Stirring up a pitcher of Kool-Aid is the first "cooking" assignment for many children (anyone else used to add double sugar to your recipe?), but now people across the globe are using the sweet sip to get a relatively safe new hair color at home [1]. The pigmented powder makes getting a DIY dye job [2] as easy as boiling water — really, all you have to do is heat up a pot — and it will cost you less than a dollar.

Do a quick Instagram search for Kool-Aid dye, and you'll see plenty of dip-dyed ends and ombré shades. Cherry flavor turns into hot red on hair, mixed berry transforms into an icy blue, and grape gives off a punchy purple hue. Even though it's edible, the powder provides a rich, temporary color on both blond and brunette colors. We've also seen people getting creative with this look on TikTok, so it's safe to say a lot of people are looking to add a little fun to their hair right now.