The Best Root Touch-Ups for Keeping Hair Fresh Between Salon Visits

Though time in the salon chair is a luxury—often doubling as therapy for you and your roots—it’s not always easy to squeeze in frequent color appointments. Enter the best root touch-ups for at-home use, which keep roots in line for a little longer at a time. And while your go-to stylist or colorist may miss your more regular sessions, rest assured that the pros are fully on board with a little home maintenance.

Vogue’s Favorite Root Touch-Ups

To wit: Justine Marjan, stylist for Gwen Stefani, calls root touch-ups a “game changer” for keeping color fresh at home. Kim Kardashian’s stylist Chris Appleton is also a fan, and says that a good root touch-up is “a must” for his bag. The only question is: Which way should you tend to your roots?

With root touch-ups available as powders, pencils, sprays, and even mascara-style, there are no shortage of options for color maintenance in a pinch. And if you need to stave off greys for longer than, say, a last-minute holiday party, there are root touch-up kits for permanent color will get the job (and the coif) done. Ahead, get some help from the pros in choosing the best root touch-up, no matter your hair color or type.

Best for a Sensitive Scalp: Phyto Permanent Color

• Why we love it: “Phyto Permanent Color is one of the most gentle products on the market. I recommend it for people with a very sensitive scalp,” says Luis Perez, color designer at Julien Farel Salon & Spa on Park Avenue. The ammonia-free formula is infused with conditioning jojoba oil and botanical pigments from dye plants. It also has jujube bark, which has anti-itch properties, and epaline, which soothes irritation while coating the scalp in a protective film. Though Perez reiterates this recommendation for anyone with a “super-sensitive scalp,” he says: I wouldn’t recommend it if your hair is very dark and you want to change tones dramatically, or if you are looking for a cooler tone. It may not get the results you are hoping for.”
• Ingredients: Jojoba and monoi oils, jujube bark, epaline
• Shade range: 10
• Size: Milk developer 1.69 oz, coloring cream 1.69 oz, Phytocolor mask 0.42 oz