Mustache too light? Here’s what you can do about it!

While you are growing your beard you may notice that your mustache is very light. There are a variety of reasons why your mustache may be light it is primarily dictated by your genetics, but it may be compounded by some damage and the fact that the hair density and coverage is very thin making it lighter than the rest of your beard. In this article, we are going go over all of the things that you can do to make your mustache darker if you consider your mustache too light.

Your mustache is likely too light because of your genetics. If your mustache is too light you can use permanent solutions such as beard and mustache dyes such as the grisly mounting Beard or you can opt for temporary solutions such as beard pens and beard darkening fibers.

While you are growing your mustache you may find that no matter what you try your mustache is always too light and it doesn’t quite match your beard or other components of your style. Before we launch into things that you can do to stop your mustache from being too light we should understand the reasons why your mustache is light and blonde.

Why is my mustache so blonde?

There are some things about our beard that we simply cannot change without external help. The color of your beard and mustache is certainly one of the aspects that is primarily dictated before you are even born. This means, that the genetic lottery that you inherit from your mother and father will be the ultimate decider in your mustache color.

Genetics

Your genetics plays a huge role in determining whether or not your beard and mustache will be thick, full, and dark.

A study published in 2019 looked at the genetics of human skin and hair pigmentation. They note that the genetic make-up which determines skin and hair color can vary dramatically within and across ethnic populations.

It is the melanin pigments and their chemical and physical properties that determine the color of human skin and hair.

The genetics that determine hair color is very complicated. No single gene dominates over the rest but genes influence each other resulting in a wide variety of beard and mustache colors.

You don’t just inherit genes from your parents – you also inherit genes from your grandparents and earlier generations of your family. We even get a very small amount of genes from even more distant relatives. You share about 0.78% of your DNA with your great-great-great-great-great grandfather (aka 5th great-grandfather). So, even though it is very unlikely that your beard growing potential comes from your great-great-great-great-great grandfather – it is a possibility.

Therefore, if you find that your mustache is light it may be that there is nothing you can do beyond dying it permanently or using temporarily dying solutions which will talk about below.

Sun damage

The ultraviolet rays that radiate from the sun can also cause a bleaching effect on your skin and mustache.

If you regularly work outside there is a high probability that the UV rays from the sun are damaging the pigment cells in the core of the hair. The melanin – which is a molecule which helps protect against the effects of UV radiation – is destroyed when exposed to UV radiation for a long time.

There are two types of melanin produced by the body and as these break down the brown and black pigment may primarily be destroyed leaving you with a red and yellow pigment.

If you are a person regularly works out in the elements you can choose to use a beard product with a UV protectant inside or you can apply a factor 50 SPF some cream directly to your beard before heading out in the morning.

Thin

The last reason that your mustache may be considered to light is that it consists of very thin sparsely populated hairs.

If you want to know more about whether or not your mustache will fill in you should check out my other article – will my mustache fill in? [Solved with science] – click here to be taken to article.

If you have particularly liked mustache hair it can be hard to grow out the hairs to a point where they actually look like they are thickening up darkening.

The hair density will also play a huge role in determining how thick or thin your mustache looks.

Having a low hair density on your upper lip can be improved with temporary beard thickeners such as beard hair fibers and the beard pen.

If you want to grow more hairs across your top lip you can opt to use minoxidil or some other pharmaceutical intervention but this should be a final option as there are plenty of less invasive options for you to try more then.

Let’s take a look at all of the options that you have to make your mustache darker.

How can I make my mustache darker?

Making your mustache darker comes down to choosing whether or not you want changed to be permanent or temporary. The great thing about using a permanent solution is that it enables you to get of your life without worrying that it will wear off all that the dye will run down your face if it rains or you do something that makes you sweaty.

Using a temporary mustache darkening solution enables you to trial a range of colors and options before committing to a permanent solution which can last up to 10 washes or more.

Here are some of the best permanent and semipermanent dye options for your facial hair.

Mustache darkening products	Price ($)	Links to products
Dyes
Grizzly Mountain Beard dye	16	Link
Cremo No Mix No Mess Hair and Beard Color	16	Link
Just For Men Mustache & Beard	25	Link
Temporary solutions
Hair wax	9	Link
Blackbeard for men formula	13	Link
Beard pencil	14	Link
Men’s Black Temporary Beard Filler	15	Link
Hair spray	16	Link
Toppik hair fibres	25	Link
Natural products
Amla powder	6	Link
Henna powder	7	Link
Black walnut hull powder	14	Link

Dyes

Grizzly Mountain Beard dye

Grizzly Mountain Beard dye is full of organic ingredients that have been specially formulated and manufactured to leave your mustache looking darker whilst also retaining its natural look. The one thing I love about this Beard dye is that there are no chemicals which could cause any sort of reaction or contact dermatitis with your skin.

It is primarily made up of plant extracts and uses Indigo and Hannah as a large portion of the active dying ingredients. For example, the light brown Beard dye contains this selection of plants/herbs:

Lawsonia Inermis Extract, Indigofera Tinctoria Extract, Emblica Officinalis Extract, Eclipta Prostrata Extract, Melia Azadirachta Leaf Extract

Each pack is designed to last from anywhere between two applications up to 8 months – depending on the length of your mustache and application area. If you have a Wizard length Beard the pack will only last about two applications. If you are only using it on your mustache occasionally you can expect much more milage from your package.

Cremo No Mix No Mess Hair and Beard Color

The great thing about this product is that it comes premixed and means that it is a no mess solution for darkening your mustache.

This is a foam product which means that it may be easier to apply for some customers. To activate the product all you have to do is click together the two components and press the button until the product starts foaming. This means that there are no gloves required and it is much easier to spread evenly throughout your mustache and beard.

The good thing is that it is able to be stored away for repeated use. So, if you don’t use all of the product in one go all you have to do is seal it back up for a future use. The color last for up to 6 weeks which makes this a fantastic option for those of you who do not want repeat your application of your Beard darkening product too often.

Just For Men Mustache & Beard

Just for men is a well-known American-based hair coloring company. This manufacturer of beard darkening products is well known for its quality dying products and they offer 10 different shades of dye for every beard type. The shades range from a light blonde to jet black color.

If you are in doubt of which shade you should choose you should always go with the lighter shade because you can always add more die or go darker. It is very hard to lighten up a beard once it has been died a specific color.

You can apply this product as often as you need to maintain your mustache color.

Temporary solutions

Temporary solutions are incredible if you want to do is try out a beard darkening product without having to commit to a full darkening and permanent intervention. These products have the downside that they can rub off throughout the day and is unlikely that they are going to last for a very long time but you can carry them with you in your pocket to touch them up through the day if you need to.

Here are some of my favorite temporary mustache darkening solutions that don’t cost a fortune.

Beard pen

Beard pens do exactly what a sound like – they allow you to draw in hairs so that your mustache looks fuller and darker. Beard pencils come with different types of tips from a typical pen tip to one with a micro fork. This micro fork allows you to apply more product to your face in a shorter period of time. The Beard filler is designed to reduce the appearance of gaps in your Beard, mustache, and eyebrows.

It’s as easy as using a pen and it lasts all day. The long-lasting formula of many Beard pen and pencils allows you to wear the product for up to 24 hours and many of them are sweat proof and water resistant. This means that if you get caught in the odd shower or you sweat a little bit through the day it will be likely to stay in place.

Using a brush after application will soften the lines that you have just drawn into your mustache and evenly distribute the product throughout your mustache so that there are no harsh gradients or lines for people to pick up on.

Blackbeard for men formula

Blackbeard for men – formula X is like a mascara for beards and mustaches. You can use this to cover up specific areas of your mustache by simply wiping the applicator brush across the problem areas. You can use it to fill in a few patches or you can use it to vary the color intensity of your mustache.

It only takes about a minute to brush on and the application is mess free. You do not need to mix chemicals and the clean-up is as simple as putting the applicator back into the bottle.

This product lasts for about 12 hours and fades naturally over time. The good thing about this product is that if you need to touch up it only takes seconds and the bottle is small enough to store in a pocket or bag.

If you have a particularly long or patching mustache it may take a while to perfect the application to the point that it looks even throughout your beard. Application every morning will be required and it will fade throughout the day.

If you find that you touch your face a lot during the day this product may end up transferring to your hands and clothes.

Natural products

If you don’t like the idea of applying a chemical solution to your mustache to make it darker you can opt for a natural product such as Henna and amler powder. You can buy a lot of these products grand into a powder so that it’s very easy to simply mixed with water and then apply into your mustache.

Henna powder

Dyeing your mustache with henna powder is a relatively simple process and you can even buy a pre-packaged henna dye  (like this one on Amazon).

All you have to do with a pack is to prepare the mixture using warm tap water as indicated on the packet. Then you evenly apply throughout your beard and wait for a minimum of two hours.

A lot of people wrap their beard and mustache in cling wrap to make sure that there are no drips which stain your clothes or your furniture. Two hours is quite a lot of time to be walking around with dye in your beard and mustache.

If you decide to buy henna as a dry powder you can also find tune the mixture so that your hair can be more auburn, orange, chestnut brown, or burgundy. This takes a little bit more preparation but here are the basic steps:

• Before getting started remember that henna will dye anything it touches on this includes your skin. Remember to wear gloves and protect the area in which you will be applying it to your beard.
• You will need about 50 g for mustaches and about 100 g if your beard is wizard in length. Mix with hot tap water slowly until you create a paste that is the consistency of cake batter.
• Allow the mixture to sit for about 12 hours with a plastic wrap on top. This will mean that the dye is a great consistency when you want to work with it. You’ll notice that the mixture will darken to a dark brown over time, this is an indication that is ready to use.
• Apply the paste throughout your mustache and spread as evenly as possible. You can’t use too much and if in doubt apply more.
• If you get a dye on your skin wipe it quickly with a hot wet towel.
• Wait for at least two hours for washing out the henna dye. The longer you leave the dye on the deeper the color will be.
• After two hours rinse out your mustache over a sink. Do not be tempted to do this in the shower because the henna will stain your body and bathtub/shower cubicle.
• Wash with shampoo and follow-up with conditioner and your beard is now darker!

You can add a range of different things to change the color of your mustache once you have applied henna. For example, assets like lemon juice and vinegar makes the dye more strawberry blonde. You can use coffee or tea to make it a darker color and some people even use brandy to give it a more intense red color.

Amla powder

Amla Powder is also known as the Indian Gooseberry. It is found in places like India and the Middle East and has been used in some form of medicine for centuries.

Besides being a supplement, you can use Amla powder on your hair. There are plenty of recipes online but here is a basic rundown on the steps that you need to go through if you are going to die your beard using Amla powder.

• Add about one half of a cup of Amla powder to a bowl and add ¼ cup of water.
• Whisk the water and the Amla powder together to make a thin paste. You want to aim for it to be thin and spreadable without being too runny.
• Apply this paste to your dry beard hair and mustache into the hair until it covers your beard evenly.
• Cover your beard and mustache with a beard wrap and leave for at least 30 minutes. The longer you leave this in your beard the darker the results will be.
• After 30 minutes jump in the shower and rinse your beard hair with water. You know when you’ve got it completely out because the water running off your beard will be clear.

There are some unsubstantiated claims about other benefits such as strengthening your hair and preventing beard dandruff but using it to dye your beard naturally is something people have been doing for a long time and getting good results.

Black walnuts

You can purchase black walnut hull powder to make this process much easier for yourself rather than using whole walnuts.

Here is the process for using the powder to dye your beard:

• Boil about 5 cups of water and add 5 tablespoons of the black walnut powder. Allow it to sit for about one hour.
• Once the solution has cooled down you can apply it throughout your mustache evenly.
• Allow it to sit in your beard for at least 15 minutes and allow it to air dry for 3 to 4 hours after applying the paste.
• You may want to apply heat to the hair as the walnuts hair dye sits in it as there is some evidence to suggest that it results in a darker color for your beard. You can also take your beard out into the sun while it has the black walnut paste in it for a similar result.

If you find that the paste is a little bit too thin you can thicken it with some corn starch.

Some people want to darken their beard hair without using dyes. In the next section you can talk about your options for darkening your beard hair using products which don’t actively dye the hair fibers.

Summary

In this article we have gone through everything that you do if you consider your mustache too light. There are permanent and temporary solutions that will suit almost every preference for dying and maintaining a darker mustache.

For most people there isn’t too much that you can change about your mustache because it is locked in via your genetics. However, you’ll be able to use a range of external solutions for making your mustache as dark as you want it to be.