A trip to the salon can fix nearly any hair snafu, but it never hurts to have home remedies—including the best hair dyes for gray hair—on hand. When gray hairs start creeping up unexpectedly and your colorist is booked solid for weeks, D.I.Y. kits allow you to take matters into your own (gloved) hands, restore vibrant color, and even repair damaged hair while increasing softness and shine.
The only trick: choose a dye that’s gentle on the hair, tough on grays, and easy to apply. To help whittle down the selection, consider the formulas celebrity hairstylists actually recommend (when, of course, their books are full.)
From a dye that works beautifully on lighter hair to nourishing, plant-based color and a top-notch touch-up spray, these colorants are stylist-approved for keeping grays at bay.
Vogue’s Favorite Hair Dyes for Gray Hair:
In This Article:
Revlon ColorSilk Beautiful Hair Color
- Why We Love It: Cheryl Bergamy-Rosa, a celebrity hairstylist for the likes of Ayo Edebiri, praises Revlon’s drugstore gem. “It’s affordable, ammonia-free, and provides excellent gray coverage,” she notes. Alissa DeLaTorre, a colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago, adds: “This is the ideal choice for blending gray hair.” DeLaTorre notes that the brand recently revamped its formula, adding vegan keratin fillers to the mix of ingredients. “These fillers repair the hair from the inside out,” she says.
- Type: Permanent
- Shades: 41
- How to Apply: Pour the colorant into the cream developer bottle and shake until the mixture is completely blended. Part the hair in four even sections and apply the cream to the roots at each part, without rubbing it in. Leave the mixture on the hair for 25 to 45 minutes, depending on your hair color, then rinse and condition with warm water.
Clairol Nice ‘N Easy Permanent Hair Color
- Why We Love It: Bergamy-Rosa approves Clairol’s easy-to-use (as advertised!) formula.“It offers natural looking color, and has built-in conditioners,” she says of the oil-infused formula. Cody Renegar, a master colorist and celebrity hairstylist with clients like Gwyneth Paltrow, also recommends the user-friendly product—particularly for his blondes. “This is one of the only box dyes that really helps cover grays on lighter hair,” he notes.
- Type: Permanent
- Shades: 44
- How to Apply: The brand describes the easy, three-step experience as “mix, dye, and dry.” First, squeeze the color cream into the activator and shake the mixture until it’s blended. Apply the mixture to the hair, working from the roots to the ends, and let it sit for 25 minutes before rinsing and conditioning the hair.
L’Oréal Superior Preference Rich Luminous Hair Color
- Why We Love It: Bergamy-Rosa says that L’Oréal Paris’s cream “provides long-lasting, full gray coverage and has a rich, conditioning formula.” With a creamy, non-drip texture, the permanent dye contains a special keratin complex that protects the hair during and after the dyeing process. The kit also includes a post-color shampoo and conditioning balm.
- Type: Permanent
- Shades: 38
- How to Apply: Mix the color cream with the conditioner, then apply the color mixture to dry hair from the roots to the ends and let it sit for 30 minutes. Rinse and condition using the shampoo and balm included in the kit.
Oribe Airbrush Root Touch-Up Spray
- Why We Love It: “When you can’t make it to the salon and need some alternatives for touching up your roots, your first line of defense can be temporary spray cover-ups,” DeLaTorre says. “These are the easiest to rinse out of your hair and won’t alter your natural color.” Oribe’s mess-free, quick-drying spray is one of her top picks. Infused with microfine pigments that easily blend with the natural hair color, the powder formula is a true multitasker. It absorbs dirt and oil, essentially doubling as a dry shampoo, and protects the hair from UV rays.
- Type: Temporary
- Shades: 5
- How to Apply: Shake the bottle, then spray the product onto gray roots and let it set.
Naturtint Permanent Hair Color Gel
- Why We Love It: Infused with olive oleic acid and meadowfoam seed oil, Naturtint’s plant-based color conceals grays while giving the hair a visible gleam. DeLaTorre appreciates the contents of the kit, which includes ammonia-free color, a developer, and a quinoa deep-conditioning mask. The mask helps lock in the color and delivers other benefits, besides. “It leaves your hair looking brighter and shinier,” DeLaTorre says.
- Type: Permanent
- Shades: 35
- How to Apply: Mix the colorant with the developer, then apply the mixture to the roots of clean, dry hair while using the applicator nozzle to divide the hair into sections. Massage the product into the hair, then let it sit for 30 minutes before rinsing and conditioning. Wear gloves to protect your hands.
Phyto Permanent Hair Color
- Why We Love It: “Phyto color uses all-natural plants and flowers to produce rich, long-lasting colors that don’t damage your hair,” says Renegar. Infused with jojoba and monoi oils to moisturize the hair, the product also soothes the scalp. It contains jujube bark, which has anti-itch properties; it also harnesses the botanical oil epaline, which forms a protective film on the scalp to ward off irritation. Also infused with ultra-concentrated botanical pigments, “This does a great job at grabbing onto the hair, and it doesn’t fade easily,” Renegar says.
- Type: Permanent
- Shades: 16
- How to Apply: Use the applicator nozzle to apply the color mixture to the roots. Let the product sit for 20 minutes, then use a comb to distribute it through the hair and let it sit for an additional 10 minutes. Rinse with lukewarm water until the water runs clear.
AGEbeautiful Permanent Anti-Aging Hair Color
- Why We Love It: Available in more than 70 shades, AGEbeautiful’s permanent color was specifically designed to cover grays. Renegar notes that the formula, which contains biotin and keratin, helps protect the hair from damage while up-leveling its luster. “It makes the hair nice and shiny and soft,” he says. As an application tip, Regegar notes that gray hair is generally more coarse and less porous than other types of hair. Therefore, “Saturation is key!” he says. “Make sure the grays are getting fully and completely saturated.”
- Type: Permanent
- Shades: Over 70
- How to Apply: Mix the color with the developer, then apply the product to dry hair. Let the mixture set for the time outlined in the included Usage & Timing chart, then rinse and condition the hair.
Schwarzkopf Keratin Color Bond Enforcing System
- Why We Love It: “Schwarzkopf Keratin Color has some of the best coverage for grays on dark hair,” says Renegar. “It saturates well and takes hold of the hair, and it has a rich color that doesn’t fade easily.” The kit comes with a protective pre-color serum, a color system, and a conditioner made with patented bonding technology to strengthen the hair. According to the brand, the color can last for 10 weeks, even with four shampoos a week.
- Type: Permanent
- Shades: 30
- How to Apply: Apply pre-color serum to the hair lengths, then mix the color cream with the developer. Wearing gloves, apply the product to the roots, then massage it into the hair and let it process for the time recommended on the box. Rinse and condition the hair using cool water.
Everything You Need to Know
Which hair dye covers gray hair best?
“The best hair dye for covering gray hair depends on factors like hair type, color preference, and desired longevity,” says Bergamy-Rosa. “Permanent hair dyes are generally the most effective for covering gray hair, as they penetrate the hair shaft more deeply, ensuring longer-lasting and more comprehensive coverage.”
What is the best color to dye your hair when going gray?
Bergamy-Rosa recommends shades that are one to two levels lighter than your natural color to cover budding grays. “This can help blend grays more seamlessly and reduce the contrast between dyed hair and new growth,” she says. “Neutral shades such as soft blonde, medium tone browns, or light copper are all effective choices.”
How to Choose the Best Hair Dye for Gray Hair
When choosing the best hair dye to cover your grays, consider the following factors:
- Permanent or Semi-Permanent: “Opt for a permanent hair dye, as it provides full coverage and lasts longer,” Bergamy-Rosa says. “Semi-permanent dyes can blend grays and are less damaging, but they may require more frequent applications.”
- Color: Selecting a shade close to your natural color or slightly lighter helps in blending grays effectively, Bergamy-Rosa says. “This approach minimizes the stark contrast as your hair grows.”
- Application: Before choosing a dye, review the application instructions on the box or online to make sure they’re straightforward enough to execute at home. Once you’ve committed to a dye, make a plan: set aside enough time to complete the process and let the dye sit for the recommended amount of time.
How to Cover Gray Hair With Hair Dye
“Covering gray hair effectively at home requires the right approach, from preparation to application and maintenance,” Bergamy-Rosa says. Below, she lists her expert tips for disguising grays, D.I.Y.-style.
Preparation
After following the guidelines above to choose the best hair dye, complete a patch test. “Always test the dye on a small area of skin at least 24 to 48 hours before application to check for any allergic reactions,” Bergamy-Rosa instructs.
Application
- Target Stubborn Grays First: “Gray hair, especially around the hairline and temples, can be more resistant to dye,” Bergamy-Rosa says. “Apply color to these areas first and allow extra processing time for better absorption.
- Work in Sections: When applying the dye, divide the hair into small sections for even application and to prevent missed spots.
- Follow the Timing Instructions: Stick to the recommended processing time on the box. “Leaving dye on too long can damage hair, while rinsing too soon may result in uneven coverage,” Bergamy-Rosa says.
Maintenance
Reducing the frequency of wash days can extend the life of your color and keep grays covered for longer, Bergamy-Rosa says. When you do wash your hair, “Use sulfate-free shampoos and conditioners designed for color-treated hair to help maintain vibrancy and prevent fading,” she suggests. She also recommends minimizing the use of heat styling tools to preserve color, and wearing a hat or using a UV-protectant spray to prevent color fading in the sun.
- Cheryl Bergamy-Rosa is a celebrity hairstylist based in New York City. Her clients include Ayo Edebiri, John Legend, and Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor.
- Alissa DeLaTorre is a colorist at Maxine Salon in Chicago.
- Cody Renegar is a celebrity hairstylist as well as a master colorist, stylist, and barber. His clients include Gwyneth Paltrow and Carson Kressley.
