Review: Rita Hazan Root Concealer (Stay Away: An Honest Account)

During days I would regularly conceal my naturally dark hair with bright blonde coloring, I turned to Rita Hazan’s Root Concealing Spray after several recommendations and reading glowing reviews about the product online. For fellow chameleons, the product is also available in red and two different shades of blonde, as well as darker colors to use to conceal grays.

The touch up spray comes in 5 different colors and is designed to be used in between salon trips or at home dying processes, and is water and transfer proof. It is safe for all hair types, including those with keratin treated hair (or any relaxing or straightening treatments). It is designed to evenly disperse on the roots when sprayed lightly from an angular distance, and offers buildable coverage that is best used on dry hair.

While this product is better than a lot of powder formulations on the market with an aeresol spray formulation, and bearing in mind this is a personal account (as many users and fans seem to love the product, and a product affinity is always personal and open to interpretation), I had some of the worst experiences in trying to use this product, and would recommend those seeking root cover up treatments to look for other products if you are not already a fan of the line.

While this account is certainly not intended to disparage a very well respected brand or discourage those who may enjoy the product from testing it out, a first line of advice would simply be to test the product in store prior to purchase.

Considering the glowing reviews and a very brief in store test (results proved different with at home use)- I opted to invest in a full size product in the light blonde shade, thinking it would be an ideal solution in between coloring processes. Unfortunately my account and several consequential experiences made this an unfortunate and returned purchase, but this review will still keep objectivity in mind and refer to other users as well whom have had positive experiences with the root concealer.

This review will cover some main product features, some pros and cons to bear in mind prior to purchase, as well as a final verdict, to help you make a more informed purchasing choice prior to any potential point of sale.

Rita Hazan Root Concealer: My Honest Review

Rita Hazan’s Root Concealer is a 2 ounce touch up spray that comes in 5 colors ranging from dark brunette to light blonde, designed to conceal pesky roots in between self color treatments or salon visits. It covers gray hair hair and is water proof, meaning it can last for days until your next shampoo treatment.

Unlike many powder or brush treatments, Rita Hazan’s approach is a spray formula that is designed to treat any unevenness and color deviation, which supposedly only requires a minimal amount of product for use. It is also best to use on dry hair, and you may wish to try to blend it in using a towel or dark colored linen to evenly disperse the product.

There are varying opinions on this specific product, and while the brand itself has great name recognition and a solid collection of salon-quality hair products, this specific formulation seems to need some work for specific color matches.

While this seems to be a great solution for those with darker hair colors seeking to treat grays or use a minimal amount of product, many users claim the product color matches are incorrectly labeled and described.

I unfortunately experienced the same issue, along with several other issues, in attempting to use this in between salon visits with darker roots and light blonde hair coloring. The “light blonde” product is more like a very light brunette color, and the product seems incredibly sticky, flaky, drying, and residue tends to accumulate everywhere- including the skin, clothes, and linens.

So trying to remain as objective as possible, fans of this product may appreciate an upgrade from other drugstore formulations and may find this to be a perfect solution for covering up a few grays, but in general, and as described below, this is unfortunately not the best product in the category I have encountered and features could certainly use some improvement.

Rita Hazan Root Concealer: Positives & Negatives

Bearing in mind my personal use of this product was certainly not positive and I would not recommend this as a treatment for redheads or (especially) blondes with darker roots, the majority of consumers who do really love this product seem to be those using it as a light touch up in darker shades to conceal gray hairs. This may be a more fitting use for the product in general, as in reading through other comments, I could not find a single other positive comment from someone with darker or light blonde hair who had success in using this to treat darker roots in between salon visits or at home hair coloring.

With that in mind, here are some key pros and cons to consider prior to purchase with as much objectivity in mind as possible and bearing in mind positive user experiences as well:

Pros

• Those who seem to have success with this product mainly seem to enjoy the darker colors as a gray concealer, which may be more helpful than trying to conceal dark roots for blondes (as the latter seems to have the poorest experience with this product in general)
• For those who love the product, they claim it works much better in comparison to other powder and brush type products they have tried previously
• Some with better color matches dependent on hair type may enjoy use of the product more if the match is a stronger fit in comparison to the color treated portion of the hair
• Some users use the product minimally to cover grays near the temples, which may be more ideal than trying to cover up significant roots that are much different than the color treated portion of the hair
• Some users use a small amount and then are able to use dark towels to spread product around to make it work better (however my bet is these towels are subsequently stained/sullied)
• Many users transferring from drugstore brands seem to enjoy this product in comparison to other products used previously that they claim to be of a much lower quality
• Some users use bonnets or other products to prevent residue from spilling on linens, and claim the benefits outweigh these measures
• Those who seem to enjoy the product the most tend to be users with thinner and gray hairs- so this may be a very different experience for them than those trying to conceal darker roots with blonde coloring
• For those who it does work for, users really enjoy having a go-to product to use in between salon visits to conceal roots

Cons

• Even while following the directives as per the bottle and the saleswoman who had helped me purchase the product, I found it extremely drying almost immediately even with minimal use
• Following use, the hair feels extremely sticky, clumps together, and feels extremely “cakey”
• The product does not look natural in aesthetic (referring to blonde tones, as this may vary) at all, even if you need very minimal root coverage
• I had to attempt to shampoo and wash my hair almost immediately as the product and corresponding buildup felt more uncomfortable than any other hair product I have tried on the market
• For a product over $20, the downsides in this case and considering this falls under the “luxury beauty” category seems a bit confusing
• There was a high degree of residue that looked powdery, uneven, did not conceal roots, and if anything made the hair aesthetic look much worse, in my case
• Color gets all over the skin and residue is very prone to building up on sheets, linens, clothing, and pillow cases (even after drying down)
• The color looks extremely unnatural and fake, and does not provide a suitable match, particularly for blondes with darker roots
• The “light blonde” color is actually a very light brown color, and is not suitable for those with very light hair
• If you touch your hair following use, product spillage gets all over the hands and can accidentally transfer to clothes and objects
• Some reviewers have claimed (not a personal experience) that the product has turned the hair orange following use
• Product is extremely hard to wash off after use and requires a couple of shampoo treatments to fully remove
• The color is so uneven that it appears patchy, leading to more product use, leading to further drying and all of the aforementioned issues (it is nearly impossible to evenly disperse
• The colors are simply not a good match or as advertised
• Even users giving good feedback admit that the color match was not what they had anticipated, so it may be wise to both reformulate the product and create a wider color range that is suitable to a broader category
• For those with dry hair: this product can be extremely drying and I would not recommend use

Money-Back Guarantee

Especially considering the points in this review and prospective trepidation, the return policy in this case may be a highly important factor for you.

The manufacturer, Rita Hazan, has a strong return and exchange policy that honors full refunds upon dissatisfaction or allergy, and this policy favors the consumer, both new and returning. If you are dissatisfied with the use of the product, or if it does not work for your hair to provide suitable coverage benefits, or you experience any product allergy or reaction to the formulation, you may elect to return it at any time.

In this case, you will receive a full refund equal to the entire purchase price of the item. If the item was received as a gift (without receipt), the policy applies for an even exchange, and this policy is applicable to online purchase, as individual store policy may vary depending on location and distributer.

If you feel the policy if not taken into consideration, you may contact customer service, and you can remain ensured you will receive a full refund.

This was a policy I definitely exercised even as someone who rarely returns products, as this was simply (in my case) a waste of funds and time. But it was at least nice to know that the policy existed so the money was not a total waste.

The Final Verdict

If you are seeking a product that can address subtle issues like grays and especially if you have a darker hair shade, this may be an ideal product. It certainly has a loyal fan base, which seems to be comprised mainly of those with auburn hair shades and those seeking subtle gray touch-ups.

However, in the interest of complete transparency, particularly for blondes seeking root coverage, this is not a product I would recommend, and I would definitely look into other products in between salon visits or at home colorings if that is feasible for you.

The color shades, particularly on the lighter end of the spectrum, simply do not match and are not accurately advertised. In addition to all this, the product is drying, sticky, gets all over linens, clothes, and skin- and simply results in a patchy mess that looks incredibly unnatural and uneven if you are seeking to cover up darker roots with a lighter hair shade.

I actually preferred the aesthetic of living with subtle roots as opposed to using this product, and it was just incredibly difficult to even remove from the hair after use, even if you follow the directives precisely.

With that said and to remain fair, this is a cult-favorite brand with other very good products, and many consumers do enjoy this product. But simply put, this is recommended more for those who can find an accurate color match and use the product minimally, or for those looking to cover up a few grays, especially for those with darker hair shades.

With that in mind, this is an individual account and opinion, and you may have a completely different user experience with the same product.