If the pandemic taught us one thing, it was how to color one’s hair with DIY kits. The best at-home hair color has come a long way with its professional formula that is gentle on your hair and its absence of strong ammonia fumes. What was once considered off limits at-home has become part and parcel of one’s hair care regimen. With the new improved formulas you never have to worry about flaky or irritated scalps nor do you have to worry about the results being patchy or streaky. At-home hair color has become the new norm and there is something for every hair type and style that you would like to go for. They offer you a rainbow of colors with hair-friendly ingredients and different levels of permanency which you can customize to your requirements. 

These colors are easy to use and offer you a pocket-friendly and quick way to enhance your hair. And you can say goodbye to those time consuming hair salon visits that burn a hole in your pocket. These hair colors are long-lasting and can withstand regular shampooing and sun exposure without losing their vibrancy and luster. So whether it is to cover greys or experiment with different hues for your hair, there is no dearth of choices. After conducting experiments with it, we have come up with the 13 best at-home hair color for you that will ensure professional results and boost your confidence.

• 1
  Best Overall

  L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Permanent Hair Color - 4 Dark Brown

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You don’t have to give a second thought to stubborn greys with L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Permanent Hair Color as you are guaranteed of complete coverage with a triple protection system that seals, replenishes and conditions your hair. It offers a plethora of colors ranging from Ash Blonde to Jet Black that offer long-lasting rich and radiant color. This at-home hair color uses quality ingredients like pro-keratin complex combined with the latest technology for a care-free experience. The after color shampoo is especially formulated with glycerin for use after rinsing and gently cleanses your hair and scalp of excess residue while smoothing your hair. It also includes a deep ceramide conditioner to revitalize your hair and keep it looking gorgeous forever.

Formula Type - Cream

Number of Shades - 44

2

Best Vegan Formula

Arctic Fox Ritual Semi-Permanent Hair Color

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If you are looking for an incredible, jewel-toned hair color with a wow factor, Arctic Fox Ritual Semi-Permanent Hair Color is the one for you with its rich burgundy hue. This highly pigmented home hair color works best on hair that is level 7 and above. Crafted with 100 percent natural vegan ingredients, it is devoid of animal by-products and harsh chemicals like ammonia and peroxide among others that can damage your hair. Our team discovered through using this product that it’s extremely gentle on the hair, it also conditions it and can be used frequently. It has the added advantage of being stain and smear-resistant as well as long-lasting with a pleasant fragrance and leaves your hair hydrated and healthy.

Formula Type - Cream

Number of Shades - 24

3

Best in Sustainable Packaging

Schwarzkopf Simply Color Permanent Hair Color - 4.0 Intense Espresso

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Get natural looking hair color with Schwarzkopf Simply Color Permanent Hair Color that is extremely gentle on your hair and scalp so you don’t have to fear irritation or allergic reactions. It offers you a whole range of rich and radiant colors which covers your hair evenly from root to tip. Its unique and nourishing formula contains soy protein, oat milk and argan oil and is completely devoid of harsh chemicals like alcohol, silicone and ammonia. This best box hair dye offers complete and long-lasting grey coverage with its intense color and you have the option of combining it with Schwarzkopf’s Color Boost if you want to extend the life of your hair color.

Formula Type - Cream

Number of Shades - 10

4

Best Customizable Color

Keracolor Color+ Clenditioner - Merlot

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Enhance your hair with vibrant colors of Keracolor Color+ Clenditioner as you cleanse it. It has the unique distinction of being a conditioning cleanser that doesn’t lather and immediately infuses color into your hair. The vivacious colors deposit on your hair and enhance and tone your hair color. This non-damaging at-home hair color adds intensity of color and extends the color life. It’s enriched with keratin and is further infused with nourishing coconut oil, rosehip oil, shea butter, almond oil and jojoba oil which rejuvenates your hair makeing it shinier and healthier. It’s a direct and semi-permanent hair dye that colors, cleanses and conditions your hair. You can also customize your color by mixing and matching and toning down unwanted color.

Formula Type - Liquid

Number of Shades - 22

5

Best for Full Coverage

Schwarzkopf Keratin Permanent Hair Color - 6.0 Delicate Praline

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If you are looking to banish greys from your life, Schwarzkopf Keratin Permanent Hair Color is the answer for you. This at-home hair dye is long-lasting and ensures 100 percent grey coverage. Its unique K·bond-plex technology conditioner works to reduce hair breakage by up to 80 percent by coating the hair shaft after coloring and is ideal for brittle or mature hair that needs repair from the core. This amazing color includes a pre-color serum which prepares and conditions the hair for more uniform color results and for stronger and healthier looking hair. It colors your hair uniformly from root to tip and gives a beautiful sheen to your hair.

Formula Type - Cream

Number of Shades - 16

6

Best Cruelty-Free Formula

Naturtint Permanent Hair Color Gel - 6N Dark Blonde

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With the distinction of being the first permanent hair color to be certified in the BioPreferred program, Naturtint Permanent Hair Color Gel is devoid of all harsh chemicals. It is instead infused with 92 percent natural plant ingredients like oleic acid which is derived from olives and meadowfoam seed oil which moisturizes and nourishes your hair making it shinier and softer. This at-home hair color is also enriched with ingredients like quinoa, organic shea butter and baobab proteins which help to fix the color and are intensely moisturizing and nourishing thanks to the high concentration of vitamins and fatty acids. It offers 100 percent coverage for grey hair with very natural and long-lasting results so that your looks gorgeous and hydrated.

Formula Type - Gel

Number of Shades - 28

7

Best for Highlighting

Revlon Color Effects Frost & Glow Highlights - Honey

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Highlight your hair at-home with salon-like proficiency using Revlon Color Effects Frost & Glow Highlights. Whether it is permanent highlighting, frosting, balayaging or creating ombre hair, this at-home hair color does it all. It offers you 2 options for highlighting your hair — the easy to use LightZones cap and hook helps create precise blonde highlights or you can skip the cap and paint on balayage streaks wherever you want a lightening effect. Excellent Bond Restore Complex technology enables you to create subtle or bold highlights without hair breakage. Its unique Keratin Moisture Complex penetrates deep to protect, nourish and moisturize hair. It includes a violet-pigmented conditioner that not only enhances color, it also eliminates brassy tones. Honey, Blonde and Platinum highlighters give an option for customizable highlights.

Formula Type - Cream

Number of Shades - 3

8

Best for Hair Hydration

Clairol Age Defy Permanent Hair Dye - 5 Medium Brown

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If you want your hair to belie your age, try Clairol Age Defy Permanent Hair Dye which offers full grey coverage that lasts up to 8 weeks. It gives your hair intense luminous color and targets stubborn greys so that every strand is coated. Its unique Repair-Plex formula along with maintaining color also helps to protect the structure of the hair shaft and as indicated by our tests, reduces hair breakage by up to 97 percent. This at-home hair dye includes a AgeDefy Intensifying Pre-Treat Serum as well as CC+ Color Seal Conditioning Therapy which is infused with antioxidants and hyaluronic acid which is an intense hydrator. You can flaunt rich and vibrant tresses with a single application of this hair color at-home.

Formula Type - Cream

Number of Shades - 9

9

Best Fortified Color

AGEbeautiful Permanent Anti-Aging Hair Color - 7NN Dark Intense Blonde

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AGEbeautiful Permanent Anti-Aging Hair Color takes pride in being the pioneer color that is crafted with keratin peptide and melanin as well as silk protein and a patented conditioning technology that rejuvenates and replenishes hair. Hair tends to lose volume, color and shine as well as moisture and becomes less manageable with age. This at-home hair color is the first to fight all five signs of aging hair as it is fortified with biotin. It ensures 100 percent of grey coverage which lasts for up to 8 weeks so that your hair looks vibrant and healthy as well as nourished and thicker. It is gentle on the hair and you don’t have to worry about harsh chemicals or irritation to the scalp.

Formula Type - Liqui-Creme

Number of  Shades - 87

10

Best Nourishing Color

Smart Beauty Amethyst Purple Color-Plex Permanent Hair Color

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Go bold and dramatic with Smart Beauty Amethyst Purple Color-Plex Permanent Hair Color which is especially created for dark blonde to mid-brown hair. Its innovative Smart Plex anti-hair breakage technology rebuilds the micro-bond structure of the hair fibers and nourishes it so that your hair is stronger and healthier. Its non-drip formula prevents a mess and staining of the skin. This at-home hair color gives complete grey coverage with its intense color. It’s the perfect choice if you are looking for stunning and rich purple hair color which is sure to turn heads. Devoid of all harsh chemicals like parabens and mineral oil, it is very gentle on your hair and scalp and ensures that your hair always looks glossy and healthy.

Formula Type - Cream

Number of Shades - 7

11

dpHUE Gloss+ Semi-Permanent Hair Color and Deep Conditioner - Light Brown

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Give your hair color a boost with dpHUE Gloss+ Semi-Permanent Hair Color and Deep Conditioner as it deepens and enhances your colored and natural hair so that it looks professionally done. This versatile at-home hair color can also be used to tone down highlights and give your hair uniform color and shine. It doesn’t require a developer or mixing. This semi permanent and ammonia-free hair color coats your hair instead of penetrating the cuticles so you can use as much as you want without damaging your hair. It deeply conditions your hair to make it shiny, soft and manageable and is free of harsh chemicals. All shades can be mixed with Sheer to dilute them or with other colors to create new shades.

Formula Type - Liquid

Number of Shades - 12

12

Clairol Nice'n Easy Balayage Permanent Highlighting Hair Color - Blonde

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Create a balayage, ombre or highlights on your hair in the comfort of your home at a very comfortable cost with Clairol Nice'n Easy Balayage Permanent Highlighting Hair Color.  It’s incredibly simple to apply and you can get perfect highlights that look as if you have stepped out of a hair salon. This permanent hair color is designed to protect your hair and you can play around with your hair for dramatic or subtle highlights that are flawless thanks to the expert brush that is included. Our findings show that this at-home hair dye ensures that your hair looks natural and you can personalize the painted-on highlights. It also includes a CC color seal conditioner for smooth and shiny hair.

Formula Type - Cream

Number of Shades - 2

13

Yizhong Easy Comb Dyeing - Golden Brown

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Yizhong Easy Comb Dyeing offers you the amazing combination of hair dyeing, care and maintenance as you color, condition and oil your hair at the same time. Its unique comb applicator design is easy to use and is as simple as combing your hair. This at-home hair dye comes ready to apply and you don’t have to worry about a developer or mixing. You can safely mix colors to get endless customized shades and its natural and mild formula contains a variety of plant extracts like Chinese wolfberry and ginseng as well as argan oil, five beizi, angelica and fleece flower root that replenish the nutrients of your hair. It also includes herbal moisturising black hair shampoo, clip, gloves, earmuffs, cape and bath cap.

Formula Type - Cream

Number of Shades - 7

You should have a pretty good idea by now about the best at-home hair color that would suit your requirements and style statement. You can get the most out of it if you keep your eyes and mind open while choosing one for yourself as you read ahead.

The most important things to keep in mind are the type of dye and your skin and eye color. Also, what you hope to achieve with the color and your personal style would make all the difference. Let us take you through some of the things that would make your hair rock.

Type of Dye 

Dyes that are free or low on ammonia and peroxide are the least drying for your hair. Also, a dye that contains plant butters and moisturizing oils is good for your hair. A temporary dye is a better option as you are not stuck with it for long.

Hair Color Goal

Decide whether you want to go for a darker or lighter shade of your natural hair. You also should decide whether you want to cover grey hair, enhance your natural hair color or highlight your hair. Your choice of hair color would be determined by these factors.

Skin Undertone

Depending on your skin’s undertone you can opt for a warm, cool or neutral hue. Shades like platinum, beige, ice, champagne and silver are best suited for warm undertones. For cool undertones you should go for warm reds, golden and neutral shades of brunette. Those with neutral undertones are lucky and can choose between warm and cool shades. Your skin tone should decide your hair color as the correct color can make your skin look more beautiful while the wrong color can make your skin look dull. 

Eye Color

Match your hair color with your eye color as it makes all the difference in your overall appearance. To bring out your eye color you should opt for a contrasting colour. A gold or caramel hair color will bring out the color of blue eyes while a red tone of hair color would do the same for green eyes.

Personal Style

Apart from your skin tone and eye color, your personal style should be considered. Your hair color would decide whether you want to stand out or blend in with the crowd. At the end of the day be confident in the color you use.

Be Natural

A natural look is always better and it’s best not to stray farther than 2 shades from your natural hair as your hair shade usually matches your complexion. If you opt for a color that’s too dark and you will look washed out and vice-versa. 

Take it Slow

If you are planning for a dramatic hair color change, do it gradually. If you are planning to go from blonde to dark or vice versa, start with a more neutral colour first and then build up to the color you want.

Read Reviews

You can get a lot of insight into a product by reading reviews which the packaging will never tell you. Things like the color showing up differently on your hair as compared to what is mentioned on the box, whether things like gloves and conditioner are included or not and whether you need more of the product for it to be effective will help you plan better.

Additional Features

• Apart from the hair color, the package will usually also have a developer in an applicator bottle that will be mixed with the color and contains hydrogen peroxide.
  As each brand is different, it’s important to read the directions properly before and follow them closely for the best results. 
• Gloves are often included with the product to protect your hands from dye.
• Some colors come with an applicator bottle in which the color and developer are mixed. Some may even include a mixing bowl and brush for color application. 
• Some color kits include a small bottle or tube of color protecting shampoo or conditioner to enhance the result. 
• Wipes for color removal and a shower cap to prevent the color from dripping may also be included.

Sharing a pro-tip our contributor William Slator, a hair expert and product developer says, “To make your at-home hair color last longer, consider using color-safe shampoos and conditioners specifically formulated to preserve vibrancy and prevent fading. Additionally, minimizing exposure to heat styling tools and UV rays can help maintain the integrity of the color.”

Contributor: William Slator, Product developer - HairGuard