Tinted eyebrows with beard dyes

Can I use men’s beard dye on my brows?

No, using men’s beard dyes on your brow or lashes is not permitted by the FDA due to safety concerns related to PPD and hydrogen peroxide, two common ingredients used in hair color. Doing so may cause severe allergic reaction or blindness.

Tinting your eyebrows using men's beard dye  is the new trend, which has been making its way all across Tiktok and other social media platforms! On TikTok specifically, men's beard dye for eyebrows currently has 45.6M views. Some of these videos make it look super safe and easy. But, beard dyes are meant exclusively for men’s beards. It helps to darken or disguise grey or any other colors, so that they all look more uniform in color and shade. Also, most hair dyes and beard dyes contain chemicals such as PPD, used to penetrate the beard follicle and color from within. Unfortunately, p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) is known to be a well-known allergen . For example, Just For Men contains chemicals like PPD which, according to the American Contact Dermatitis Society , can cause severe allergic reactions if used incorrectly.

The danger with this trend

Eyebrow tinting is a beauty technique used by women and men to add definition, contrast, and color to the brow. Tinting your brows will immediately make them appear thicker, and it gives your brows a more natural look (versus using makeup to fill in your brows). But, it is important you are using the right products to get the best looking results, and for safety reasons as well. The FDA recommends to use an actual brow tint which substitutes PPD for a silver nitrate and iron oxide blend. This blend dramatically reduces irritation and allergic reaction risk and is the only FDA approved dye for use around the eye. Those who choose to use men's hair dye or beard dye run the risk of an allergic reaction or skin irritation, since the product is being used incorrectly, and being applied around the eye area.

Using hair dye or men’s beard dye or any other hair dye products on your eyebrows can cause eye damage; and can even cause blindness in severe cases with allergic reactions. The skin around your eyes is delicate and sensitive, and these men's hair dye products can be too harsh for this area. Hair experts say that eyebrow hair is typically coarser  and more resistant to hair dye than the hair on your head. This means that the color may not turn out as expected, turn out splotchy, or could look unnatural.

If you want to dye your eyebrows, it is recommended to use eyebrow-specific dye products that are formulated for use on this delicate area. These products are FDA approved for professionals, gentler and safer to use around your eyes and will produce more natural-looking results. It is always a good idea to do a patch test before using any new dye product to ensure that you do not have an allergic reaction.

Godefroy Instant Eyebrow Tint

Instant Eyebrow Tint is a brow tint specifically designed to tint around the eyes. It includes silver nitrate, natural plant-based dyes, and most importantly: NO PPD. Many traditional hair colors operate in a pH level which may be harmful to your eyes if it comes in contact. Instant Brow Tint utilizes a pH level much closer to the natural level of your skin, which reduces the irritation and burning you feel around your eyes. Plant-based dyes can also be gentler on your hair, and contain ingredients that are rich in nutrients and vitamins that can actually promote healthy growth.

Silver nitrate can also be used to tint lashes, giving them a mascara look for weeks. For more information regarding brow tinting, or how to grow longer, thicker lashes, check out Everything you need to know and our Ultimate guide to growing longer lashes.