So there are a lot of products out there for temporarily dyeing locs. After all, sometimes you just want to change it up for a little bit. Gemini Naturals is a black owned temporary dye brand. Below is my personal experience and review of Gemini Naturals mulberry dye. You can watch my experience over Youtube as well.
Note: Product and review are not sponsored.
Why I chose this dye
I had never dyed my locs before, and have always been hesitant about product buildup. Many temporary dyes contain beeswax, which more easily causes buildup, thus I was wary of that. However, Gemini is a water based dye and doesn’t contain beeswax. The ingredients seem very natural and recognizable to most, which made me feel more comfortable as well. Moreover, I knew I wanted a very temporary solution, so this was great over permanent hair dyes.
Ingredients: Water (Aqua), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Persea Gratissima (Avocado) Oil, Mica (CI 77019), Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Glycerin, Xanthan Gum, Fragrance (Parfum), Benzyl Alcohol, Benzoic Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid. May contain: Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Tin Oxide (CI 77861), Ultramarine Blue (CI 77007), Manganese Violet (CI 77742)
If you want to compare basics on this natural hair dye compared to others, check out this article: Which Temporary Hair Dye Brands to Try (with Photos)
Scent
I thought the smell was really pleasant and not too strong. I am someone really sensitive to scents, so I was happy about this
Color
The color was as described. I selected the mulberry color which really is like a mix between purple and red. There were some sparkles in there, but it wasn’t overwhelming. Overall, I thought it added a nice touch.
Application
Applying the gel was easy, and I didn’t even do the best job of it! It took about 10-15 minutes to apply. I wore gloves and applied the product directly to my hair. The consistency is like a mix between a cream and a gel. It’s not super watery which I appreciated. I purchased a 2 ounce jar and used about 80% of it on bra strap length hair. However, I honestly could’ve used all of it though.
Flaking
Flaking didn’t seem excessive to me, but I know it was happening as the color lightened throughout the days. Moreover, I felt my allergies flare up a bit on the second/third day. I was sneezing so much. I don’t think it was really something particular to the product as much as me being sensitive to anything that would flake. If you suffer from allergies, it is something to keep in mind.
Lasting power
For me, the product faded pretty quickly. I washed it out on the third dye, but was pretty faded after day 1. Despite the color being vague in my locs, it definitely was there when it came to rinsing out. It took about four rinses to remove it. I used Paul Mitchell 3 shampoo, which is a gentle but strong clarifying shampoo to get it out. To try and make the product last longer you could try using more so the color will be deeper, blow drying your locs after application to seal in color, and/or Gemini’s dye sealant.
Overall thoughts
I would definitely try this again. What I would do differently is spread the color more in my hands before applying to the hair to give it a more even color. Next time, I’ll likely wash it off the same day or within 24 hours as well given my allergies to product flaking.
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Have you tried Gemini naturals hair dye? If so, what are your thoughts? For me, using this dye just felt super fun and I’m looking forward to trying again.