Best home hair dye kits for changing your colour and covering greys
The best at-home hair colour has come a long way since its humble beginnings. There are now professional-quality formulas, different levels of permanency, a rainbow of shade options, ingredients built-in to care for hair health and even customisable technologies – all designed to help you achieve salon-worthy hair from home.
Today's DIY dye products are easier to use than ever and offer a speedy, less expensive way to update your look or cover greys without the cost and time commitment of a trip to the salon. The best at-home hair dyes should also last through regular shampooing, sun exposure and heat styling, keeping your colour shiny, healthy and vibrant.
Looking for a specific shade? Check out our tried and tested best blonde hair dyes, or editor approved best black hair dyes. Looking for a quick cover-up? Read our shopping editor's Josh Wood Blending Brush review for everything you need to know about the viral root touch-up.
Are home hair dyes as good as professional treatments?
High quality at-home hair dye formulas can provide results equivalent to salon hair colour, including grey coverage.
That being said, if you're interested in more bespoke hair colour like lowlights, extensive highlights, balayage, ombré or a drastic colour change, it's best to visit a salon professional who is trained in those techniques.
How do I apply hair dye?
“Firstly and most importantly, I’d always recommend a patch test,” says Schwarzkopf hair colourist, Lesley Dennison. Once you've ruled out any allergies or irritation, you can begin your new hair from home upgrade. Make sure you have a dedicated hair dye towel to hand rather than using your fluffy white ones though, as slight transferring is likely.
“Clip the towel around your neck and shoulders and have a comb ready, then spilt your hair into two sections: The front and the back,” Dennison advises. “Clip the front out of the way and start taking fine sections using your comb or the nozzle of the colour applicator bottle from the crown down to the neck hairline.
“If you're covering grey hair or going lighter, take fine sections to ensure you don’t leave any hair out. Then do the same at the front area working from the crown to the front hairline.”
“Most importantly, leave the recommended time do not be tempted to rinse off before. Blondes will look more perfectly tonal, greys will be covered and reds and browns will have long lasting tone, but only if the colour is left on the correct developing time.” Wise words.
How we chose the best home hair dye brands
We hand-selected a range of market-leading hair dyes, many of which come personally recommended from our Good Housekeeping editors, or are from brands who have performed in our Good Housekeeping Institute lab in the past. We also looked through the ingredient lists to spotlight any nourishing additions, because hair health plays a big part in keeping your colour fresh.
However, while we've shared our top picks of the leading hair dye kits available, it’s down to you to decide on a shade. Whether you’re simply covering greys, or seeking a new alter-ego, your new hair colour awaits.
Permanent Colour
Celebrity colourist, Josh Wood, has created the ultimate at-home hair dye kit. Inside the standard box you'll find your colourant, salon-grade gloves and barrier cream to protect ears and foreheads from staining. If that’s not enough, there are also stain-removing wipes for those inevitable sneaky drips.
If you buy the Miracle System, you'll also get a Toning Shade Shot and Repairing Miracle Shot included, for ultimate hair health.
The brand claims that the colour offers a 100% grey coverage rate, and as there’s no ammonia, you won’t encounter any unpleasant smell either. The GHI's head of content is a big fan of this kit, both for ease of use (thanks to the added extras), impressive grey coverage and the conditioning treatment included, which leaves hair feeling super soft and smelling delicious.
Precision Foam Permanent Dye
Those who are accustomed to the box-dye life will unfortunately be well-aware of the potential mess that comes with at-home treatments. Memories of both carpet and around-the-ears scrubbing may come to mind...However, this non-drop foam formula from John Frieda is the home-colourist's dream.
The foam spreads quickly and evenly over the hair and makes it easy to reach the back of your head. The brand claims that its permanent dye offers 100% grey coverage, too.
Colorstay Longwear Permanent Cream Colour
There’s nothing like the first couple of weeks post-hair dye. “Did you do something new to your hair?”, Why yes, I did. But there comes a point (usually around the four-week mark), when your colour may not look quite so fresh. That’s why this kit includes a colour booster mask, which can conjure those good hair days once more, up to eight weeks, according to the brand.
The creamy, non-drop formula makes it easy to apply. It’s also kind on your hair, thanks to the nourishing conditioner included. Softening murumuru butter and shine-enhancing macadamia oil will leave your locks gleaming, too.
Casting Crème Gloss Semi-Permanent Hair Dye
There are plenty of at-home hair dyes available, but not all of them have as nourishing ingredients as the L’Oréal Casting Crème Gloss. This dye is enriched with a 10% glycolic complex – sounds complex, but, essentially, glycolic acid is a hydrating and moisturising alpha hydroxy, which intensely conditions hair to leave it looking glossy and feeling soft.
Though it works hard to keep your hair in top condition, it does it gently, as the formula contains no ammonia. It’s also semi-permanent, so it’s the perfect choice if you have long-term colour commitment issues.
Excellence Age Perfect
Collagen is what gives our skin and hair structure and strength. As we age, the natural levels of production start to slow down and can show up as extra breakage and thinning hair. Oh, the joys! This Age Perfect dye was created with this in mind, as it’s enriched with pro-collagen ingredients such as ceramides, which help aid the production of this powerhouse protein.
This one was also created to cover greys, with a layered, tonal finish. If you've noticed an increase in breakage and volume in your hair, we also recommend giving one of our best collagen supplements a go to help rejuvenate it.
Nice'n Easy Crème Oil Infused Permanent Hair Dye
When it comes to beauty maintenance, nice and easy is all we want. Thankfully, it’s on the label for this Clairol hair dye. Though it’s similar to many other hair dye boxes (you still need to mix together the colour cream and activator), it will leave your hair looking fresh out of the salon with half the effort. It has a variety of tones and highlights for added depth to the colour. Very profesh.
Olia Permanent Hair Dye
Another dye that boasts hair-friendly ingredients, and this time it’s Garnier doing the hair God’s work. Most of us will know the nourishing and hydrating benefits of hair oil (and if you don’t, you can read all about it in our best tried and tested hair oils for curly hair), so it’s no surprise that this 60% oil blended dye works hard to leave your locks looking and feeling in top condition.
Ultra Permanent Colour
A natural-looking colour that effectively covers grey is what most look for at an at-home hair dye, and you’ll find exactly that in this one. There’s a wide range of shades to choose from too, from a Honey Blonde, all the way through to Infinite Black. There’s even an Intense Lilac if you’re really looking to switch it up.
The after-colour conditioner is enriched with a concoction of oils too: avocado oil, which is rich in fatty acids to help prevent breakage, cranberry oil to moisturise, and protective shea oil for long-lasting nourishment.
Oleo Intense Permanent Oil Colour
There’s potential for negative implications when something is described as ‘intense’. But when it comes to this hair dye, thankfully it just means that it provides a rich and long-lasting colour, rather than the effect it has on hair condition.
This kit also comes with an after-care conditioning mask that’s infused with HaptIQ technology that creates additional micro-bonds within hair strands, which results in less breakage.
Total Bleach Kit
If you want to go significantly lighter or it's your first time bleaching, we'd suggest going to the professionals. However, if you want to lighten your hair at home, the Bleach London kit is a good place to start. The team are colour pros after all. The brand describes it as a salon standard bleach that can lighten up to seven levels. Whether you’ll need one or two boxes will depend on your hair length. If your hair is thick or past your shoulders, it’s worth purchasing two.
We’d also recommend having a toner at hand to neutralise any unwanted yellow or warm tones. And one of our tried and tested best purple shampoos is a great way to keep your blonde bright between bleaches.
If you really want to switch up your shade, the brand also offers a variety of more unconventional colours. Vivid Copper is bound to catch the eye, or there's a pinky Burnt Peach if you really want to be on trend.
What to look for when shopping for hair dye
Here's what you'll want in a typical at-home box dye kit, and should have on hand before application.
✔️ Hair colour: This container holds a blend of the alkaliser and the dye precursors, the molecules that form the final colour molecules in hair.
✔️ Developer: Usually housed in an applicator bottle, the developer contains hydrogen peroxide and is mixed with the hair colour before application.
✔️ Instructions: Each product is different, so read the directions fully before use to familiarise yourself with the process, and follow them closely for best results. Lay out tools before starting for easy access.
✔️ Gloves: One set is often included to protect skin from dye, but have extra gloves on hand just in case you need to switch them out for a different size or a fresh pair.
✔️ Applicators: Most kits come with an applicator bottle in which the developer and the colour are shaken together. Some also include a mixing tray or bowl and an applicator brush (or sell them separately). If not included, gather a bowl to dispense the dye into, an applicator brush and clips to section hair to ensure even coverage.
✔️ Extras: Kits may have packets or tubes of colour-protecting shampoo, conditioner or a deep-conditioning treatment to enhance the result. Some also include stain-remover wipes to sweep away dye splatters, and a shower cap to slip over your hair while the dye processes to prevent dripping. If not, we recommend having your own ready.
Which type of hair dye is best?
Choose your hair dye formula based on how long you want the colour to last and your desired results. Below are the different types:
Permanent: Unsurprisingly, a permanent hair dye changes the colour of your hair, permanently. It does this by opening the cuticle of your hair and depositing the pigment directly into the shaft. This dye lasts the longest and is best for covering greys.
Demi-Permanent: As the placement suggests, a demi-dye is a midway between a permanent and semi-permanent option. The pigment doesn't penetrate as deeply as the above, but still lasts around 20 washes.
Semi-permanent: These dyes last much less than the previous two, as the pigment is only deposited to the surface level of the hair. They contain no colour developer and usually last between three to six washes.
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