By Daniel Markey

As we grow older, our hair's like, "Hey, I'm gonna change things up a bit." It's all because of this thing called aging – the most common reason for gray hair. See, our hair buddies, the pigment cells (or melanin), start to chill out over time. So, that vibrant color we rocked in our younger days? It's taking a back seat. 

But I'm just 32 and have a salt and pepper mane (more salt than pepper these days). Life has this funny way of throwing surprises at you, and my surprise came in the form of prematurely graying hair. You know, those strands that decide to trade their youthful color for a touch of silver way before you're ready for it.

I'm standing there on the subway, minding my own business, lost in my thoughts. Suddenly, someone taps me on the shoulder. "Excuse me, sir," they say, "would you like my seat?" My brain does a quick double-take. I glance around, and it hits me – people are offering their seats to me. Me, a guy who's nowhere near retirement age.

At first, I thought it was some kind of friendly gesture. You know, people being polite and all. But then, it kept happening – on buses, trains, even at the local coffee shop. People treating me like some silver-haired old man. It's nice, I mean, people still have respect for their elders, right? But come on, I'm just in my 30s.

But let's hit pause on my silver-seat story for a moment. Whether you’re in your twenties or seventies, looking to darken your grays, there’s not much you can do besides coloring them. Or is there

That’s what our team of researchers and reviewers set out to find out. We've been in your shoes, curious and a bit skeptical. Are there natural ways to reverse your gray hair without resorting to dye? Spoiler alert: There are!

But how do you sift through the products that truly work from the ones that fall flat? Separating the champs from the chumps. Let's Get Started!

Effectiveness: 95%

Safety: 100%

Price: $

Overall: A+

Mane’s Gray Reverse Bar darkens the hair without looking fake. It stops the narutral causes of gray hair and brings back its original color, subtly. Mane says they’ve prioritized safety with its "science-backed formula" that stimulates melanocytes, the cells which determine color vibrancy in follicles, to return individual hair strands to their original color. We learned about Mane when they offered a 50% discount code SECRET50 when they first launched. But we couldn't help but recall the skepticism many of us have faced: "I've tried things before and they didn't work. How is this different?" Mane’sGray Reverse Bar melanocytes stimulation address the root causes of graying, not just surface-level fixes. This could be the reason they've sold out of the Gray Reverse Bar every other week. The best part? It works on your head, beard, and even eyebrows. This is a must-buy!

SAVE 50% with CODE SECRET50

Effectiveness: 80%

Safety: 100%

Price: $$$$

Overall Value: B+

As we said, there's a lot of science these days to help us understand why our hair grays. Some of that science works with the root and inner most part of the follicle, some work with the outer layers of the follicle. Which is better?.. Well, when it comes to the Purple Rain Shampoo Bar, their theory is that the purple can help balance the gray color for a more natural looking color. While we saw some results, we weren't exactly blown away... especially when we noticed our brand new white towels had a hint of purple on them.

Effectiveness: 80%

Safety: 85%

Price: $$

Overall Value: B+

SMKEY Natural Grey Hair Removal Soap was a solid bet seeing it looked a lot like Mane's Gray Reverse Bar. However, what we found is again, their science was different. While SMKEY may seem budget-friendly, Mane's Gray Reverse Bar offers a more advanced approach. Mane uses cutting-edge technology to reverse gray hair effectively and provide a long-lasting solution.

Effectiveness: 75%

Safety: 80%

Price: $

Overall Value: C

We Wanted to try out Boomoon because a friend recommended it to us after visiting a herbarl shop. The charcoal is beneficial to your hair and can help reset your natural processes for darker hair. While we did like the bar and did see results, the actual bar's consitency was a little weak and it ended up falling apart much too quickly for our liking.

Effectiveness: 75%

Safety: 70%

Price: $

Overall Value: C-

A non-bar solution ReEn does it a little different with a gradual effect treatment (also available in a shampoo) that can slowly change the color of your hair. We're skeptical. From the science we can find, this is basically a very gradual hair dye that may make your hair look darker, but will fade as soon as you stop using it. A fine option, but certainly not the best.

While we believe we recommended some great shampoos to help reverse gray hairs in men, we believe Mane’s Reverse Gray Bar is the absolute best option. We wanted to talk further with our investigative reporter Mark Herring who helped create the rankings list and how he discovered the greatness that is Mane.

It was that day when I step into the elevator the walls are mirrors, reflecting every inch of me. It's a bit tight in there, and suddenly, I'm super aware of how I look. The doors close, and we start going up. I glance at my reflection, and bam! The bright lights are like, "Hey, check out those gray hairs!"

I swear, the mirror's turned into this truth-telling machine. It's like the gray hairs are yelling. I look around, and everyone else seems to be rocking their own colors, while I'm stuck in this gray zone. It's like the elevator's turned into this judgmental gallery, and I'm the main exhibit.

I try to shake off the feeling, you know, pretend I don't care. But it's impossible. I catch myself standing up straighter, hoping I can stand up to their scrutiny. But let's be real, the more I try to avoid it, the more I'm hyper-aware of it.

We keep going up, and I can't help but think – how did I let something like my hair color mess with my confidence? Finally, the doors open, and I step out that moment stuck with me, you know? It was like a reality check that I needed.

So when I was put on assignment to find the best darkening shampoos , I was happy to test some things out. Unfortunately, not a lot made the cut. Too many products felt, smelled, and contained strong chemicals that felt more like medicine than shampoo. And worse, they didn’t really work that well. I sort’ve gave up.

I was on the brink of waving the white flag, throwing in the towel on the whole reverse the gray hair thing but just when I was about to quit , my best buddy waltzes in. Now, this is the guy whose judgment I trust more than my GPS. And guess what? He's got this slick new hair color going on. Naturally, I'm all ears, demanding to know his secret. And you won't believe what he said – it's all natural.

Naturally, I call his bluff. "Dude, c'mon, spill the beans. You can't fool me." That's when he leaps out of his seat like a kid on a sugar rush and snatches something from the shelf. He's holding this bar, the Mane's Reverse Gray Bar.

Then he told me that he tried a bunch of stuff, but Mane was the only one that delivered the goods. Now, let me tell you, I was still skeptical. I'm not one to take things at face value. But then he hits me with the big reveal – a picture. A photo taken just two months ago. And I swear to you, I was gobsmacked.

I asked him to let me borrow his Reverse Gray Bar, but instead he told me to buy my own like a real adult LOL. Thankfully, he gave me the secret 50% off discount SECRET50. So I ordered two bars immediately.

That was the moment I decided to give it a whirl. And let me tell you, it was like stepping into a time machine, back to the days when my hair was a tad less gray and a lot more vibrant. Mane's didn't just win me over, it took my hair from faded to fabulous, and I'm never looking back.

I used as instructed. Wet the bar and rub the lather into your hair. Pretty simple.

Of course, I looked into the mirror and expected immediate results, but with products like these, you got to use them every day for about three weeks before you notice anything. In the meantime, I wanted to know what made Mane’s Reverse Gray Bar do what it did.

It’s all about what CAUSES gray hair. Mane says there are two reasons,

1. Pigment cells in your hair called melanocytes decrease production with age, resulting in color leaving your hair

2. Stress releases harmful chemicals into the follicle, which rapidly stops pigment production.

So Mane aims to protect the melanocytes to help stimulate pigment production. So even if you’re stressed, you’ll still be blessed with a good head of hair. And isn’t that in of itself a great relief?

Mane uses three special ingredients that help protect melanocytes and stimulate pigment production:

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

This is your all-around bad ass ingredient to help make your hair stronger and healthier with a mix of anti-oxidants and peptides. It also is the main force in protecting your melanocytes.

Bamboo Charcoal

Charcoal is amazing at pulling toxins and harmful free radicals from your hair, leaving only the healthiest follicle possible. 

Shea Butter

Extremely helpful in moisturizing and hydrating your hair for the healthiest possible look.  

So, finally, after 4 weeks, I decided to check if I could see results… and wow! The areas of my hair that were previously gray became darker and even started to return to my original hair color! Even better,  my hair felt fuller and stronger than it had in years. I was simply amazed at how good it looked and felt.