Time may be the ultimate luxury, but hair with a perpetually perfect color is pretty luxurious, too. Luckily, there is a hack to achieve both—and you can easily stow it in your purse. The best root touch-ups let you dodge time-consuming salon appointments and make your color last longer, all while hiding growth or keeping grays at bay. Justine Marjan, stylist for Gwen Stefani, signs off on root touch-ups. She calls these easy-to-use products a “game changer” for keeping hair fresh and vibrant between salon visits. On that note, Kim Kardashian’s stylist Chris Appleton says that a good root touch-up is “a must” for his bag. So, what’s the trick to finding the product that will elevate your roots? Ahead, we’ve tapped the pros to color in all the details for choosing the best root touch-up. Find the best formulas for blondes (and platinum blondes), brunettes, thinning hair, and more, below.
Our top picks:
- Best for Foolproof Application: Bumble and bumble Bb. Color Stick, $33
- Best for Brows: Madison Reed The Great Cover Up, $32
- Best for Blonde Hair: L'Oréal Magic Root Cover Up, $12
- Best for Black Hair: TRESemmé Root Touch-Up, $7
- Best for Brunettes: dpHUE Color Touch-Up Spray, $28
- Best for Thinning Hair: R+Co Bright Shadows Root Touch-Up Spray, $19
- Best for Gray Roots: EverPro Root Touch-Up Quick Stick, $10
- Best for a Receding Hairline: Boldify Enhance Hairline Powder, $25
In this article:
- Who should use a root touch-up?
- What’s the difference between a root touch-up and at-home hair color?
- Key ingredients to look for
- How to apply root touch-up
- Can I use a root touch-up every day?
- Meet the experts
Best for Foolproof Application: Bumble and bumble Bb. Color Stick
- Why we love it: Bumble and bumble’s velvety color sticks are as simple to apply as a coat of lipstick—but without the need to blot. Simply twist up the crayon, run it over grays, and watch those light hairs fade to black (or brown). The highly pigmented hues will stay in place until you wash them out: Stay Put Seal, a balm-like emollient, works to lock the color into place.
- Ingredients: Mineral-based pigments, microspheres, Stay Put Seal
- Shade range: 2
- Size: 0.12 oz
Best for Brows: Madison Reed The Great Cover Up
- Why we love it: If you like your touch-ups with a side of multitasking, Madison Reed’s clever powder palette is just the thing for you (and your roots, and your brows). Made with natural ingredients that strengthen and nourish the hair—including keratin, argan oil, and ginseng root extract—the powder touches up the roots with blonde, brown, and black pigment. It can also be used on the brows, and it comes with two brushes to demonstrate its multifunctional capabilities: A blush-like brush helps cover the roots, while a spoolie distributes color on the brows.
- Ingredients: Keratin, argan oil, ginseng root extract
- Shade range: 6
- Size: 1.62 oz
Best for Blonde Hair: L’Oréal Magic Root Cover Up
- Why we love it: It takes countless salon visits to maintain a pristine blonde mane (just ask any celebrity colorist!). Luckily, L’Oréal’s quick-drying spray is just the thing to stretch out the time between appointments. Available in eight shades ranging from black to brown and vibrant red, the cover-up caters to a spectrum of blondes: one hue works best for light to medium blondes, while dark blondes have their own devoted shade. Meanwhile, anyone of any hair color, will appreciate the ease of application: Shake the can, spray the product on the roots, then comb it through the hair and let it dry for one minute.
- Ingredients: Hydrofluorocarbon 152A, butane, ethyl trisiloxane, isobutane, Ci 77499/iron oxides
- Shade range: 8
- Size: 2.0 oz
Best for Black Hair: TRESemmé Root Touch-Up
- Why we love it: Marjan leans on TRESemmé’s Root Touch-Up “for quick and easy hair touch-ups.” She adds that the formula, which is enriched with vitamin E and keratin, nourishes the hair while providing flawless coverage. “The lightweight spray blends seamlessly with your natural hair color, leaving no residue,” she says. "My go-to hack is to apply it to the roots and then use a fine-tooth comb to distribute the product evenly, ensuring a natural finish.” It comes in two shades, black and dark blonde, and—thankfully for dark hair in particular—leaves no residue behind.
- Ingredients: Butane, hydrofluorocarbon 152A, ethyl trisiloxane, trimethylsiloxysilicate
- Shade range: 2
- Size: 2.5 oz
Best for Styling: Rita Hazan Root Concealer Touch-Up Spray
- Why we love it: Leave it to a top celebrity colorist to design a touch-up that refuses to budge. Rita Hazan, whose superstar clients include prone-to-hair-whipping superstars like Beyoncé and Jennifer Lopez, developed her root concealer as a transfer-proof, waterproof product that clings to the hair until it’s washed out. “I especially like to use this to touch up hairlines to make them appear fuller for updos, braids, or any other styling needs,” says Cristina B. King, a hairstylist at Rita Hazan salon.“I also use it on men for the same reason: It gives the hair a fuller appearance without leaving residue or buildup.” She adds that the formulation, made with natural pigments and resin, adheres to the hair without feeling tacky.
- Ingredients: Butane, hydrofluorocarbon 152A, ethyl trisiloxane, phenyl trimethicone
- Shade range: 5
- Size: 2 oz
Best for Thinning Hair: R+Co Bright Shadows Root Touch-Up Spray
- Why we love it: Enriched with biotin to thicken the hair and stimulate growth, R+Co’s root touchup is also fortified with pearl extract. Packed with minerals and amino acids, the latter ingredient helps moisturize and regenerate the hair, while providing a pearlescent coat of shine. Using the spray “is a great way to instantly cover regrowth and extend your color between hair appointments,” says Kandasamy. The product comes in seven multidimensional shades.
- Ingredients: Pearl extract, biotin, treated pigment
- Shade range: 7
- Size: 1.5 oz
Best for Brunettes: dpHUE Color Touch-Up Spray
- Why we love it: With panthenol for smoothing the hair and fruit extract for strengthening it, dpHUE’s touch-up spray is a go-to for Korab. “I love it because it provides a quick, easy way to cover grays while conditioning and enhancing the hair’s natural shine,” she says. What’s more, the dual-action nozzle has two settings for ultra-precise application: the smaller nozzle delivers a concentrated dose of color that’s perfect for covering gray roots, while the wider nozzle helps blend the roots and cover gray hairs. The spray comes in 10 shades, including three variations of brown for brunettes of different stripes.
- Ingredients: Butane, hydrofluorocarbon 152a, isobutane, alcohol denat., ethyl trisiloxane, panthenol, biotin, Serenoa Serrulata fruit extract
- Shade range: 10
- Size: 2.5 fl oz
Best for Gray Roots: EverPro Root Touch-Up Quick Stick
- Why we love it: EverPro’s dual-ended stick makes it easy to cover grays in any nook and cranny, including temples, parts, and hairlines. Delivered with an angled tip, the creamy pigment glides on easily without skipping or dragging. But just in case a hiccup does occur, there’s a built-in sponge for blending. “I love it because it offers a convenient, mess-free way to cover gray roots and blend seamlessly with your hair color, all while providing conditioning benefits,” Korab says.
- Ingredients: C12-15 alkyl benzoate, tapioca starch, polyethylene, octyldodecanol
- Shade range: 5
- Size: 0.1 oz
Best for a Receding Hairline: Boldify Enhance Hairline Powder
- Why we love it: Korab has seen Boldify’s Enhance Hairline Powder put a spring in her clients’ steps—particularly if they’re struggling with receding hairlines. “It provides a natural-looking boost to thinning hairlines, enhancing coverage effortlessly with a blend of micronized pigments and botanical ingredients that deliver both aesthetic and confidence-boosting results,” she says. Available in an impressive 14 shades, including hard-to-find hues like white, ash brown, and auburn, the formula also excels at covering bald patches and extending the life of highlights. (It even makes beards appear fuller.) It comes with a built-in mirror and a precise powder applicator for fuss-free application. Plus, it’s infused with squalane for hydration and shine.
- Ingredients: Squalane, talc, mica, silica, magnesium stearate
- Shade range: 14
- Size: 0.14 oz
Best for Platinum Blondes: Oribe Root Touch-Up Spray
- Why we love it: Oribe’s Root Touch-Up Spray comes in six shades. Crucially for the likes of Lady Gaga, who was a client of late brand founder Oribe Canales, those shades include platinum blonde. Infused with rice starch and Oribe’s Signature Complex, which protects the hair from UV rays, the dermatologist-approved formula doubles as a dry shampoo. Thanks to its infusion of rice starch, it absorbs dirt and oil to refresh the mane between washes. Plus, its famously alluring scent—a mix of bergamot, jasmine, and sandalwood—swathes the hair in a cloud of fragrance inspired by the Côte d’Azur.
- Ingredients: Mineral colorants, rice starch, Oribe Signature Complex
- Shade range: 6
- Size: 1.8 oz
Stylists’ Pick: Color Wow Root Cover Up
- Why we love it: “This formula is my absolute favorite touch-up as it's highly buildable across its eight-shade range, but still applies lightweight to help not weigh the roots down. And, it thickens as it sets to create a fuller effect,” says Appleton. “It also features water-resistant and shine-infused properties to help illuminate roots. This is a must-have in my bag, perfect for last-minute touch-ups to cover any dull area.” Korab is also a fan. “It's one of my favorites because it provides instant, natural-looking coverage for roots, adds volume, and extends the time between salon visits,” she says. She adds that the formula is “easy to apply and blends beautifully.” Meanwhile, Cleveland says: “I love love love this product! The slim case design makes it easy to throw in your purse and the brush and mirror included in the compact add to the ease of application.”
- Ingredients: Talc, mica, synthetic fluorphlogopite, octyldodecyl stearoyl stearate, ethylhexyl palmitate, zinc stearate
- Shade range: 8
- Size: .007 oz
Who should use a root touch-up?
According to celebrity hairstylist Christopher Naselli, whose clients include Rashida Jones and Alicia Vikander, anyone who’s cheated on their natural hair color could benefit from a root touch-up. “Root touch-up is perfect for anyone who colors their hair and wants to hide growth between appointments or cover gray roots,” he says.
Silvia Reis, the hairstylist behind YouTube channel Ellebangs, specifies that a root touch-up works best for those who have already colored their hair and want to maintain that look with fresh roots. Those who want a change of color should, of course, go the dye route —either at a salon or with a formulation that can be used at home. (Her pick for the latter? Better Natured’s range of permanent, naturally-derived hues.)
What’s the difference between a root touch-up and at-home hair color?
Speaking of at-home hair color, dyes and root touch-ups are not created equal. “A root touch-up spray is a temporary solution that specifically targets the roots and new growth, ensuring a seamless blend with the rest of your hair,” says Min Kim, L’Oréal Professionnel’s global ambassador. “At-home hair color, while it can be used only on the roots, is typically applied on all the hair.”
Key ingredients to look for
As always, it helps to read the label. “When choosing a root touch-up, key ingredients can enhance its effectiveness and ensure it suits your hair type and needs,” notes New Jersey hairstylist Jennifer Korab. “Ammonia is an ingredient to look out for as it opens the hair cuticle so the color can penetrate the hair shaft—but be cautious [with ammonia] if you have a sensitive scalp [to avoid itching and irritation.]” Korab also recommends looking for conditioning agents like keratin, argan oil, or silk proteins. “These help protect and strengthen the hair during the coloring process,” she says.
While talc is often used in root touch-ups to soak up excess oil in the hair and texture, the ingredient has the potential to irritate sensitive scalps. As such, hairstylist and extension artist Michelle Cleveland recommends looking for talc alternatives such as charcoal or tapioca-starch powder, which cleanse the scalp while absorbing oil.
