

(We asked representatives of the other brands we included in our study how long their permanent color lasts. Dark & Lovely’s label, for instance, notes it will provide up to “8 weeks of vibrant color.” A spokesperson from Clairol told us Nice n’ Easy would also last for about eight weeks. Note that even permanent dye fades over time, says Keya Neal, a colorist, curl specialist, and beauty brand diversity and inclusion strategist based in Crofton, Md. (All the products we evaluated were labeled permanent.)

There are the temporary colors or “rinses,” which last for one or two washes semipermanent, which wash out after about six to eight washes demi-permanent, which typically last for 10 to 12 washes and the permanent varieties, which are designed not to wash out at all.
Best at home hair color skin#
Still, some wished they had an extra set of hands or tools like hair clips to get the job done, and a few said that the resulting hair color they got wasn’t quite what they wanted.īefore we get to the results, here are a few things to consider.ĭIY hair color, which has long been available in boxed kits sold in supermarkets and drugstores, allows users to change or refresh their hue, touch up roots, and/or cover gray hair, by simply combining a few ingredients, applying the mixture to their hair for a set period of time, and rinsing it out (and often applying a conditioner or conditioning treatment).Īt-home color comes in a few types, according to Crystal Aguh, MD, assistant professor of dermatology and director of the Ethnic Skin Program at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and author of the book “90 Days to Beautiful Hair: 50 Dermatologist-Approved Tips to Un‘lock’ The Hair of Your Dreams” (U&C Publishing, 2019).

But I happily discovered that the process was a lot easier than I had first expected.” The good news: Our consumer volunteers mostly felt they could do a good job at coloring their hair and were generally pleased with the color they achieved.Īs one participant put it, “Having had to switch to coloring my own hair from a kit at home because my salon is shut down during the pandemic was NOT something that I was looking forward to doing at all. Many of the volunteers usually had their hair colored at salons but switched to DIY color during the COVID-19 salon shutdowns, although some of our participants who tested out Dark & Lovely were more regular users of home hair dye kits. See our list below for further details-you can also check out our list of DIY at-home toners.We had them try one of six widely sold permanent color kits: Clairol Nice’n Easy, Dark & Lovely Fade Resist (which is marketed to Black consumers), Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Creme, L’Oréal Excellence Crème, Revlon Colorsilk Beautiful Color, and Madison Reed. They do not have the same long-wear as hair color, but their low-stakes nature makes them perfect for an at-home trial. These will be able to bring vibrancy back to your hair or help blend harsh grow-out lines. "Hair toner" is more-or-less an umbrella term to encompass products like glosses, color-correcting shampoos, pigment-depositing treatments, and demi-permanent dyes.
Best at home hair color update#
You may think you're in desperate need of a color update when a simple refresh would suffice: In these instances, turn to toners. Not to mention, there are things other than dyes to help you in the interim.
Best at home hair color professional#
"If you mess something up, there will be no professional available to fix it, so you might end up making your situation worse than before," says Thompson. This is especially true if you've never colored at home before.

Most colorists will advise waiting it out if new growth at the root or overall tonal changes don't bother you that much.
