Hair Chalk Recipe and Application Tutorial

I’ve been loving (obsessing over?) the hair chalking trend going around. If you follow me on Pinterest you may have seen a few hair chalking pins lately, so of course I had to give it a try. After a few test runs with the help of some gracious Bramble Berry team members’ luscious locks, I’ve come up with what I think is a great hair chalk recipe that works on both light and dark colored hair. Plus, a how-to about applying the chalk to hair once it’s made. It washes out in 1-2 shampoos (depending on the color of your hair before chalking; lighter hair may take a second shampoo) and really pops – the perfect low-commitment pizzazz to kick off the new year right.

Making the Hair Chalk

Recipe:

2 Tablespoons Colorant (We found that oxides and Bramble Berry neon pigments worked best and micas didn’t really work at all; they just crumble apart.)

1/2 teaspoon Kaolin Clay

1 Tablespoon Witch Hazel

1/2 teaspoon Arrowroot Powder

1/2 teaspoon Water

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ONE: Mix dry colorant (in the pictures, I’m using Electric Bubblegum Pigment) and Kaolin Clay together in a bowl big enough to stick both hands in.

TWO: Create a slurry by placing the Arrowroot Powder and water in a separate small container and mixing well. Microwave the mixture for 5 seconds. If it’s not a little bit thick after 5 seconds, try another three second burst. You do not want it gummy, just slightly thickened and overheating will cause gumminess so proceed with caution (and the 3 second bursts) while heating.

THREE: Add the Witch Hazel to the dry powders, and hand mix together (while wearing gloves!). Once well mixed, add the Arrowroot Powder and Water slurry.  Really squish the mixture together. You don’t want it crumbly or wet, or to have bits of undispersed clay. It should have texture just like kid’s modeling clay. If it is too dry, spritz witch hazel one spritz at a time until correct consistency is reached.

FOUR: Roll mixture on a piece of parchment paper until you get the shape you like. Allow to air dry overnight.

Applying the Hair Chalk

Tools:

Gloves

Apron

Spray Bottle with water

Comb

Blow-Dryer, Hair Straightener and/or Curling Iron

Hairspray

COLORS USED: Electric Bubblegum Neon Pigment, Ultraviolet Blue Neon Pigment, Hydrated Chrome Green Pigment

PREP: Cover the shoulders of the person you’re applying the chalk to with an old towel or a thin sheet of plastic. Put on some gloves to protect your hands, and wear an apron to protect clothing. A plastic/waterproof apron would work best if you have one.

NOTE: For the tutorial, I pulled half of Rachel’s hair up so I could chalk just the hair underneath for an ombre or peekaboo effect. In the very last picture, check out Becky’s blonde hair with chalk on the outermost strands. Both styles worked great! Get creative with where the chalk is applied for some really unique effects. Use of the hair chalk can have as subtle or as obvious a result as you’d like.

ONE: Wet designated area of hair desired to be chalked using the spray bottle. Really saturate the hair with a good amount of water!

TWO: Apply the chalk to the wet hair by dragging it along the strands. Use your fingers to rub the chalk into the hair really well.

THREE: Once you’ve reached the desired amount of coverage, comb through the hair to evenly distribute the chalk.

FOUR: Heat-set the chalk using either a blow-dryer, curling iron, or straightener. A curling iron or straightener on wet hair may not be the best idea for those with damaged hair. You can also straighten or curl the hair after you blow-dry it. Take this opportunity to style the hair before the next step.

FIVE: Spray chalked hair with hair spray so that it doesn’t brush off onto clothing.

Thanks Rachel G. and Becky for being the hair chalk models extraordinaire!

Click here for a printable PDF of this tutorial.

Looking for more hair DIY recipes? Check out the fun tutorials below!  The Argan Oil Shampoo and Leave-In Conditioner (top left and right) leave your hair feeling silky and soft. Don’t forget about manly facial hair; the Sculpting Mustache Wax and Moisturizing Mahogany Beard Oil keep beards looking polished.