One thing that’s quite hard for most people to keep up with amidst busy work and personal life schedules is hair color appointments. With delayed salon visits, gray hair, a receding hairline, and bald patches gain more prominence than we may expect it to. But after hours of research, our experts have come up with a simple solution to all these problems while also finding a way to minimize the amount of money you spend at every salon appointment – they’ve curated a list of the best root touch-up products to try at home. 

There are umpteen products in the market and needless to say, the choice of quality over quantity always triumphs. Don’t get overwhelmed with all the products you come across – follow our guide to purchasing the best root coverups. As per our expertise, you need to opt for products based on ingredients, range of shades, easy application, and the type of applicator that comes with the kit. Enlisted below are some of the most convenient options that we’ve tried and tested for your convenience.

• 1
  Best overall

  L'Oreal Paris Root Cover Up Gray Concealer Spray

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Three seconds. That much time you need to cover up your gray hairs with the L'Oreal Paris root cover up. It is a temporary gray concealer spray that leaves you with flawless roots in seconds. The lightweight formula is ammonia and peroxide-free. You will not find any sticky residue or smudged color after its application. Available in 9 different shades, it is suitable for all hair colors, be it blonde, red, black, or brunette. One of the best root touch-up sprays, it does live up to its name, magically blending in the color to give a seamless effect.

An Amazon Reviewer Says: “This stuff is a lifesaver. It matches well and looks natural. I use it between routine color treatments at the salon.”

Shade Range: 7

Size: 2 Oz

Key Ingredients: Not mentioned

Form: Aerosol

Quick Tip:

Ensure that you shake the can thoroughly before applying the product so that you achieve an even distribution of color.

2

Best for dry hair

Color Wow Root Cover Up

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This product by Color Wow instantly conceals gray hairs, dark roots, and extended highlights. Awarded the Best of Beauty Award by Allure for 9 years in a row, it is one of the best root cover-ups for dry hair. This root touch-up powder comes with a double-ended brush applicator for easy and smooth application. It is a reflective mineral powder that gives a multi-dimensional, natural-looking coverage. Camouflaging the roots seamlessly, you can also use it to effectively fill in thinning hair. It comes in 8 perfectly blendable color shades.

An Amazon Reviewer Says: “This stuff works like a dream. It helps cover the greys between colorings! It doesn’t run, and doesn’t make your hair sticky like all the sprays! I’m so happy I found this product.”

Shade Range: 8

Size: Not mentioned

Key Ingredients: Not mentioned

Form: Powder

3

Best hair-dye

Clairol Root Touch-Up by Nice'n Easy

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A permanent hair dye by Clairol, this root touch-up takes only 10 minutes to work, lasting up to 3 weeks. Giving an effective root coverage, it also blends perfectly with pre-formulated salon colors. The package comes with permanent color cream, color-activating lotion, a brush, and a bowl. The brush allows precision application, leaving behind a flawless cover-up. It comes in an extensive range of 30 different shades. Now get a quick refresh of hair cover-up in just minutes.

An Amazon Reviewer Says: “Easy application, quick results, and gives beautiful, shiny hair.”

Shade Range: 22

Size: 1.1 Oz

Key Ingredients: Not mentioned

Form: Cream

4

Best multi-faceted powder

BOLDIFY Hairline Powder

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BOLDIFY hairline powder is your go-to product for filling, concealing, thickening, and enhancing. It effortlessly camouflages receding hairline, root re-growth, fading color, gray roots, bald spots, or patchiness. Infused with conditioning squalane, it gives a full-bodied, natural finish. This compact kit comes with a puff applicator tucked in its base and a built-in mirror. The applicator glides smoothly, locking the powder tightly onto the follicles, providing an undetectable coverage. Available in 14 natural shades, this is one of the best root cover-ups that doesn’t harm your scalp health. 

An Amazon Reviewer Says: “This product is exactly what I was looking for. It covers my grey roots perfectly. No more 'skunk stripe' on the top of my head. I can now extend the time between my colorings.”

Shade Range: 14

Size: 0.14 Oz

Key Ingredients: Glycerin, mica, silica, and squalane

Form: Powder

5

Best travel-friendly

Clairol Root Touch-Up Concealing Powder

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Sometimes it only takes 10 seconds to get a salon-like hair glow. With the Clairol root touch-up powder, conceal your gray hairs, refresh the visible roots, and even define your brows. It blends flawlessly with your existing hair color to give you an undetectable natural finish. The precision brush effortlessly covers single strands and temples without being messy. Available in 6 different shades, the product comes in a compact kit that easily fits into your purse. It is the best temporary root touch-up solution especially if you are on the go.

An Amazon Reviewer Says: “This is my go-to touch-up. I use it every day and no gray hair is ever seen. Part of my getting ready routine.”

Shade Range: 6

Size: 0.7 Oz

Key Ingredients: Not mentioned

Form: Powder

6

Best powder

SEVICH Hairline Powder

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A quick solution for gray hair coverage, SEVICH offers a hairline powder in 12 different shades suitable for all hair types. Free from preservatives, sulfates, and peroxides, it is made from scalp-friendly beeswax and vegetable oil. Conveniently packed in a compact kit with a sponge applicator and built-in mirror, it is the best root cover-up to solve your hair color problems in a jiffy. It works magic in shaping and enriching the hairline, covering up bald patches, defining brows, and retouching gray hair.

An Amazon Reviewer Says: “Ordered this for the third time, works really well, can’t live without it.”

Shade Range: 12

Size: 4 Grams

Key Ingredients: Beeswax and vegetable oil

Form: Powder

Quick Tip:

To make your root touch-up last longer, use a light hairspray to keep the powder in place. This will help it to withstand sweat and environmental factors.

7

Best spray-alternative

Root Touch Up Powder by Style Edit

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Style Edit’s binding powder instantly covers gray hairs and root regrowths, keeping your hairline and roots intact. The puff applicator conceals your color problems with precision. The lightweight formula gives a lustrous shine to the hair without any sticky, gunky feel. The powder is infused with minerals and binding agents that effortlessly self-adjust to the hair fibers. It is paraben-free, silicone-free, and without any harsh sulfates. You have the option to select from 10 realistic shades and find the best root cover-up shade that perfectly matches your hair color. 

An Amazon Reviewer Says: “Lasts forever, works great, and cute container!”

Shade Range: 10

Size: 0.13 Oz

Key Ingredients: Not mentioned

Form: Powder

8

Best self adjusting powder

EVERPRO Gray Away Root Touch Up Powder

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A root touch-up powder with magnetic power, the EVERPRO Gray Away powder flawlessly adjusts to your hair. Blending undetectably, it conceals gray hair to match your hair color perfectly. Applying this root cover-up powder makes your hair soft and shiny due to the minerals used. They are preservative-free, and completely safe for your hair and scalp too. The sponge applicator smoothly glides along the hair and roots to give an even, natural look. It is available in 3 shades, black/dark brown, light brown, and lightest brown/medium blonde.

An Amazon Reviewer Says: I use this to get an extra 7-10 days of my color. It’s great stuff: colors well, and lasts even overnight til you wash it out. The little pot lasts me a very long time (years).”

Shade Range: 2

Size: 0.13 Oz

Key Ingredients: Not mentioned

Form: Powder

9

Best hairline cover up

Hairline Powder Hair Root Dye

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Style your hair and solve your hair color problems in between your salon visits with this one-of-a-kind hairline powder. It is a hair root dye that lets you style your hair, making it look denser. Made from beeswax, it is scalp-friendly and preservative-free. This is the best root cover up to extend the life of your hair color and highlights. The gentle hair shadow powder when applied between the root of the hair and the scalp, you get full hair instantly. The extensive range of 12 shades is perfect for all hair colors. 

An Amazon Reviewer Says: This is perfect. It lets you put it where you want it. Not a powder that pours out quickly. It covers easily”

Shade Range: 12

Size: Not mentioned

Key Ingredients: Beeswax

Form: Powder

10

Best brush

Kiss Quick Cover Gray Hair Touch Up

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Quick Cover Gray Hair Touch Up by Kiss has a wand applicator that gives you a detailed gray hair touch-up, covering the short fly-away hair without any mess. You get a thorough coverage as the mascara-like brush zeroes in on the specific areas. It is water resistant and you can wash it off with your regular shampoo. As a quick fix, it is one of the best temporary root touch-up products. With 6 different shades of black and brown, it is perfect for brunettes. 

An Amazon Reviewer Says: “Very easy to use. Great for a quick touchup in between professional services.”

Shade Range: 6

Size: 7 Grams

Key Ingredients: Jojoba oil

Form: Cream

11

Boyd's Brush It Away Gray Hair Mascara and Root Touch Up

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Boyd’s Brush It Away root touch-up comes in a mascara brush that provides a  clump-free application. Single strands, temples, and short fly-away hairs can be seamlessly concealed with this wand applicator. It undetectably blends hair for the perfect root-to-tip finish. This is the best temporary root touch-up for all hair textures, fine, medium, or thick. It offers 6 different shades suitable for blondes as well as brunettes.

An Amazon Reviewer Says: “I love, love, love this stuff. I can't believe it really looks natural in the rest of my hair. Thank you for this product”

Shade Range: 6

Size: Not mentioned

Key Ingredients: Not mentioned

Form: Cream

12

Eufora Conceal Brown Root Touch Up

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The built-in self dispensing brush makes Eufora Conceal Root Touch Up one of the best root cover ups. The self-contained brush makes application quick and easy. Soy protein, aloe vera, panthenol, and other essential minerals provide optimum rejuvenation and benefits to the hair and scalp. The ultra-light powder has mineral pigments with an ionic attraction that minimizes product transfer and makes it long-lasting. The 5 shades are suitable for all hair colors and flawlessly cover gray hair roots.

An Amazon Reviewer Says: “My new holy grail of covering my grays before I get into the salon!! Great coverage! Amazing product!”

Shade Range: 5

Size: Not mentioned

Key Ingredients: Soy protein and  panthenol

Form: Powder

13

gowwim Root Touch Up

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The Magic Gray Hair Dye by gowwim is a semi-permanent root touch-up hair dye pen. The pen effectively solves gray hair problems by instantly camouflaging the gray hair. The safe and natural ingredients like cuttlefish juice and green tea in the product keep the hair healthy and glossy. The pen makes the application fuss-free without any mess. Available in 3 shades, black, coffee, and dark brown, this hair root touch-up is suitable for dark hair. 

An Amazon Reviewer Says: “I love this product for my wigs. It doesn’t stain the lace and has great coverage

Shade Range: 3

Size: Not mentioned

Key Ingredients: Cuttlefish juice and green tea

Form: stick

Few points to remember while selecting the best root touch up.

Shade: It is advisable to select a shade that matches your dyed hair color as well as your natural hair color. If the shades do not match, you will end up with inconsistent and unnatural finish. If you are looking for a product to cover up your grays, opt for a lighter shade. The development of color on light colored strands such as gray hair tend to be darker.

Applicator: The applicator is important for coverage and ease of application. For covering roots, sprays and sponge are perfect, for hairlines brushes are suitable and for concealing short fly-away hairs, wand applicator is ideal. Depending on the most significant problem, choose the right applicator for quick and easy application.

Coverage: The root touch up products give pretty generous coverage with a little amount applied. So, it is best not to go overboard with it.

Key Ingredients: To keep your hair and scalp healthy, always choose a preservative-free root touch up product. Natural ingredients like beeswax and aloe vera will be gentle on your hair. 

For a simple quick-fix for your hair color problems, a root touch up product can be your new best friend. With an extensive range of shades, different applicator types, natural and safe ingredients, there is one best root touch up product for each one of you out there. The compact kit design makes them portable and travel-friendly. Be it your home or a hotel room, your root touch up product will always be with you for that emergency touch up. Pay a little attention to choosing the right product and you will never have to burn a hole in your pocket ever again. 

Here's how you can use a root touch-up product effectively:

1. First things first, you need to choose a root touch-up kit that’s an ideal match to your hair color.

2. When you're applying the product, wear an old T-shirt. Use a pair of gloves and a towel across you for protection.

3. Take your time and carefully go to the instructions on how to use the product.

4. Using clips or hair ties, section out your hair for ease of application.

5. Use the applicator that comes with the product to apply the touch-up color to your roots. Work from inside out.

6. With the help if a comb, blend the color for a more even look.

7. Ensure that you haven't missed any spots - pay attention to the hairline.

8. If a specific waiting time is mentioned in the instructions, stick to it and don't leave it on for longer.

9. If required, rinse out the product, and follow it up with a conditioner.

10. There you have it, a beautiful and fresh look! Go ahead and style your hair according to your preference.

Also, don't forget to perform a patch test first to stay on the safer side.

The following are a few reasons why root touch-ups are a haircare gamechanger:

Consistent Color

Even as your hair grows out, it can keep it looking even, avoiding a contrast that's very obvious.

Lesser Damage

Since a touch-up only focuses on your roots, the rest of the hair isn't constantly exposed to chemicals that cause damage.

Saves Time

You don't have to go in for those oh-so-expensive full-color treatments often, lessening your expenses and leaving you with more time on your hands.

Convenient

It's very easy to be done at home – you can even fit it into a very busy schedule.

Affordable

Since you require only a tenth of the product you use on your entire hair, it can be much cheaper than usual.

In other words, root touch-ups can keep your hair color looking fresh, saving you a great deal of time and money.