The 10 Best Hair Dyes

For permanent color at a low cost per box, start with Revlon ColorSilk Bond Repair. It's made without ammonia, so the smell is milder, and each box has a conditioner for after you rinse. Revlon says it covers gray fully, and an earlier version of this formula held its shade through a month of washing in a lab panel. The shade can come out darker than the box picture, so pick the lighter one if you're torn.

Colorists often steer people with stubborn, wiry gray toward L'Oreal Paris Excellence Creme. The kit has everything in one box: the color, the developer, a shampoo for afterward and a rich conditioner. L'Oreal offers a wide range of natural shades, from black to light blonde. One box covers short to medium hair, and long or thick hair needs two. The formula uses ammonia, so expect a sharp smell while it develops and keep a window open.

Clairol Nice'n Easy mixes three tones into each shade, which keeps blonde and light brown from looking flat. In a Good Housekeeping Institute test of at-home kits, it was the pick for light hair, and nearly all panelists reported no irritation. It also kept its shine as the weeks went on. Gloves and a conditioner come in the box. It does contain ammonia, and the smell is noticeable in a small bathroom.

Shoppers who want plenty of choice should look at Garnier Nutrisse Ultra Creme, which comes in more than 60 shades. Each box has a small vial of fruit oils you snap open and add to the mix, plus an after-color conditioner. Garnier says it covers gray fully and the color lasts up to eight weeks. The thick cream can stain skin along the hairline, so smooth on petroleum jelly first and wipe up spots right away.

Clairol Natural Instincts is a demi-permanent color for people who want to soften their first gray hairs without a big commitment. It has no ammonia, and instead of covering gray solidly, it blurs it into the rest of your hair. The color washes out slowly over about 28 shampoos, so there's no harsh regrowth line. It won't hide a head of mostly gray hair, and it comes in a pack of three boxes.

Dry or damaged hair is where Garnier Olia makes sense. It's a permanent dye with no ammonia, built on an oil base that Garnier says makes up most of the formula. In lab panels it rated well for scent, rinsing and gentleness on the scalp, and its color didn't fade over several weeks. Garnier claims full gray coverage for about six weeks, so roots may show a little sooner. It's sold as a pair of boxes.

Schwarzkopf Simply Color stands out for what it leaves out. Schwarzkopf says this permanent dye has no ammonia, no silicones and neither PPD nor PTD, the dye ingredients behind most hair-color allergies. You mix it in its tall bottle and apply it from the nozzle. That allergen claim has little outside testing, so if you've reacted to a dye before, ask a doctor before trying any color. Plan on a touch-up about once a month.

Men who want their old color back without a salon visit can use Just For Men Shampoo-In Color. You lather it in like shampoo and rinse after about five minutes, and the shades are chosen to look natural rather than painted on. It's meant for the hair on your head; beards need the brand's separate kit. It contains PPD, a common dye allergen, so do the maker's skin test two days ahead every time.

Bright red, blue, purple or pink is the job for Arctic Fox Semi-Permanent. It's a vegan conditioning cream with no developer, ammonia or PPD, so it only coats the hair and fades over several weeks. True vivid color needs hair lightened to a pale blonde first; on darker hair, you'll get a tint at most. It stains towels, sinks and skin, so work with gloves. The shade linked here is Wrath, a deep red.

Naturtint Permanent has a long following among people who want plant-derived ingredients and a mild smell. The gel has no ammonia, carries a USDA certification for biobased content and is vegan. Ammonia-free still isn't allergen-free: the brand says its permanent shades contain PPD or a related dye, kept low, so the skin test still matters. It comes in a six-box pack, which suits people who color regularly.