As much as I love leaving a salon feeling years younger with fresh color and a bouncy blowout, getting professional single-process hair color every six weeks is a major time and money investment. (Especially for someone whose main goal is just to cover grays.) For so long the idea of at-home hair dye to conceal my gray(ing) roots seemed too daunting, but after months of putting off a trek to the salon, I suddenly had no other option.
Surprise! The traditional box dyes today are actually pretty foolproof (and admittedly life-changing). But, if roots are your major concern, you'll be left with lots of non-reusable dye. Luckily, bountiful root touch-up options exist, from creams, gels and sprays to pencils and powders. To find the best products to conceal unwanted visible roots, we narrowed down the "best of" to eight. Our picks are based on how shoppers say the formulas vanish grays, stay in place, are mess-free, how long it lasts and the color match. Ahead, the eight best root cover-ups that'll keep you satisfied in between (extended) salon visits.
1 / 8
Color Wow has a ton of celebrity fans like Jennifer Lopez, Rihanna, Amal Clooney and Sydney Sweeney—all heads of enviable hair. So, it's no surprise that Color Wow's Root Cover Up impresses shoppers too. This easy-to-use pressed powder covers grays seamlessly, fast and mess-free, and can last through a few days of oil, sweat or water before having to reapply. Users especially like how quickly the powder dries, its natural finish (read: no stiff roots) and the two-sided precision brush, so no gray strand stands uncovered.
BUY ON AMAZON - $35
BUY ON ULTA - $35
2 / 8
For shoppers looking for a more permanent root toucher-upper, look no further than dpHUE's Root Touch-Up Kit. According to shoppers, in less than one hour grays are 100 percent covered for several weeks, and many also report softer, silkier hair after use. A much-loved bonus: each box has two applications, aka more bang for your buck.
BUY ON AMAZON - $35
BUY ON ULTA - $35
3 / 8
Over 10,000 Amazon shoppers give this under-$10 gel dye five stars. Why? In just 10 minutes, it precisely conceals gray roots with a convenient built-in applicator brush—and many report the coverage lasts weeks. "My go-to for years for quick touch-ups," says one review. (Note: based on the size of the bottle, many reviewers share this product is great for roots, not all over hair dye.)
BUY ON AMAZON - $7
BUY ON ULTA - $8
4 / 8
Bring the salon home with this permanent root touch-up kit from Madison Reed that does the job in 10 minutes. The kit includes two Color Creams, two Color Activators, two Cleansing Wipes, two Pura Color Therapy Hair Masks, two pairs of gloves, an application brush and a mixing bowl. This is an especially great pick for visible roots and various part-line roots, says shoppers.
BUY ON AMAZON - $37
BUY ON ULTA - $37
5 / 8
With hair concealer sprays, covered roots can become stiff and matte as it dries. Not so with Style Edit's Root Concealer, says shoppers. They also report it doesn't run, washes out easily and the color match is "outstanding." (That's thanks to adaptive pigments that adhere to the hair fiber and self-adjust for a natural-looking tint, says the brand.)
BUY NOW - $34
6 / 8
There's an extra oomph to this root touch-up spray: it not only conceals grays temporarily, but with pearl extract and biotin in the formula it also promotes healthier, stronger hair. Customers say it "covers well," is "less messy" than other sprays and has a "good color match" that lasts between shampoos.
BUY ON AMAZON - $19
BUY ON DERMSTORE - $19
7 / 8
A little goes a long way with this budget-friendly, 10-minute permanent dye from Clairol. Testers say grays vanish completely and the color match is seamless, not to mention several also note their hair feels softer for weeks after use.
BUY NOW - $8
8 / 8
While we wish the shade range was more inclusive, Bumble and bumble's Color Stick covers grays in seconds with no mess. Customers say it's foolproof and absolutely worth it for a "quick fix" for stray silver stands. "It stays on well and doesn't come off in my hands if I touch my hair," adds one shopper.
BUY ON AMAZON - $33
BUY ON SEPHORA - $33
