrow tints fade over time, so if it's too dark now, it may not be too dark next week.

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How can I quickly reduce the shade of my tint?

Melissa Jannes
Licensed Esthetician
Melissa Jannes is a Licensed Esthetician and the owner of Maebee's Beauty Studio in Philadelphia, a single practitioner space providing quality services with individualized attention. Melissa is also a National Educator for Universal Companies. She received her esthetics degree at The Beauty School of Middletown in 2008 and is licensed in both New York and Pennsylvania. Melissa won the "Best of Beauty" award from Allure magazine in 2012 for the quality of her bikini waxing.

Melissa Jannes

Licensed Esthetician

Expert Answer

I'd use a face wash to shampoo your eyebrows. That will pull the tint down a few shades fairly quickly. You may need to give it a few washes, though.

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Warnings

Take care not to get any of these products in your eyes! If you do, immediately flush your eyes with water. See your doctor if stinging or irritation persists, or if your vision becomes blurry.

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