How To Get Clean FAST After The Color Run

The Color Run 5K... it's all about fun and happy... but at some point you've got to get clean! My friends and I were completely covered in color  - even under our clothes! 

Somehow, a TON of blue landed on me.

It looked like someone had swung and hit me with a Smurf. Even my feet were covered in blue. I have no idea how it got in my shoes and through my socks!  

The question is... how do you get clean afterwards?

The Color Run does provide some suggestions on how to get clean post race, but we didn't find it very helpful, so I thought I'd share what worked for me and what didn't.  

Before beginning the race, here are some things you might want to do: 

- Bring an old towel to cover the seats in your car. The powder WILL get all over them. 

- Put your phone in a sandwich bag to keep the color from staining your case or getting into the fine cracks. 

- If you have light colored hair, put some coconut oil in your hair to keep the color from absorbing...unless you want multi-colored hair! My friend Megan has blonde hair and still ended up with a light pink tinge to her hair for a few days afterwards.

We brought baby wipes along so we could clean up right away. While that helped to remove the loose powder, it didn't remove the staining. My friends and I were a little concerned at that point. Someone mentioned baby oil would help remove the color. I decided to take the idea of the oil and combine it with some brown sugar and honey for a scrub, but the idea didn't pan out at all. The coconut oil just made my bath tub greasy. The bar of natural soap wasn't doing it. 

Not going to lie, I was starting feel a bit panicked. If an exfoliant wouldn't get this out...what would?? 

But then I wondered... would conventional shampoo work? 

It contains sodium laureth sulfate, a chemical that is used as a degreaser in garages and strips color (according to my hair stylist). It's very strong stuff and the reason I don't use conventional shampoo anymore. This bottle happened to belong to a family member, so I stole some from them - shhhhh! 

I squirted some Suave on a washcloth, rubbed it where the color was, and the minute the shampoo hit the color, the color dissolved! Amazing... and scary at the same time. 

Imagine what this does to your hair - especially if your hair is color treated!

Within 60 minutes, I was 100% clean. Even my nails and hands, which were virtually black from all the colors muddling together and looked like they would be permanently stained, look normal. My nails aren't stained at all. I do recommend having a nail brush or some kind of brush on hand just so you can get it off of your feet. Shampoo with sodium laureth sulfate is very drying, so a little bit of coconut oil as a "lotion" afterwards helped restore the moisture.

That's it - shockingly simple. I've heard horror stories of people who lived with stained arms, legs, and faces for days. Make sure you have a bottle of shampoo with sodium laureth sulfate on hand, and you should be good to go!