Sometimes your hair growing too fast can be the root of all your problems. We’ve all been there. After spending an exorbitant amount of money on a fresh coat of colour at the salon, a couple of weeks later you start to see your roots growing out at an alarming speed. Or you may just be at the point in your life when those pesky little gray hairs are starting to sprout.
If either of these scenarios sound familiar to you, root touch-up sprays are exactly the quick fix that you need. Root touch-up sprays are a must-have for the girl who’s dead set on putting off a visit to the salon for as long as possible. And as many of us continue to spend more time at home than ever, root-touch up sprays are an easy and inexpensive method of transforming your hair from drab to fab in the comfort of your own home.
Say goodbye to mixing up color and developer in your at-home box dye kit or shelling out heaps of money at the hair salon and say hello to simply sectioning off your hair, queuing up your favorite shows on Netflix and reaching for your favorite root-touch up spray.
What are root touch-up sprays?
Root touch-up sprays are tinted temporary hair sprays that are applied to your roots and can last up until the next time you wash your hair. They dry in mere seconds or minutes after spraying and seamlessly melt into your roots without damaging your hair. Root touch-up sprays are a perfect way to protect your hair from excessive dying, which can cause your hair to become dry and susceptible to breakage.
How do you make a root touch-up spray last on your hair?
The best way to make a root touch-up spray last for as long as possible is to wash your hair less frequently. As we mentioned earlier, most root touch-up sprays last until your next shampoo, so we recommend dragging out your shampoo days for as long as you can. Before applying the root touch-up spray, make sure your hair is completely dry and styled to your liking. If your hair is still wet, the product will not adhere to your roots and will easily transfer.
How should you apply the root spray to your hair?
Using a root touch-up spray for the first time can potentially be a little bit messy. Before you begin, be sure to grab a towel to wrap around your shoulders to prevent product from getting on your skin. You may also want to apply a moisturizing product like Aloe Vera or coconut oil to create a barrier to your skin to prevent any staining.
Celebrity hairstylist Christophe Robin, who has colored hair for the likes of singer Kylie Minogue and actress Kristin Scott Thomas recommends using at-home products like a toothbrush or small teasing brush to help you zero in on those hard-to-reach sections of your hair. Be sure to spray the product onto your hair ever-so conservatively to prevent your hair from becoming oversaturated. You should also exercise caution to keep the spray from getting into your eyes. We also recommend that you avoid spraying it directly onto your scalp as it may cause your scalp to become dry and flaky and produce a burning sensation. Once you’ve sprayed your hair to your liking, avoid touching the area for the amount of time specified on the root spray. To dry your roots faster, blow dry your hair on a cool setting.
What are the best root touch up sprays?
There are plenty of root touch-up sprays to choose from for a wide range of hair colours from the lightest blonde to the darkest brown. Here are our picks for must-have root touch-up sprays.
1. L’Oreal Paris Magic Root Cover Up Gray Concealer Spray
L’Oreal Paris’ Magic Root Cover Up Gray Concealer Spray is the perfect quick solution for hiding your gray hairs. This root touch-up spray consists of a rich shade selection including black, dark brown, medium brown, light brown, light golden brown, dark blonde, light to medium blonde and red. It is composed of a fast-drying serum that dries a few seconds after an application. It is also free of harmful chemicals like ammonia and peroxide.
2. TRESemmé Root Touch-Up Spray
TRESemmé’s Root Touch-Up Spray is yet another root touch-up spray that is free of harmful chemicals like ammonia and peroxide and also artificial dyes. The spray takes one minute to dry then settles into a beautiful smudge-proof coat of color in your roots. You can purchase this shade in black, dark brown, light brown and dark blonde.
3. Style Edit Root Concealer Touch Up Spray
Style Edit’s Root Concealer Touch Up Spray dries within a whopping three seconds after application. Another added bonus is that this root spray is also 100 percent cruelty free. It is also formulated to conceal thinning hair to make it look thicker and fuller. Pair this thickening root touch-up spray with a set of hair extensions for even more volume. This root spray comes in the shades black, dark brown, medium brown, light brown, dark blonde, medium blonde, light blonde and auburn/red.
4. Rita Hazan Root Concealer Touch Up Spray
Rita Hazan’s Root Concealer Touch Up Spray is composed of a water and transfer-proof formula that will leave you with long-lasting coverage. Celebrity hairstylist and CEO Hazan has styled hair for A-list celebrities like Beyonce, Katy Perry and Jessica Simpson. This root spray was designed to be suitable for all hair types from straight to tightly coiled curls. It is also formulated to not damage chemically relaxed hair types. The collection is comprised of universal shades such as dark brown, light brown, dark blonde, natural blonde and red.
5. Revlon Root Erase Permanent Hair Color, At-Home Root Touchup Hair Dye
Revlon’s Root Erase Permanent Hair Color Touchup Hair Dye is the perfect at-home root-touch up spray. It was the winner of Allure’s Best of Beauty Award for Root Coverage in 2019. The spray comes with an applicator brush that will allow you to carefully saturate every inch of your roots. This root touch-up is designed to be sprayed and mixed into the cap then applied with the applicator brush. After applying it to your roots, it takes just five minutes to cure. This root spray also has one of the richest shade selections of them all including: black, dark brown, burgundy, dark auburn/reddish brown, medium brown, medium ash brown, medium golden brown, medium auburn, light brown, light golden brown, dark blonde, medium blonde and light blonde.
6. dpHUE Color Touch-Up Spray
dpHUE’s Color Touch-Up Spray has a dual-action nozzle which allows for two different spray settings so you have complete control over exactly where the spray lands on your roots. This vegan cruelty-free root touch-up spray is also free of parabens, sulfates, phthalates, gluten, and silicone. This lightweight formula is perfect for those who have damaged hair. Shades range from black, dark brown, medium brown, light brown, medium blonde, copper and auburn.
7. Salon in a Bottle Root Touch up Hair Spray
Salon in a Bottle’s Root Touch up Hair Spray has a unique pinpoint applicator in the left side of the bottle to allow for a precise and effortless application. It is formulated with natural minerals and Vitamin E, Chamomile and Green Tea Extracts that are built to keep your hair soft and smooth. It also has a compact design that you can easily fit into your purse. The shade selection includes: brown-black, medium/dark brown, light brown, dark blonde, natural blonde and red/auburn.
8. Joico Tint Shot Root Concealer
Joico’s Tint Shot Root Concealer is formulated to soothe and cool your scalp while replenishing your colour. One of its major ingredients is Willow Bark Extract which provides the cooling, relaxing sensation. It is humidity resistant and also creates the illusion of thicker, fuller hair. You can purchase this root spray in the shades black, dark brown, light brown and blonde.
9. TEMPTU Airbrush Root Touch Up & Temporary Hair Color
TEMPTU’s Airbrush Root Touch Up & Temporary Hair Color leaves your roots looking polished and perfected. We are also obsessed with the futuristic, state of the art packaging of this root spray. It’s formulated with Pro-Vitamin B-5 and Vitamin E which adds an extra dose of vibrancy to your hair. It’s also free of harmful ingredients such as talc and sulfates. It has a diverse warm, neutral and cool shade range including: ash blonde, ash brown, chestnut brown, golden blonde, light brown, medium brown, platinum blonde and sandy brown.
10. Clairol Root Touch-Up Spray
Clairol’s Root Touch-Up Spray is yet another quick fix solution for the girl on the go. Its water-resistant formula makes it safe for swimming and rainy weather days. This is also yet another root-spray that is travel-sized and fits snugly in your purse. While the shade range is a little more limited, the shades are nuanced enough that they blend in with most natural hair tones. These shades include: black, dark to medium brown, light brown, dark to medium blonde and red.
11. Everpro Gray Away Temporary Root Concealer
Everpro’s Gray Away Temporary Root Concealer is designed specifically to get rid of patchy gray hairs. It is formulated with a colour technology that is meant to adjust to any hair color. Its formula is also ammonia-free, peroxide-free and paraben-free.
12. AGEbeautiful Root Touch-Up
AGEbeautiful’s Root Touch-Up water, sweat and rain-resistant formula will have your hair looking freshly coloured for several days at a time. There are a total of 11 shades to choose from, making it the second-most multifaceted root spray of all of our picks. You can purchase it in: black, darkest brown, medium brown, medium ash brown, light brown, light golden brown, dark blonde, medium blonde, light blonde, dark red brown and light intense red.
Written By: Ashley Inkumsah