If you've sworn off at-home hair dye after a few bad experiences, you're not alone, but trust us when we say that formulas have come a long way since the types that would burn your scalp, stain your forehead or refuse to take at all.
Research by Mintel has found that permanent hair colour now accounts for 70% of at-home sales, while sales of temporary hair colour have grown by an impressive 48% in the last year alone, as it seems we're swerving in-salon treatments, which can cost hundreds of pounds and require multiple appointments, for DIY dye jobs in the comfort of our own bathrooms. And why wouldn't we when box dyes promise to be bigger and better than ever?
From ditching PPD, the chemical responsible for scalp reactions, to offering free digital consultations to talk you through the process, DIY dyes are proving to be on par with professional colour. We're even seeing expert colourists, like Josh Wood, jumping on the box dye bandwagon, too. "With my debut colour system, I wanted to simplify and demystify the home hair colour category," Josh told R29. "It is designed in a way that if you never want to see a grey hair ever again we’ve got you covered. There's 100% coverage permanent colours that condition while they colour, matched blending brushes, root smudges and tinted dry shampoos. This flexibility is really important."
The DIY hair revolution could also be the reason why we're becoming more adventurous with colour. In spite of huge hair trends like strandlighting, midlights and shadow hair, we aren't just sticking to blonde or brunette. "Although natural shades like brown and blonde are still the most popular, increasingly more casual attitudes in the workplace mean there is less need to shy away from 'non-natural' shades," said Alex Fisher, Senior Beauty Analyst at Mintel, revealing that more of us are opting for pastels. And big name brands like L'Oréal and BLEACH London are getting involved, providing us with all the tools we need to create those unicorn-inspired tones, as well as balayage and highlights in classic shades.
So just like high street foundation, we're calling it. It's time to put your trust back into the not-so-humble box dye. Ahead, you'll find our pick of the best.
From Fashion Week to the red carpet, if you've spotted a shade you absolutely love, it's more than likely expert colourist Josh Wood was the man behind it. His at-home hair colour is basically a salon appointment in a box. PPD and ammonia-free (which means it's much less likely to irritate sensitive scalps), the kit comes complete with salon-grade gloves, barrier cream for extra protection, a stain-removing wipe to clean up any drips and a deep conditioning treatment to impart nourishment and shine post-dye. You can also shop add-ons between DIY dyeing sessions, like root markers and tinted dry shampoo, to keep your colour in good nick. Head to joshwoodcolour.co.uk for a seriously clever digital consultation which will point you to your perfect shade.
Josh Wood Permanent Hair Dye, £10, available at Josh Wood Colour
This innovative box dye is a bond-repairing treatment and professional colour in one. New OmegaPlex technology in an anti-breakage serum (to be applied during colouring), repair sealer (immediately after colouring) and repair reviver (a top-up treatment to revive lengths after three weeks) act like scaffolding for hair strands typically damaged by dye, repairing and reinforcing them so they're less prone to breakage.
Schwarzkopf Colour Expert With OmegaPlex, £6.79, available at Boots
Clairol made waves with this new formulation when it launched in February, as toxicologists working on it swapped PPD and PTD, the common cause of allergies and sore scalps, for a breakthrough molecule called ME+, which was created specifically to keep reactions under control. How? Well, said molecule is a 'new shape' that isn't recognised by the immune system so easily. The 54 shade-strong formula also boasts damage-blocking technology that encapsulates copper and prevents it from reacting with water to keep the cuticle as smooth as possible, so you can forget about frazzled ends, while the suffocating ammonia smell associated with at-home dye has been swapped out for a fresh floral scent, so you can breathe a little easier.
Clairol Nice'n Easy, £6.49, available at Superdrug
Don't let the word 'foam' put you off. The texture may be slightly airier compared to other at-home dyes, but it's surprisingly much easier to use and less likely to drip everywhere and stain your forehead. It cloaks greys (if that's what you're looking to do) and refreshes colour as well as a professional formula, which is exactly why beauty editors and box dye regulars swear by it. Simply spritz, massage it into your roots and rinse.
John Frieda Precision Foam Colour, £9.99, available at Boots
There's a reason why this box dye is constantly selling out. It has the ability to take hair up to seven (!) shades lighter and comes with all the important tools including developing lotion (a.k.a. peroxide), bleaching powder, gloves, a mixing bowl, a tinting brush for ease of application and the brand's famous Reincarnation Mask to treat strands that could become porous and parched.
BLEACH London Beach Lights, £8, available at BLEACH London
On Instagram, the hashtag #LorealColorista serves up thousands of images of rainbow hair, but the in-salon treatment is now available as a DIY version, and it's just as striking, whether you're after a full head of colour or ombre ends. The pigment is super vivid and the hydrating gel-cream formula leaves strands soft and shiny, not straw-like. R29 recommends Rose Blonde in particular.
L'Oréal Paris Colorista Paint Permanent Hair Dye, £7.98, available at Superdrug
Silver hair is one of the biggest trends on Instagram right now and Colour:Vibe's Silvers Permanent Hair Dye Range is basically like an icy cocktail in a box. Squeeze all of the colour into the developer bottle, mix and apply evenly. It works on bleached or highlighted hair, lending it a platinum grey shade minus any brassiness, and on naturally grey hair to enhance the cool tones.
Colour:Vibe Silvers Permanent Hair Dye Range, £7.99, available at Boots
Refinery29's selection is purely editorial and independently chosen – we only feature items we love! As part of our business model we do work with affiliates; if you directly purchase something from a link on this article, we may earn a small amount of commission. Transparency is important to us at Refinery29, if you have any questions please reach out to us.
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