The List's Exclusive Survey Uncovers The Best Brand Of At-Home Hair Color
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Not all of us have the time or resources to seek out professional hair care as regularly as we would like. Luckily, lots of temporary hair color brands can make you look fresh and fab in the comfort of your own home. Both practiced at-home hair dye fans and newcomers likely have questions when it comes to choosing the best brand of at-home hair coloring. And while there is a surplus of hair dye brands for when you want unnatural hair colors, professional hairstylists have strong feelings about constant at-home hair dyeing routines.
What professional hairstylists think about at-home box dyes isn't necessarily the most complimentary. "Repeated use of box dyes means layers upon layers of permanent dyes, which requires a salon professional to strip through when receiving treatment in a salon," celebrity hair colorist Michael Boychuck told Bravo TV. Still, you don't have to completely ditch box dyes if you want to skip out on salon prices while coloring your hair.
Choosing the best brands and following healthy hair techniques can ensure you get the look you want without causing damage to your hair. The List surveyed over 600 at-home hair coloring product users for their favorite brands.
This company tops The List's survey for best at-home hair color brand
With 237 of 602 responses denoting that it is users' favorite at-home hair color brand, L'Oreal Paris won the number one spot as survey respondents' preferred home hair coloring brand. And it isn't just at-home hair colorists who use L'Oreal. With over 200 training facilities worldwide, L'Oreal is focusing on "support[ing] hairdressers and develop the hair industry sustainably and while benefiting all," according to their website. Erinn Courtney of StyleSeat told CNN that the L'Oreal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Shine Permanent Hair Color "has a shine serum and a color conditioner that leaves your hair nourished and multidimensional," adding that "[it's] not just stand-out in its category but also super budget-friendly."
Though short of a majority at 39.37%, L'Oreal Paris still led considerably compared to Clairol at 24.58% and Garnier at 19.6%. Trailing behind the top three brands, we found that 8.47% of respondents preferred Madison Reed, and 7.97% chose John Frieda.
Tips for getting the best results with at-home hair color
While coloring your hair at home might be intimidating to newcomers, you can get great results if you follow the directions and take proper care of your locks. To keep your at-home dye from fading fast, avoid water when not necessary by skipping out on swimming, shampooing at the very end of your shower, or opting for dry shampoo. "[W]ater is actually the main culprit in color fading," said Good Housekeeping's Beauty Lab Senior Chemist Sabina Wizemann. While many hold the misconception that it is the shampoo to blame for fast-fading hair dye, water itself does more to strip away the color.
"Each time your hair is soaked, with or without shampoo, dye molecules can leach out," Wizemann explained. Still, color-preserving shampoo is a great option for keeping bright hair coloring from at-home dyes. But your dye isn't completely safe from being stripped out once dry: the sun fades coloring, too. According to Robert Gold Salon, the sun's UV rays can cause your hair dye to fade quicker since they break down the products' chemical bonds. Where a hat or use a thermal protector on your hair to keep the color from disappearing.