Grey hair mascara: when to use it, how to apply it and its limits

Key takeaways

• Grey hair mascara is a small wand and tube that temporarily colours a few grey or white hairs, or short roots, until your next shampoo.
• It works best on precise areas: temples, parting, hairline, and roots of 1 to 2 cm.
• On large areas, or on very white hairs within dark hair, it quickly reaches its limits.
• On brown to black hair, our Ecobell Topical Shader conceals grey roots; for larger areas or light hair, the Hairfor2 and Volumiz sprays take over.

A few white strands at the temples, a parting that lightens between two colour appointments: grey hair mascara is made for these precise touch-ups. It deposits temporary colour on the hairs you target, leaves the rest of your hair alone and washes out with shampoo. It just takes a little method to avoid clumps. Here is when it works well, where it stops working and what to use when the area to cover gets bigger.

What is grey hair mascara?

Grey hair mascara looks like an eyelash mascara, only larger. The tube holds a coloured formula, more or less creamy, and a fine brush lets you apply it strand by strand. The colour coats the surface of the hair: it does not penetrate the fibre the way a permanent dye does.

• It is temporary: the colour usually lasts until your next shampoo, then disappears.
• It is targeted: you only colour the hairs you choose, without changing the shade of your lengths.
• It is commitment free: no processing time, no mixing, and you only use it on the days you need it.

It is mostly used to cover grey hair with mascara between two salon visits, or to put off a full colour when the first grey hairs appear.

When is a mascara for grey hair the right choice?

Mascara gives its best results on small areas, where precision matters more than coverage.

• A few scattered grey hairs: light strands here and there on top of the head or in a fringe.
• The temples: often the first area to go grey, visible in profile and easy to reach with a fine brush.
• The parting: you colour the dividing line without weighing down the rest of your hair.
• Grey root touch-ups of 1 to 2 cm: while regrowth is still short, mascara is enough to blur the line until your next colour.

The limits of grey hair mascara

Large areas

Covering a wide parting, the crown or regrowth all over the head with mascara takes a lot of time and product. The result soon looks uneven and your hair loses its movement.

Long roots

Beyond 1 to 2 cm of regrowth, you have to coat a long section of each hair. Strands become stiffer and the colour tends to leave a visible band.

Very white hairs within dark hair

The stronger the contrast, the more product it takes to hide a white hair among black or dark brown hair. Load the brush too much and you get stuck-together strands with a shiny or stiff look. Several thin layers work better than one thick coat, but you reach the limit fairly quickly.

How to apply grey hair mascara without clumps

• Start with clean, fully dry hair. On damp or greasy hair, the colour grips poorly and smears.
• Wipe the brush on the rim of the tube. An overloaded brush is the main cause of clumps.
• Separate the strand you want to colour with a comb or your fingers, then place the brush at the root.
• Brush in the direction of growth, from the root to the end of the grey section, with short, light strokes.
• Build thin layers and let each one dry before adding another if coverage is not enough.
• Comb once dry with a fine-tooth comb to separate any hairs that have stuck together.
• Protect your skin: near the forehead and temples, slide a finger or a tissue under the strand to avoid marks.

For the shade, match your natural roots or your dye, going slightly darker, and test it on a hidden strand.

Hairvisual tip: for grey roots and temples on brown to black hair, use our Ecobell Topical Shader waterproof hair mascara. It comes in a compact 25 g format, in Dark brown, Medium brown and Black. Choose a shade slightly darker than your hair: it darkens and conceals, but cannot lighten.

How to remove grey hair mascara

Mascara normally washes out with shampoo. A few precautions help avoid marks:

• Wet your hair thoroughly before lathering, focusing on the coloured areas.
• Shampoo twice if the product is water resistant or if you apply it every day.

If you use mascara or a coloured spray several days in a row, residue can build up and dull the colour. The Hairfor2 anti-residue shampoo removes traces of spray, powder and hair mascara, so you start your next application on a clean scalp.

Covering a larger area: colouring spray

The Topical Shader is not suited to blonde or very light hair, and a brush stays slow on a large area. In those cases, our two colouring sprays cover faster and more evenly.

Hairfor2: 10 shades for grey and white hair

The Hairfor2 spray colours grey hair and roots, and also conceals thinning areas thanks to its microfibres. Its 10 shades range from black to light blonde, plus an auburn and a grey. Shake it well, spray in short bursts from 10 to 20 cm, then comb through. It comes in 100, 200, 300 and 400 ml.

Volumiz: grey roots in one step

The Volumiz spray for grey roots is a 2-in-1 that conceals grey roots and makes thinning areas look fuller. It comes in 4 shades (Blonde, Light brown, Dark brown, Black), in a 200 ml can, and lasts until your next shampoo.

For an overview of the options to suit your situation, see our guide to covering grey hair and roots between two colours.

Frequently asked questions about grey hair mascara

Does grey hair mascara damage your hair?

It is a cosmetic product that sits on the surface and washes out with shampoo: it does not alter the fibre the way a permanent dye does. The main pitfall is build-up if you do not rinse well. If your scalp becomes irritated or itchy, stop using it and ask a dermatologist or a doctor for advice.

How long does mascara for grey hair last?

Usually until your next shampoo. Actual hold depends on the formula, how much you apply and what your day involves: rain, sport and friction can shorten it. For wider coverage that stands up to water, a waterproof spray such as Hairfor2 is a better fit than a mascara.

Can you use mascara on dyed hair?

Yes, that is actually its most common use: hiding regrowth between two colours. Choose a shade close to your dye rather than your natural colour. Apply it only to the grey section so you do not darken lengths that are already coloured, and test the shade on a hidden strand before the first use.

Mascara or spray: which is better for grey root touch-ups?

It depends on the area. For a few grey hairs, the temples or a fine parting with 1 to 2 cm of regrowth, mascara is precise and quick. For a wide parting, the crown or longer regrowth, a spray covers faster and more evenly. You can also combine the two: spray for the main area, mascara for the finishing touches.

Grey hair mascara is the ideal tool for a few white strands and short roots, as long as you work in thin layers. As soon as the area grows, a colouring spray does the job more efficiently. To find the shade and size that suit you, explore our range of colouring hair sprays.