“As someone in their 50s, I must color my hair every three weeks to avoid the sparkle of gray hair,” says pro hairstylist and salon owner Wendy Burns. “I sympathize with my clients who just can’t do that kind of salon maintenance due to cost or time restrictions.” Enter the best hair color for older women—if you so choose to cover your silver strands.

Vogue’s Favorite Hair Color Products for Older Women:

Best Color-Depositing Shampoo

Celeb Luxury Gem Lites Colorwash Color Depositing Shampoo

Jump to review

Best Permanent Color

L’Oréal Paris Excellence Crème Permanent Hair Dye

Jump to review

Best Semi-Permanent Color

Clairol Beautiful Collection Semi-Permanent Hair Color

Jump to review

Though somewhat daunting to a rookie, at-home hair color can be relatively simple (and categorically convenient) once you’ve mastered a few key steps. But for those with aging hair, some specialized considerations apply. For instance?

“Always make sure you have more color than you think you need,” Burns says. “Gray hair can be resistant to color, so you want to make sure all of your hair is saturated when you apply your color.”

It’s also important to consider the formula, as aging hair benefits from moisturizing ingredients that can restore lost luster and manageability. And finally, think of home color as a complement to—and not a replacement for—your regular salon visits. “Don’t be afraid to ask [a pro’s] advice on how to maintain your look at home,” Burns says. “As a stylist, I would rather see you a few times a year with great-looking hair than have you struggle and do any damage.” Below, a few at-home color options the pros actually recommend.

In This Story

• Should you go darker or lighter with hair color as you age?
• What hair color is best for older women?
• Tips for Dyeing Your Hair at Home
• How We Tested
• Meet the Experts

---

Best Color-Depositing Shampoo: Celeb Luxury Gem Lites Colorwash

Celeb Luxury

Gem Lites Colorwash Color Depositing Shampoo

• Why We Love It: Pro colorist Beth Minardi recommends these color-depositing shampoos for a “modern, soft color boost” at home. With a citrusy-floral scent, the gentle cleansers are made without ammonia, sulfates, parabens, and peroxide. Translation? They won’t strip moisture from already-brittle, aging hair. What’s more, they have built-in bond repair technology that strengthens strands, plus conditioning ingredients derived from coconut, sugar, and palm. The cleanser can be used daily or every other wash, mask-style: Simply apply it to wet hair for two to five minutes, rinse, and repeat for a higher color payoff. The shampoo comes in nine shades, ranging from Diamond Platinum Blonde to Ruby Bright Red, and the brand recommends starting use right after a color appointment to keep fading at bay. The formula is also available as a conditioner.
• Formula Types: Color-depositing shampoo
• Shades: 9

---

Best Permanent Color: L’Oréal Paris Excellence Crème Permanent Hair Color

L’Oréal Paris

Excellence Crème Permanent Hair Dye

• Why We Love It: “For clients who prefer a full, long-lasting color, this permanent dye delivers excellent gray coverage and rich, even color from root to tip,” says pro colorist Elena Ruiz. Each kit contains a color cream made with a protective keratin complex. There’s also a hyaluronic acid-infused shampoo and conditioner set, made for use after color application. “These formulas help maintain hair strength and shine, which is especially important as hair can become thinner, drier, or more fragile with age,” Ruiz notes. Available in 30 hues, the product has several shades of blonde, red, brown, and black.
• Formula Types: The kit contains a color cream, a shampoo, and a conditioner.
• Shades: 30

---

Best Semi-Permanent Color: Clairol Beautiful Collection Moisturizing Color

Clairol

Beautiful Collection Semi-Permanent Hair Color

• Why We Love It: “This long-lasting, semi-permanent hair color comes in a convenient squeeze bottle—and you don’t need to mix it,” Minardi says. Infused with aloe vera, jojoba oil, and vitamin E, the creamy color is gentle on fragile hair and enhances color for up to eight washes. The color is applied to freshly washed, towel-dried hair. “Apply it evenly and process for 25 minutes, then rinse and condition,” Minardi says. “Do not shampoo!” In Minardi’s opinion, the product works particularly well to enhance neutral and soft golden tones. “Avoid super dark or brilliant red shades, unless you want a big bang—[and if you do], go to a salon!” she instructs.
• Formula Types: Cream color
• Shades: 20

---

Best Touch-Up Spray: TRESemmé Root Touch Up Temporary Hair Color

TRESemmé

Temporary Hair Color Root Touch-Up

• Why We Love It: “These root touch-up sprays are great for in between appointments,” says celebrity hairstylist Hayley Heckmann. “They’re the perfect quick fix to stretch your root grow-out, blend new growth, and give the illusion of fuller hair.” To use the spray, apply it to the roots, let it dry for one minute, and blend. The product comes in five shades—including dark brown, red, and dark blonde—and it’s designed to last until the next wash.
• Formula Types: Aerosol spray
• Shades: 5

---

Best Root Color: Schwarzkopf Keratin Root 10 Min Root Color Revitalizer

Schwarzkopf

Keratin Root Permanent Hair Color Kit

• Why We Love It: “This is a dream product for anyone who has trouble keeping up with their grays, especially between salon visits,” Burns says. Designed to completely cover gray hair after processing for 10 minutes, the professionally inspired kit comes with a pre-color serum, a color cream, and a lotion developer. “The pre-color serum contains vitamin B and collagen—an aging woman’s best friend—and the scalp is left feeling moisturized,” Burns says. “The kit also has a two-sided brush that allows for a detailed application right down to the root, just like at the salon.”
• Formula Types: Each kit contains a pre-color serum, a permanent color cream, and a developer lotion
• Shades: 3

---

Everything You Need To Know

Should you go darker or lighter with hair color as you age?

“As we get older, adding a bit of lightness, especially around the face, tends to look the most youthful,” says Ruiz. “Soft brightness can lift your features, soften lines, and create dimension. Going too dark can appear harsh, while strategically placed lighter tones help create a more flattering, natural glow.”

What hair color is best for older women?

“As time goes on, staying very close to your natural shade or going a bit lighter works well,” Minardi says. “As the amount of gray hair you have increases, highlighting that base shade with lighter strands or slightly lightening that base shade is usually the most attractive option.”

Tips for Dyeing Your Hair at Home

Below, Burns breaks down her top tips for older women dyeing their hair at home.

• “If you use a temporary cover for your grays, whether it be powder or spray, do not try to use permanent color over it,” Burns says. “It is essential that the hair is clarified prior to coloring. Powders and sprays can block hair color from penetrating the hair, and you may not get the coverage you anticipated.” Burns also recommends washing the hair one day before you color to avoid scalp irritation the next day.
• As a mature woman coloring your hair at home, give yourself a little extra time for preparation before coloring. “It is essential you apply a barrier cream around the hairline, neck, and around the outside of your ears,” Burns says. “Skin becomes thinner and drier as we age. It can make staining tougher to get off once the color is applied.” She also recommends cleaning up these areas immediately after applying color. “If the color hasn’t had time to sit on the skin, it is also easier to get off,” she says.
• According to Burns, a patch test is essential when coloring your hair every time at home. “Since the body can change so much with diet, hormones, and medications as you age, you want to make sure you haven’t developed any allergic reactions to hair color,” she says.
• Since the front hairline is usually where gray hair appears first, and can be the most color-resistant, Burns advises starting your color application there so it sits the longest to process.
• “If you color every three to four weeks, don’t pull your color through every time if it doesn’t need refreshing on the ends,” Burns says. “This can flatten out your hair color.”
• Finally, Burns warns that color doesn’t lift color. “If you have been dyeing your hair a dark color for years and want to do a drastically lighter color, it is best to see your stylist for your initial transformation,” she says.

How We Tested

When we test and review a product, we take a holistic approach to deliver well-rounded product recommendations. First, we lean on Vogue’s vast network of experts—from board-certified dermatologists to celebrity hairstylists—to gain professional acumen on the industry’s standout products, ones these specialists would actually use on their clients. We pair their expertise with our editorial best practices to curate the thoughtful edits you read on our site.

As it relates to hair color, we selected the best based on the following characteristics: formula type, color permanence, ease of application, and color options available. To do this, we paired expert guidance and reviewer insights to determine which we would recommend to you.

Meet the Experts

• Beth Minardi is the owner of Beth Minardi Hair Color in Houston, Texas.
• Elena Ruiz is a colorist at Voel Hair in New York City.
• Hayley Heckmann is a celebrity hairstylist and a TRESemmé brand partner.
• Wendy Burns is a hairstylist and the owner of Hey Darling Hair Studio in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.