13 Best Professional Hair Colors To Get Salon-Worthy Results
Try the best professional hair color for a shiny, hydrating, and long-lasting finish.
Laura DaleLicensed Cosmetologist
Expertise: Hairstylist
Experience: 20 years
Laura Dale is a Hair Expert and licensed Cosmetologist with over 20 years of experience. Laura has worked as a Global Education Director for Beauty Brands specializing in haircare and as a Beauty Editor she is passionate about sharing her l... more
Expertise: Skin & Hair Care
Experience: 3 years
Kirtana has a postgraduate degree in mass communication and journalism from St. Joseph’s College, Bengaluru, and has 3 years of experience. She developed a deep passion for writing after reading the... more
Image: Shutterstock
Are you looking for the best professional hair color? Well, the wait ends here, for we have the complete guide on how to choose a hair color, how to select the one for your hair, and a bonus list for you to pick one from a good brand. The hype for professional hair color never ends; thanks to the prime quality and stunning finish, it does make a difference from the regular hair colors available at drug stores.
Licensed cosmetologist and expert hair stylist, Laura Dale adds, “A professional hair color is absolutely a better choice than a drugstore hair coloring product. Professional colors are made of different ingredients that are more gentle on the hair and scalp and can be customized unlike the one-size-fits-all colors you get at drugstores.”
If you have been longing for the shine and luster of colored hair you see on-screen, professional-grade hair color is what you need. The depth of the color makes a significant impact on your hair, and you can get it done at your home with minimal expertise. Go through the list of 13 professional hair colors crafted to make your hair glossier with a peppy color.
In This Article
13 Best Professional Hair Colors To Cover Your grays In 2023
Best Hydrating Formula:Arctic Fox Semi-permanent Hair Color
Arctic Fox is every artists’ brand who loves to play with colors and is not afraid to try new looks occasionally. Unlike other hair color dyes, this product is free from chemicals and gentle on the scalp. It is a great non-toxic professional hair color for maximum color retention with minimum damage. When dealing with white or gray hair, this hair dye comes as a lifesaver. Enriched with vegan ingredients, this semi-permanent dye can be used frequently without the fear of hair damage.
Also Recommended By: Today has also listed Arctic Fox Semi-permanent Hair Color in their top 10.[1]The best hair dyes: Expert tips and 22 at-home hair colors to try. Today https://www.today.com/shop/11-best-hair-dye-brands-let-you-skip-salon-t83736
Pros- Vegan
- Cruelty-free
- Hydrating
- No ammonia
Cons
- Slightly messy to use
Pro TipBest Easy-To-Use:Pravana Chromasilk Vivids
Pravana’s ChromaSilk is a well-known brand, popular for its vibrant hair color range. Formulated with pure silk and keratin amino acid, this hair color makes your hair silky, shiny and soft after every hair color application. The semi-permanent hair dye technology helps in keeping up with the hair color without harming your hair. With a variety of more than 13 shades, this brand lets you experiment with a versatile range of hair colors. From beautiful browns to vibrant violets, the brand has it all. The colors provide a natural finish to your hair. Since the product has low concentration of ammonia, it is worth trying. Click here to check out a detailed personal review of this product.
Also Recommended By: Byrdie has also listed Pravana Chromasilk Vivids in their top 10.[2] The 12 Best Professional Hair Color Brands to Help You Achieve Your Dream Hair.Byrdie https://www.byrdie.com/best-professional-hair-color-lines-348331
Pros- Lasts long
- Easy to use
- Suitable for all hair types
- No developer required
Cons
- Slightly greater quantity is required for long hair
Best Ammonia-Free Formula:IGK Permanent Color Kit
The IGK Permanent Color Kit is a colorist-created at-home hair color that uses safe and effective ingredients to create vivid, dynamic, and salon-worthy hair color. It contains squalane, orchid, and bamboo extracts, which make the hair shiny, silky, and smooth and reduce breakage. The clinically proven, ammonia-free formula keeps your hair healthy and hydrated. This product can be used for permanent coloring to freshen dull-looking hair.
Pros- Hydrates the hair
- Safe for chemically-treated hair
- Adds shine
- Vegan
- Cruelty-free
- Gluten-free
- Suitable for all hair types
Cons
None
Best Anti-Fade Formula:Madison Reed Radiant Hair Color
The Madison Reed Radiant Hair Color offers a beautiful, long-lasting shade with total gray coverage. The ammonia-free formula contains protein, argan oil, and ginseng root extract that nourish and nurture your hair, leaving it healthy, conditioned, and shiny. This hair color also prevents breakage and split ends. It is easy to apply and highly pigmented to hide stubborn grays.
Pros- Ammonia-free
- PPD-free
- Resorcinol-free
- Paraben-free
- Phthalate-free
- SLS-free
- Gluten-free
- Titanium-dioxide-free
- Cruelty-free
- Vegan
- Long-lasting
Cons
- Expensive
Pro TipBest Peroxide-Free Formula:Clairol Professional Beautiful Collection Moisturizing Color
When choosing a natural hair color is confusing for you, simply try this one from Clairol Beautiful Collection. It has a unique formula loaded with natural ingredients like jojoba oil, aloe vera and vitamin E, each responsible for intense hair color and deep nourishment. There is no ammonia in it which makes this hair color less risky to use. With every hair color application, you get beautifully colored, lustrous hair. It can be used for permanent coloring to make your dull looking hair refreshed.
Pros- Colors fast
- Adds shine
- Simple use
- No peroxide
Cons
- Slightly messy to use
Pro TipBest Long-Lasting Color:Wella Professionals Koleston Perfect Color
Wella Professionals Koleston Perfect is developed with pure balance technology that helps balance color results. The ME+ gentle formula makes this color very gentle on the hair. It also helps reduce the risk of allergies caused due to hair color. The color is easy to develop with its 1:1 mixing ratio. Delivering total gray coverage, this hair color helps you stay attractive and makes your hair look flawless. It does not contain any animal-derived ingredients.
Pros
- Thick formula
- Ammonia-free
- Long-lasting color
- Makes hair vibrant
Cons
- Slightly chunky consistency
Pro TipBest Strain-Free FormulaSchwarzkopf Professionals Igora Royal Hair Color
Image: Schwarzkopf Schwarzkopf Igora Royal Hair Color is a fine product especially designed for professionals. The product is one of the best professional hair colors, popular for its rich colors, intense vibrancy and perfect equalization on hair. If you have porous, gray or white hair, then you can try out this product for an even color coverage. The high definition colors have great retention power and are preferred by both men and women.
Pros- Rich color
- Does not stain
- Keeps hair soft
- Smooth application
Cons
- Color might fade easily
Best Natural:Developlus Satin Ultra Vivid Fashion Colors
With less than 1 percent ammonia, Satin hair color is gentle on hair and much better than traditional dyes. It is enriched with the nourishing qualities of aloe vera, which makes your hair soft, healthy and minimizes the damage. The dye and developer from Satin are available separately. You get to choose the shade as per your wish and select the developer as per your needs. Their hair color range is quite wide with 72 varieties of shades. By simply leaving the formula on for 15-20 minutes, you can cover your grays or experiment with your favorite shade easily. The product works as both a professional salon product and a color that can be applied at home.
Pros
- Adds luster
- Looks natural
- Covers grays
- Makes hair soft
Cons
- Slightly expensive
Best Mineral-Oil Free:Schwarzkopf Professional Essensity Permanent Hair Color
Image: Schwarzkopf Schwarzkopf Essensity Permanent Hair Color is an oil-in cream color that not just delivers full color coverage but also nourishes dry hair. With pure organic ingredients, the product stands out as one of the top professional hair colors. It contains grape-seed oil and natural Ectoin which strengthens hair, enhances hair quality and keeps up with the hair structure during the hair color process. The color lasts long and adds a beautiful luster to hair. The process of covering your whites is very easy with this 2 step color.
Pros- No ammonia
- No odor
- No mineral oils
- No paraffin
Cons
- Color may appear darker than mentioned
Best For Mess-Free Application:L'oreal Professionnel Majirel Ionene G Incell Color
Loreal Professional Majirel Hair Color has a gel-creme formula which is rare to find. The innovative gel-creme consistency makes the mixing and application process mess-free. Professional Majirel hair color with L’oreal patented core to surface technology, along with Ionene G and Incell complex ingredients, help you strengthen your hair and keep your hair color protected. The core to surface technology helps in hair conditioning, whereas Incell complex helps redefine the hair structure and nurtures it continuously. The color is long-lasting and resists fading to a great extent. It is great professional hair color for gray hair
and lets you enjoy beautiful luscious healthier hair.
Pros
- Rich color
- Adds depth
- Nice quality
- Precise application
Cons
- Slightly lumpy cream
Best Pigmented Formula:Tec Italy Designer Color
Tec Italy Designer Color is a cream hair color that makes application super simple. Considered as one of the most advanced professional hair cream formulas, it helps you attain direct gray hair coverage. The color lasts long and is very intense. It makes your hair look beautiful and promotes maximum color reflection, thus making your hair color more radiant. When dealing with the problem of yellow tones, this professional hair dye can be highly useful.
Pros
- Rich color
- Advanced formula
- Good quality
- Maintains hair structure
Cons
- Some may find it expensive
Best Vegan:Aveda Full Spectrum Hair Color
If you are someone who believes in the goodness of nature and wishes to use hair color with organic ingredients, then the AVEDA full spectrum hair color will surely make you happy. Made with organic castor, sunflower, and jojoba oils, this hair color conditions hair really well. It also adds a beautiful luster to hair and reduces damage. There are no harsh chemical ingredients like ammonia in it, and its smell reflects the same. The color is permanent, which means your hair looks wonderfully colored for a long time. Also, the hair feels soft and beautifully conditioned after getting the hair color done.
Pros
- Vegan
- Gentle
- Long stay
- Natural formula
Cons
- Slight fading of color
Best For Root Touch-Up:IL Salone Milano Intense Professional Color Cream
Looking for a permanent professional hair color with no harsh ingredients that ruin your hair and does not have a horrible smell? Then, this is the ideal hair color for you. Enriched with moisturizing oils like meadowfoam seed oil and linseed oil, this hair color is nourishing enough to let your hair look soft and shiny. IL Salone Milano light iced blonde hair color kit is made in Italy and gives you access to professional salon-quality hair color. The color stays long and gives you long-lasting coverage as it is permanent in nature. There is no stinky smell involved with this color that makes the coloring experience even more pleasing. It comes with protective gloves which you must put on before applying the hair color.
Pros
- No paraben
- No paraffin
- No ethyl alcohol
- Professional salon quality
Cons
- Might not cover grays effectively
These are the top professional hair color brands which are perfectly suitable for all types of hair. However, before making the purchase, make sure you go through the buying guide points mentioned below to invest in the most suitable product.
How To Choose a Professional Hair Color?
Consider the health of your hair before heading on to choosing a professional hair color-
- If you have damaged hair, avoid opting for lighter shades to prevent further damage as choosing a light hair color generally involves hair bleaching.
- For covering grays, it is good to use a permanent hair color that lasts long and requires fewer touch ups.
- If you wish to keep up with your natural hair color, choose a color two shades lighter which eventually fades, thus complementing your natural hair color.
- In case you wish to get soft, silky hair, include hair colors with natural ingredients like aloe vera, vitamin E, etc.
- When foul smell is a problem for you, avoid products with ammonia or other harmful chemicals and opt for fragrance free professional hair colors.
On the basis of skin tones-
For cool skin tones-
- Professional hair color lines for blondes focus on shades like gold, honey, caramel are ideal for cool skin tones.
- Brown shades like butterscotch brown, mahogany and chestnut are perfect for cool skin tones.
- Red velvet, auburn and mulled wine are some great shades of red for people with cool skin tones.
For warm skin tones-
- Espresso, chocolate brown and ash brown are fine hair colors for warm skin tones.
- When it comes to choosing shades of red, dark red, mulberry, deep plum and lavender stand out from the rest.
On the basis of time period-
- If you wish to try and change your hair color for a few weeks, a semi-permanent formula is good for you.
- If you want to cover your grays, a permanent blue-black professional hair color is probably good.
How To Use Professional Hair Color At Home?
Step 1: Always opt for a strand test before applying the complete color on your hair. This confirms the color and helps you know better about the timing.
Step 2: Read the instructions written on the box carefully. Note the time and do not exceed the application time more than that.
Step 3: Put on gloves to avoid messing up your hands.
Step 4: Develop the color as suggested on the box.
Step 5: Keep the color away from your roots at least an inch away towards the roots with the help of a color brush.
- Skipping patch test
- Washing hair right before coloring hair
- Conditioning your hair
- Ignoring to read the instructions on the box
- Diluting the hair color with any hair care product
Infographic: How To Care For Your Colored Hair The Right Way
Post dyeing, you need a very gentle hair care routine to maintain the vibrancy and shine of your colored hair. It will keep it looking fresh and can be a great way to reintroduce moisture and nourishment to your hair, which might have been hampered by the use of chemicals during the hair dyeing process. Go through the infographic below to learn a few tips and tricks that will help you to keep your colored hair looking gorgeous and maintain it long term. Illustration: StyleCraze Design Team
Save the high-quality PDF version on your device now.
Download Infographic
Investing in keeping your hair well-nourished and beautiful is great! We can try and fix our hair problems once in a while, which includes coloring gray strands or changing our hair color to some of our desired hues. Some of the professional hair colors available in the market are enriched with natural ingredients that do not irritate the scalp. These hair colors have a creamy formula and stay longer than cheap hair dyes. You should choose hair colors that come with moisture-rich formulas and don’t leave your locks frizzy and damaged. However, while choosing professional hair colors, you can avoid the ones that leave stains, and are extremely messy to use.
Why Trust Stylecraze
The author of this article, Kirtana Divakar, is a hair care enthusiast and loves to review hair care products. She curated the list of the best professional hair colors after thorough research and reading multiple user feedback. The products listed here are the top-rated ones and have better color payoff and longevity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is professional hair color safe?
Professional hair color is safe to use if the color is carefully used and does not come in contact with the scalp to reduce internal chemical exposure.
Can professional hair color cause hair loss?
Yes, professional hair color might cause hair loss due to thinning.
Is salon hair color better than at-home?
Yes, salon hair color is better than at-home as it adds more depth and the formula is more standardized.
Does salon hair color last longer than a box?
No, salon hair color does not last longer than that of a box. Long lasting quality depends on the hair color quality and hair care conditions.
What key ingredients should one avoid in a professional hair color?
The key ingredients that one should avoid in a professional hair color are ammonia, paraben, peroxide, metallic salts.
How do you know whether a permanent, demi-permanent, or semi-permanent color is right for you?
• A permanent color is suitable for you if you wish to fix your gray hair.
• Demi-permanent will cover your grays but not completely.
• Semi-permanent colors are useful for adding shine and color to faded ends and to counter hair dullness.
How long does professional hair color last?
Long professional hair color lasts for about 4-6 weeks depending on the growth of your roots.
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