Redken Color Gels for Gray Hair Touch-Ups: Which Permanent Formula is Right for You?

Looking for the best permanent hair dyes for touching up your grays? Learn about the latest Redken Color Gels formulas and which will work best for you.

By Leann Garofolo & Powered By L’Oreal Professional Products Division

Update Date: 01 Sep 2026

Gone are the days when covering your grays required sitting in your colorist’s chair for hours. If you don’t have much time to dedicate to your hair routine, you’ll be eager to learn all about two professional full-coverage touch-up lines from Redken: Color Gels Oils and Color Gels Lacquers 10 Minute Permanent Hair Color formulas.

What are Redken Color Gels?

Redken Color Gels Oils and Color Gels Lacquers 10 Minute Permanent Hair Color are opaque, permanent hair dyes in liquid form that achieve up to 100 percent coverage on gray hair. Their liquid formats quickly apply to the hair, saturating all textures with dye to speed up the touch-up or coloring process. While these Gels may seem similar at a glance, both formulas have a few key distinctions that will determine which one is right for you.

Redken Color Gels Oils

• Hair rejuvenation technology for shinier and more conditioned hair
• Offers up to 100 percent coverage on every shade offering
• Ammonia-free
• Redken’s most saturated monochromatic hair color to date
• Made with two percent apricot oil for smoother strands
• Pairs well with Redken Shades EQ Hair Gloss

Redken Color Gels Lacquers 10 Minute Permanent Hair Color

• Provides up to 100 percent coverage on select all shades
• Features high kinetic dyes for a quick 10-minute processing time
• Has Smart Pause Technology to prevent overprocessing
• Can be used on as little as one inch of regrowth

Where can I try Redken Color Gels?

Redken permanent hair colors are available at Redken salons across the country. Simply find a Redken salon near you and book a consultation appointment.

For Coverage and Rejuvenation: Redken Color Gels Oils

Can Redken Color Gels Oils rejuvenate my gray hair?

In order to understand how Redken Color Gels Oils can rejuvenate your mane, it may be helpful to familiarize yourself with the structure of gray hair. Color change aside, you may notice that your gray hairs are drier, coarser, and wirier than your other strands and that they have a unique wave or curl pattern. This happens because gray hair-producing hair follicles also churn out less hair-lubricating oils, making grays coarser and more resistant to styling products and even hair dye.

The innovative Color Gels Oils line simultaneously rejuvenates the look and feel of gray hairs as it delivers beautifully opaque color to cover them up fully. They feature hair adhesion technology, allowing the dye to best stick to hair during application and processing without dripping. After being treated with a Color Gels Oils service in the salon, you’ll notice a 78 percent increase in shine* and a 30 percent increase in conditioning,** and see that your hair (grays included!) is much softer overall.

vs. uncolored hair
*vs. non-conditioning shampoo

The Redken Color Gels Oils Hair Color Shades to Try Now

Whether your stylist mixes your Color Gel Oils in a bowl or applies it straight to your roots with an application nozzle for a quick touch-up, here are four looks this new line can procure.

7G Saffron, 7NCh Fondue, and 7CC Urban Fever

One of the best things about the Color Gels Oils is that they pair perfectly with Redken Shades EQ—especially if you’re looking for a completely unique shade. Here, New Jersey-based artist Raymond Serio combined Color Gels Oils in 7G Saffron, 7NCh Fondue, and 7CC Urban Fever with Shades EQ in 08CR Sunrise, 08C Cayenne, 08WG Golden Apricot, and Orange Kicker for a bespoke fiery shade.

6NW Brandy

Unsure of diving into redhead territory? This coppery brown in the shade 6NW Brandy can help you toe the line of red while giving grays the boot.

9NN Cortado

Similar to the shade of the frothy steamed beverage it’s named after, 9NN Cortado will leave you with a creamy dark blonde you won’t be able to get enough of.

5NN Cafe Mocha

Have you shied away from dark brown hair because you fear it will put your silvers front and center? Color Gels Oils in 5NN Cafe Mocha will change the game, giving your mane full coverage and rich, saturated color.

For Extra-Quick Root Touch-Ups: Redken Color Gels Lacquers 10 Minute Permanent Hair Color

Can I color my hair in just 10 minutes?

If you thought you couldn’t squeeze in a root touch-up appointment before a busy week, think again! You can be in and out of the salon in less than an hour with Redken Color Gels Lacquers 10 Minute Permanent Hair Color. With these innovative permanent hair colors, you can achieve 100 percent gray coverage and up to one level of lift in just 10 minutes. Your color will be shiny and saturated, and your grays will be concealed. Plus, there’s no fuss or mess from DIY gray coverage.

How does 10-minute hair color work?

10-minute hair color gives you results as quickly as it takes to get a manicure. Redken Color Gels Lacquers 10 Minute Permanent Hair Color is true to its name. When you book an appointment, you can expect your colorist to apply your desired hue and wait 10 minutes for the color to process. Then, you’ll be out of the salon with professional color results and no grays in sight.

The Redken Color Gels Lacquers 10 Minute Permanent Hair Color Shades to Try Now

6NN Chocolate Mousse

There are a range of brunette hair colors to choose from, but we happen to adore 6NN Chocolate Mousse.

4NN Coffee Grounds

This curly hair transformation using 4NN Coffee Grounds is gorgeous and low-maintenance.

7N Mirage

Want to refresh your blonde and cover your grays without spending hours at the salon? Ask your colorist for a Color Gels Lacquers 10 Minute shade like 7N Mirage. Use this before and after by Redken artist Lindsey Olson as inspiration!

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