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The 7 Best Blonde Hair Dyes

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Whether you want more honey-hued locks or are looking to go full platinum, the best blonde hair dyes will give you a glow that looks great with your skin tone — without stripping your hair dry.

Let's start with some helpful hints: When applying hair color at home, it's easiest to only go one or two shades lighter than your base hair color. More drastic changes — like going from jet black to icy blonde — require bleach, which can get tricky fast. And when changing up your look, choosing a hair color that complements your complexion is a great way to avoid any potential regret about going blonde. (Psst: Here's a helpful guide for choosing the right hair color for your skin tone.) And one more thing: If the formula you choose contains ammonia — which helps deposit color more effectively — you'll want to apply in a well-ventilated room to prevent any potential irritation, and you'll want to use a deep conditioning hair mask at least once a week.

All the picks on this list have one thing in common: they're packed with conditioners that lock in moisture during the dye process, helping to prevent damage caused by the lightening process (an all too common occurrence you may have experienced if you've gone blonde before). From there, you'll need to choose the formula that best suits your needs, whether that's giving your hair a boost of color, covering grays, adding highlights, or touching up your roots. I've also included a semi-permanent option in case you're not quite ready to commit to blonde bombshell status.

Whether you're maintaining your current hair color or looking to go a few shades lighter, these are the best blonde hair dyes for coloring your hair from the comfort of your own home.

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1 The Best Overall

With an impressively wide range of options — 18 blonde shades in total — Clairol Nice 'n Easy is a great choice for creating a natural blonde look that works specifically with your complexion. The non-drip cream formula is easy to apply, and it's packed with conditioners to help leave your hair soft and shiny after coloring. While it promises 100% gray coverage, reviewers note the potential for some spots to remain, so it may not be your best bet if you're looking to cover silver. This is a permanent color that lasts up to eight weeks, but it does contain ammonia, so be sure to apply in a well ventilated room.

According to home stylists: "I have been using this color for years … Everyone says I have great highlights and they always ask me where I get my hair colored. They are surprised when I tell them I do it at home with Nice and Easy. Love this color. Easy to use, smells nice and no drips."

2 The Best For Highlights

This dual home hair color and highlighter kit from L'Oréal lets you apply a permanent base color cream, followed by highlights, with the help of a grippy fingertip comb. And since the highlighter dye is bright blue, it's easy to see exactly where you're applying, making this a nearly foolproof process. Reviewers are generally pleased with gray coverage but note that it takes longer than the recommended development time to cover more stubborn grays. The color lasts about eight weeks, but it does contain ammonia, and is only available in one shade: a medium blonde.

According to home stylists: "Toasted Coconut shade gave me the "surfer girl" beachy, golden blond I was looking for. I've tried a lot of brands, nothing really comes out at a salon level of color. It's always dull, or brassy, ashy, or wrong tones. This is the only one that gets it right."

3 The Best For Gray Coverage

My pick for best hair color for stubborn gray is Clairol Age Defy, which earns high praise from reviewers for its coverage. The hair color kit includes an intensifying pre-treat serum to improve color intensity, a permanent hair color cream that provides up to eight weeks of color, and an antioxidant conditioner to deeply hydrate and leave hair protected from damage. (Tip: antioxidants help counteract hair dryness and brittleness that result from natural aging.) These dyes contain ammonium hydroxide, so be sure to apply in a well-ventilated room. Choose from seven blonde shades.

According to home stylists: "I was very impressed with the coverage of my grey. My hair was very soft and smooth also."

4 The Best For Low-Porosity Hair

For both natural and relaxed hairstyles, this permanent hair color from Dark & Lovely is a popular choice. To protect low-porosity hair, the non-drip cream formula skips out on ammonia use, while adding more intense hydration, courtesy of ultra-moisturizing shea, avocado, olive, and argan oils. The hair color lasts for up to eight weeks. It's available in four shades, and reviewers note that it covers gray hair well, too.

According to home stylists: "Easy to use and color turns out great. Used on both relaxed and natural 4b hair. Will use again and again."

5 5.The Best Vegan Dye That's Also Gentle On Sensitive Scalps

If you're looking for a vegan hair dye, this formula by Naturtint is a great choice. And since it's free of potential irritants like ammonia, artificial fragrance, parabens, it's also a great pick for anyone looking for a more gentle formula. The hair color is enriched with nourishing meadowfoam seed oil and oleic acid derived from olives to leave hair soft, shiny, and protected, and reviewers report that it covers gray hairs fairly well. Keep in mind: The color only lasts about a month — about half the time as the other options on this list.

It's available in hazelnut blonde (pictured here), as well as dark blonde and wheat germ blonde.

According to home stylists: "This [is] a very forgiving, easy-to-use hair dye that truly gives a natural, healthier look to dyed hair."

6 The Best Semi-Permanent

If you're not ready to commit to a permanent dye, Clairol Natural Instincts Semi-Permanent Color lasts through 28 washes. The no-drip cream formula contains natural moisturizing ingredients like coconut oil and aloe vera, and it's free of ammonia and parabens. It's good for all hair types and textures, and reviewers note that they're pleased with how well it covers grays, too. Choose from eight blonde shades.

According to home stylists: "Love this temporary hair coloring. It makes your hair shiny and doesn't harm your hair and the color blends while growing out and no harsh dark root line."

7 The Best For Root Touch-Ups

The Magic Root Rescue Hair Color Kit from L'Oréal can lighten roots and cover grays in as little a 10 minutes. The kit comes with a permanent, low-ammonia gel formula that conditions while it colors, and the precision tip applicator and soft-bristle brush make it easy distribute it through your roots. It's recommended for root growth that's less than 1 inch, and reviewers say it lasts for about three to five weeks. It's only available in three shades, but it's a great way to freshen up between salon visits.

According to home stylists: "This makes root-cover-up so easy! The wand/brush design is brilliant that I can do it without any help and mess free. The formula works great not just to cover-up the roots but also give a "glow" to my hair."

8 Also Great: A Purple Shampoo That Can Eliminate Brassiness

This purple shampoo is a great addition to your hair-care routine, helping to keep blonde hair vibrant while preserving color and preventing brassy tones. This is great to use once a week or every other week to refresh your color, but note that it will lose its effectiveness if used more often. There's also a purple conditioner available, if you prefer to do a whole treatment.

According to home stylists: "Depending on how much you need to [tone] down the yellow in your hair, you can lather and let it "sit" while you shave your legs, etc. It really does a great job and I can tell the difference."

Studies Referenced:

Trueb, RM. (2006). Pharmacologic interventions in aging hair. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18044109