Our Best Natural-Looking Hair Dyes For Gray Coverage
Plus, quick fixes for concealing grays on the fly.
February 09, 2024
When you spot your first gray hair, you may find yourself flooded with questions that you’ve never thought about before. Like: How do you cover gray hair at home? What’s the best hair color for gray hair? Does semi-permanent color cover grays? While we’d argue that embracing your silver strands can be incredibly chic, we also understand that transitioning to gray may not be in the cards right now. So, we’re here to help clear the air and answer some of your questions about covering grays.
Ahead, we’ll introduce you to some of the best at-home hair dyes for gray hair, from temporary root touch-up solutions to permanent color designed for long-lasting results. Plus, we’ll share a few of our best tips for keeping your mane shiny and healthy-looking—no matter which color you end up rocking.
4 of Our Best Permanent Hair Colors for Gray Hair
Permanent hair dye is typically the best pick for covering gray hair, but not all boxed dye is created equally. The right formula will cover grays (even the stubborn ones) and leave you with vibrant, natural-looking color. Discover four of our best hair dyes for gray hair, below.
L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Universal Nudes
Cover gray roots and enhance your natural color with this easy-to-use at-home color kit. The ammonia-free formula offers 100% gray coverage on all hair while feeling gentle on the scalp and strands. Plus, it’s formulated with a Pro-Keratine complex to protect hair as it deposits color. And if you’re concerned about coloring your curls and disrupting your natural curl pattern, don’t be: The paraben-free coloring kit is uniquely formulated for all hair types and textures. Choose from eight universally flattering, natural-looking shades, from pale blonde to rich, dimensional soft black.
L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Créme Permanent Triple Hair Color
Enjoy 100% gray coverage and rich, radiant color with this easy-to-use home color kit. The non-drip color creme is available in 32 gorgeous shades, from pale blondes to rich browns and warm, decadent red hues. It’s a particularly great option for those with drier or damaged strands, as the dye is formulated with an exclusive Triple Care Color Routine that deeply cares for and protects your hair while it colors. As with any boxed dye, you’ll want to follow the instructions included in the box to ensure the best results.
L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color
If you’re looking to cover grays and experiment with a new hue, consider reaching for this at-home hair color option. Available in 48 shades, the luxurious permanent dye covers grays and delivers vibrant, fade-defying color that lasts up to eight weeks. The kit’s included color-protective conditioner is a particular favorite: It contains antioxidant vitamin E and UV filters and helps keep your color looking vibrant, silky, and shiny.
L’Oréal Paris Magic Root Rescue 10 Minute Root Hair Coloring Kit
This root touch-up solution is formulated to give you permanent, gorgeous color in as little as ten minutes with 100% gray coverage. The conditioning color comes in a variety of natural-looking shades to match even professional salon colors, and the precision brush applicator makes covering gray roots fast and easy. We recommend saving this for root regrowth of fewer than three weeks for the best results.
What’s The Best Temporary Hair Color for Gray Hair?
Even if you don’t have time for a full root touch-up, you can still conceal your grays with a temporary color spray or tinted dry shampoo.
For the former, we suggest L’Oréal Paris Magic Root Cover Up. This easy-to-use, lightweight spray offers quick gray coverage without any smudging or sticky residue. It’s available in a variety of blonde, brown, red, and black shades and lasts until your next shampoo. Shake the can well, then spray onto new growth or grays and partly through the length of your hair to blend the color. Let it dry for about a minute, then style as usual.
If you’d like to cover grays and refresh your second (or third) day hair, try a tinted dry shampoo like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Tinted Dry Shampoo for Blonde Hair or the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Tinted Dry Shampoo for Brown Hair. This beautifully-scented dry shampoo refreshes greasy roots and temporarily camouflages grays without leaving behind any white residue.
How Often Should You Color Gray Hair?
How often you’ll want to color your grays depends on a few factors, including how quickly your hair grows, the type of hair dye you’re using, and how much of your hair is gray. In our opinion, the best dyes for gray hair are permanent dyes, because they offer long-lasting color. If you’re using one of these, you can generally expect to touch up your roots every four to six weeks. Semi-permanent dyes typically fade more quickly, between eight and ten washes (though this, too, can vary). Finally, tinted dry shampoos and root touch-up sprays last until your next wash and, therefore, need to be reapplied after each shampoo.
Since there are a few variables involved, we recommend scheduling your coloring sessions according to how your hair looks rather than how much time has passed. In other words, once you spot a good amount of gray, touch up your color (or experiment with a new hue).
What Color Hair Dye Covers Gray the Best?
There’s a reason you see a lot of mature people walking around with cool blonde hair: Light, ashy tones blend well with grays since there’s little contrast between colors. Darker and more vivid hues like red and black, meanwhile, have a higher contrast—which can make grays more obvious once they do grow back in.
Ultimately, any dye designed for gray hair should cover your silvery strands well, so it comes down to how much maintenance you’re willing to commit to. If you’d rather go longer between touch-ups, opt for a low-contrast hue like cool blonde or ash brown. For those who don’t mind regular coloring sessions every four or so weeks, choose whichever shade speaks to you most.
Hair Care Tips for Gray Hair
Once you’re done covering your grays (for now), you may want to consider adjusting your haircare routine to help keep your strands looking their best. Discover three of our best tips for maintaining healthy-looking hair below.
Permanent hair dye is the best pick for covering grays, but not all boxed dye is created equal. The right dye will cover grays — even the stubborn ones — and leave you with vibrant color and a shiny mane. Learn all about the best permanent dyes for covering gray hair at home, below.
L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Créme Permanent Triple Protection Hair Color
This at-home color kit offers 100 percent coverage on even the most stubborn grays. The easy-to-use, non-drip cream formula includes a Pro-Keratine complex to keep your strands protected throughout the entire process. This kit also comes in a variety of blonde, brown, red, and black shades so whether you have super-light blonde hair or dark brunette hair, you’ve got plenty of options to choose from. Follow the instructions included in the box for the best application.
L’Oréal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color
Perfect for covering roots or grays alike, this at-home color kit has more than 50 shades to give you vibrant, fade-free color that lasts up to eight weeks. The dye includes a translucent gel hair dye formula with an exclusive shine serum to keep your strands vibrant, silky and shiny every time you use it. When the time comes to dye your hair, closely follow the instructions included with your dye for the best results.
L’Oréal Paris Magic Root Rescue 10 Minute Root Hair Coloring Kit
This root touch-up kit is formulated to give you permanent, gorgeous color in as little as ten minutes with 100 percent gray coverage. The soft brush applicator makes touch-ups fast and easy, plus it comes in a variety of shades to match even professional salon colors. Save this for root regrowth of fewer than three weeks and follow the instructions listed on the packaging for seamless color.
2. Skip the heat
Gray hair can feel stiffer and more wiry than hair with natural pigment, which may have you reaching for the flatiron a bit more than you would otherwise. However, frequent heat styling can damage your strands, so aim to commit to heatless styling at least a couple of times per week (overnight beach waves or a sleek low bun are both great options). If you have waves or curls, you could also use a curl enhancer like the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Curls Leave-in Conditioner to define hair by sculpting and retaining its shape.
When you do use a hot tool (or several), make sure to use a heat protectant like the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free 21-in-1 Color Caring Spray, Leave In to help shield your strands from temperatures up to 450oF.
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3. Try a glossing system
If your hair lacks luster, consider opting for a color-safe system designed to enhance shine, such as the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Glossing Shampoo, pH Balanced and the L’Oréal Paris Sulfate-Free Glossing Conditioner, pH Balanced. The gentle pair leaves hair healthy-looking with an intensely shiny finish that lasts. For added shine, incorporate the L’Oréal Paris EverPure Sulfate-Free Glossing In Shower Acidic Glaze into your routine. We suggest using the in-shower hair glaze once per week after shampooing, then following with conditioner.
You can also opt for an at-home glossing treatment like the L’Oréal Paris Le Color Gloss One Step In-Shower Toning Gloss. This gloss tones color, boosts shine, and deeply conditions strands in a single weekly treatment. The formula won’t lift, cover, or lighten grays, but it’s a great way to give your color-treated strands some extra love.
Photo Courtesy of L'Oréal Paris
