Experts Say These 12 Professional Hair Color Brands Will Help You Achieve Your Dream Hair

The key to your perfect color is in the formulas.

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Our selection of best professional hair color brands with embedded curly hair image

Brydie / Kevin Liang

Maybe you're a DIY dye veteran, a salon devotee, a professional stylist, or totally new to the world of hair coloring. In any case, if you want the best results, it's worth exploring higher-end formulas. Celebrity colorist Reece Walker says he uses a medley of professional hair color brands. "Depending on what kind of work I'm doing, I change up what I'm using," he tells Byrdie.

While salon-grade formulations are generally better quality than the over-the-counter variety, high-profile colorist Matt Rez warns against buying them if you're not a trained specialist. "Pro hair color works on a level and tone system that only a professional knows how to formulate properly," he explains.

That said, if you know what you're doing, or have professional guidance, we've got a dozen standout options for you. For the most part, these are reserved for color specialists to consider using on their clients. We evaluated each based on type (permanent versus demi-permanent versus semi-permanent), shade range, ingredients, and insight from professional colorists. We also tried several ourselves to see if they stood up to reviews. If you're not a pro but just like to know exactly what's being applied to your head, you can ask your stylist about a specific brand of treatment.

Best Overall

Wella Professionals Illumina Permanent Creme Hair Color

Wella Professionals Illumina Permanent Creme Hair Color

Amazon

What We Like
  • Gentle formula minimizes damage

  • Leaves hair shiny with reflective particles

  • Colorist-recommended

What We Don’t Like
  • Contains PEGs

"My first choice for tints (permanent hair color) is Wella Illumina," says Walker. "These colors are gentle on the hair and very versatile, depending on what result you're looking for."

We like that this cream hair dye comes in 36 shades, ranging from mahogany brown to medium ash to pearly blonde. Thanks to the brand's MicroLight technology, it coats each hair with reflective, illuminating micro-particles. "The shine after using them is like freshly cleaned glass," Walker adds. After trying the product ourselves, we'd have to agree. Not only was our hair shiny as all get out, but it felt smooth and silky to the touch, unlike how most box dyes leave our hair. We don't love that it contains PEGs, aka synthetic petrochemicals that help dyes penetrate the hair.

Who It's For

This colorist-recommended pick boasts a gentle formula that provides permanent color while minimizing damage and leaving hair super shiny.

Price at time of publish: $12

Type: Permanent | Active Ingredients: Ammonium hydroxide, trisodium ethylenediamine disuccinate | Shades: 36 | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Budget

L'Oréal Professionnel Majirel Permanent Crème Color

L'Oreal Professionnel Majirel Permanent Creme Color

Walmart

What We Like
  • Affordable yet high-quality

  • Long-lasting coverage

  • 60 shades available

What We Don’t Like
  • Strong smell

L'Oréal makes some of the most affordable hair dyes in both the professional and drugstore categories. Available in an impressive 60 shades, the brand's Majirel line promises true-to-tone color, high-lift lightening, and long-lasting coverage. The smell is kind of fumey, but this is typical with ammonia-based formulas (which can be more drying on the hair).

Who It's For

This permanent cream hair dye is great for colorists looking for an affordable, reliable formula that comes in a robust shade range.

Price at time of publish: $14

Type: Permanent cream | Active Ingredients: Ammonium hydroxide | Shades: 60 | Cruelty-Free: No

Best With Bond Protection

Matrix SoColor Pre-Bonded Hair Color

Matrix SoColor Pre-Bonded Permanent Hair

Walmart

What We Like
  • Protects bond fibers to prevent damage

  • Long-lasting coverage

  • 90 shades available

What We Don’t Like
  • Strong smell

  • Contains PEGs

If preventing as much damage as possible when dying your hair is important to you, Matrix SoColor might be your best bet. We like that this professional hair color line contains a concentrate of bond protectors which work to safeguard the inner structure of your strands. And with 90 shades to choose from, there's something for everyone. That said, it does contain PEGs, so if you're trying to avoid them, best to steer clear of this formula.

Who It's For

Those who dye their hair often and want to keep damage to a minimum should ask their colorist about this line, which calls on bond protectors to prevent breakage.

Price at time of publish: $15

Type: Permanent | Active Ingredients: Ammonium hydroxide, sodium chloride, m-aminophenol, p-aminophenol | Shades: 90 | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Toning

Redken Shades EQ Gloss Hair Toner

Redken Shades EQ Gloss Bonder Inside Hair Toner

Walmart

What We Like
  • Versatile formula but great for blondes

  • Leaves hair shiny

  • Great for color corrections

What We Don’t Like
  • Not DIY-friendly

Redken has been around for decades and for good reason—the brand creates gorgeous toning colors, especially on blondes. Rez and Walker both use Redken Shades EQ for in-salon toning, glossing, color-correcting, and blending white or blonde hair. "I have used almost every brand of semi/demi gloss out there, and nothing compares," says Walker. "They make blondes glisten." Just a heads up, this line isn't DIY-friendly—if you want to try it out, ask your colorist.

Who It's For

Available in over 100 shades, this colorist-approved pick is a go-to for demi-permanent professional glossing, color-correcting, blending, and toning light blonde or white hair.

Price at time of publish: $13

Type: Demi-permanent | Active Ingredients: Ethanolamine, sodium chloride, deceth-3 | Shades: 108 | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Demi-Permanent

Wella Color Touch Hair Color

Wella Color Touch Demi-Permanent Hair Color

Walmart

What We Like
  • Low-commitment option

  • Gradually washes out

  • Ammonia-free

What We Don’t Like
  • Doesn't work as well on dark hair

Demi-permanent dyes are perfect if you're interested in trying a color out, but not ready to commit to a permanent which has to grow out rather than fade. Walker often reaches for Wella's demi-permanent Color Touch. "These colors are a little denser than Shades EQ," he tells Byrdie. "I would use these on someone with a few grays that doesn't want or need to move to a permanent hair color." We also appreciate that the gentle, non-fumey formula is ammonia-free. However, this doesn't cover darker hair terribly well—if that's you, know you'll likely need to lighten your strands first.

Who It's For

Professional colorists recommend this demi-permanent hair color line for folks wanting to cover a few gray hairs but who aren't ready to commit to permanent dye. It's also great for those who prefer ammonia-free formulas.

Price at time of publish: $14

Type: Demi-permanent | Active Ingredients: Ethanolamine, sodium chloride | Shades: 27 | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Gloss

L'Anza Liquids Demi Gloss

L'Anza Liquids Demi Gloss

Walmart

What We Like
  • Leaves hair super shiny

  • Works quickly to minimize damage

  • 60 shades available

What We Don’t Like
  • Activator sold separately

A hair gloss is designed to deposit a subtle wash of color while also providing high shine. It's great if you get your already hair colored, but want to give your color a boost in between full-color appointments. L'Anza Liquids is available in 60 shades, ranging from blue-black to golden-brown to ultra-light violet blonde. We love that the ammonia-free formula processes in less than 20 minutes and promises minimal swelling of your strands, which can be damaging. This non-committal demi-permanent treatment only lasts for up to 24 shampoos and leaves hair super shiny.

Who It's For

This demi-permanent hair color brand is an excellent choice if you're pleased with your color but want to brighten dullness and enhance shine.

Price at time of publish: $22

Type: Demi-permanent gloss | Active Ingredients: Ethanolamine, keratin | Shades: 60 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Natural Colors

Schwarzkopf Igora Royal Permanent Color Creme

Schwarzkopf IGORA ROYAL Permanent Color Creme

Amazon

What We Like
  • Budget-friendly

  • True-to-tone shades

  • Seals strands for long-lasting coverage

What We Don’t Like
  • Developer sold separately

If you're looking to cover grays or just want your hair color to appear authentic, Schwarzkopf's Igora Royal is our go-to option. The formula penetrates each strand with true-to-color pigments and then seals the surface to ensure full, long-lasting coverage. We love how the shades appear quite natural-looking, and if you've got the skills to process the color at home, it's budget-friendly. As with many professional lines, we should mention the developer is sold separately though.

Who It's For

This permanent hair color line is available in 52 shades, including tons of color variations for brunettes, blondes, redheads, and everyone in between.

Price at time of publish: $9

Type: Permanent cream | Active Ingredients: Ammonium hydroxide | Shades: 52 | Cruelty-Free: No

Best Trendy Colors

Pulp Riot Semi-Permanent Hair Color

Pulp Riot Semi-Permanent Hair Color

Amazon

What We Like
  • No developer needed

  • Leaves hair shiny

  • Gradually washes out

What We Don’t Like
  • Contains PEGs

  • Works best on pre-lightened hair

Want to experiment with a trendy hair color like lavender, blush, plum, periwinkle, or maybe even orange (à la Ally from A Star Is Born)? Pulp Riot has all the fantasy shades you could ever want (and some you didn't even know you could want!). There are 29 shades, including a few neon hues that glow under black lights and metallic pastels that really do shimmer. Since this is a semi-permanent treatment, it's not a serious commitment. That said, if you apply to super light hair (which we tried), it can take months to fully fade out, especially the darker shades, like blues and greens. We should also note that it works best on pre-lightened or naturally blonde hair.

Who It's For

If you have pre-lightened or naturally blonde hair, you can play around with semi-permanent color in statement hues like teal, dusty purple, or Gen-Z green.

Price at time of publish: $18

Type: Semi-permanent liquid | Active Ingredients: Basic color, stearalkonium chloride, hydrolyzed quinoa | Shades: 29 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Bright Colors

Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids Everlasting Hair Color

Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids Everlasting Permanent Creme Hair Color

Amazon

What We Like
  • Strengthens with amino acids

  • Bold, trendy hues

  • No activator needed

What We Don’t Like
  • Doesn't work as well on dark hair

  • Contains PEGs

ChromaSilk Vivids are another great option if you want to experiment with a bright hue. The permanent cream comes in 20 statement shades ranging from aquamarine and emerald to magenta and red—as in fire-engine red (don't say we didn't warn you). We love that it contains strengthening amino acids to counteract potential damage from using an ammonia-based formula.

Who It's For

We recommend ChromaSilk Vivids for those who want to rock a bright, bold hair color and are ready to commit to permanent coverage. As with most vivid color dyes, it works best on blonder or pre-bleached strands.

Price at time of publish: $9

Type: Permanent cream | Active Ingredients: Ammonium hydroxide, amino acids | Shades: 20 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Neutralizing

Pulp Riot High Speed Toner

Pulp Riot High Speed Toner

Amazon

What We Like
  • Works quickly

  • Cancels out unwanted tones

  • Various tints available for custom effect

What We Don’t Like
  • Doesn't work as well on dark hair

  • Developer sold separately

Hey, we've all been there—sometimes you go blonde, and the shade turned out a lot brassier than we'd hoped. We're big fans of purple and blue shampoo for neutralizing the unwanted tones of bleached, chemically lightened, or tinted hair. This includes everything from platinum blonde 'dos and highlights to balayage and ombré hair. This toner contains bluish-violet pigments that counteract yellowish, brassy hues, but you can choose silver, ashy, rosy, or icy treatments for a more custom effect. We do wish the developer came with the toner, but it typically doesn't when you're buying professional-grade.

Who It's For

If you're looking to neutralize the unwanted tones (like brassiness, yellowish hues, or an orange tone) of chemically lightened or bleached hair, reach for Pulp Riot's High-Speed Toner.

Price at time of publish: $18

Type: Toner | Active Ingredients: Ammonium hydroxide, neutralizing pigments | Shades: 8 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Best Bleach

Wella Professionals Blondor Lightening Powder

Wella Professionals Blondor Multi-Blonde Lightening Powder

Walmart

What We Like
  • Gentle formula with minimal peroxide

  • Anti-yellowing agents

  • Colorist-recommended

What We Don’t Like
  • Not DIY-friendly

  • Developer sold separately

Want to go blonde? You're likely going to need a lightening agent like this bleach. While bleaches can be super drying, Blondor isn't. Walker likes to use it for foil highlights, though it's also great for ombré color, balayage, and all-over lightening. "It's gentle on the hair and gives you incredible lift without having to use a high-volume peroxide," he tells Byrdie. "I also use this bleach for my clients' scalps when their natural hair is light brown." We do want to stress this is NOT a DIY-friendly bleach. It can be messy, and it really takes a professional eye to make sure your hair is lightening correctly.

Who It's For

Colorists say this formula is great for gently lightening hair without using a high-volume peroxide, but keep in mind it's intended for professional use only.

Price at time of publish: $35

Type: Permanent powder | Active Ingredients: Magnesium carbonate hydroxide, potassium persulfate | Shades: Up to 7 lift levels | Cruelty-Free: No

Best DIY Kit

Madison Reed Radiant Hair Color Kit

Madison Reed Radiant Hair Color Kit

Amazon

What We Like
  • DIY-friendly

  • Free of harsh ingredients

  • Includes everything you need to color

What We Don’t Like
  • Contains PEGs

Sometimes, it's impossible to get to (or afford) a professional colorist, so we turn to at-home dye kits. While most professionals don't typically recommend them (they can be damaging if used frequently, and often the color you get is not what it looks like on the box), some, like Madison Reed's, get the job done well. "The only at-home hair color I would recommend for use when in a pinch is Madison Reed," says colorist Felicia Dosso. "Their products are more gentle than most boxed colors, being free of harsh ingredients like ammonia, parabens, and titanium dioxide." This kit includes cream color, a conditioning activator, barrier cream, a cleansing wipe, and color-protecting shampoo and conditioner. We recommend using a second mirror (or a friend/partner) to make sure you've covered all your strands on the back of your head when you apply.

Who It's For

With a colorist's stamp of approval, this all-inclusive kit is a higher-end DIY option for those who want to try their hand at at-home hair color.

Price at time of publish: $30

Type: Permanent | Active Ingredients: Hydrogen peroxide | Shades: 36 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Where We Stand

When it comes to salon treatments, the best professional hair color line is Wella Illumina Color Permanent Creme Hair Color. Available in 36 shades, the colorist-recommended formula is gentle, versatile, and leaves hair oh-so-shiny. However, if you're looking for a DIY option, your best bet is the Madison Reed Radiant Hair Color Kit—it's more gentle than other at-home kits and has everything you need to get your color right at home.

What to Look For in a Professional Hair Color Brand

  • Coverage Strength: “If you have a high percentage of gray or want to lighten your natural hair color, you must use permanent color,” explains Dosso. “Demi-permanent color will only cover a low percentage of gray—think someone who is just starting to get strands of gray that they want to cover. Meanwhile, semi-permanent hair color “should be used only for refreshing faded out ends and adding shine,” says Dosso. “It will not cover any percentage of gray hair or lift color.” If you're looking for a demi-permanent formula, we recommend Wella Color Touch Demi-Permanent Color. For permanent color, go with Wella Illumina Color Permanent Creme Hair Color.
  • Shade: Before buying a professional hair color, ask yourself whether the color you’ve selected is the proper level for your hair—you want to make sure it’s not too dark or too light. “Too dark of a color will be hard to remove from the hair, and too light of a color can cause a 'hot root,’" says Dosso (hot roots mean they look warmer/lighter than the rest of your hair). Finding a line with a wide range, like the Schwarzkopf Igora Royal Permanent Color Creme, is key to being able to nail your perfect color.
  • Ingredients: Look for nourishing ingredients like keratin and argan oil to ensure your hair won’t be damaged during the dyeing process. There are also certain ingredients you’ll want to avoid when buying any sort of hair dye. “Check for ingredients like ammonia and metallic salts,” suggests Dosso. “These are extremely harsh ingredients that you do not want to use on your hair—and unfortunately, most box dyes contain them.” That said, Pravana ChromaSilk Vivids is one ammonia-free option we found that contains hair-strengthening keratin and silk amino acids.
FAQ
  • What key ingredients should someone should avoid in a professional hair color?

    Avoid using extremely harsh ingredients like ammonia and metallic salts. These substances can damage hair fibers and create brittle, weakened strands.

  • How do you know if permanent, demi-permanent, or semi-permanent color is right for you?

    Demi-permanent color only covers a low percentage of gray, so if you have a high percentage of gray or want to lighten your natural hair color, opt for permanent color. Semi-permanent hair color should be used only for refreshing faded-out ends and adding shine—it won't cover any percentage of gray hair or lift color.

Why Trust Byrdie

Theresa Holland is a freelance copywriter specializing in beauty and lifestyle within the commerce space. She interviewed two celebrity colorists for this article, who provided product suggestions and expert insight into usage. Next, she looked at dozens of professional hair color lines, pored over ingredients lists, and referenced several scholarly journals before landing on the final selections. Theresa covers hair care, makeup, skincare, and fitness equipment at Byrdie.

  • Reece Walker is a celebrity colorist based in New York City.
  • Matt Rez is a celebrity colorist and the inventor of the Midlight technique for color correction.
  • Felicia Dosso is a hair colorist at Nunzio Saviano Salon in New York City.
Edited by Ally Hirschlag
Article Sources
Byrdie takes every opportunity to use high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial guidelines to learn more about how we keep our content accurate, reliable and trustworthy.
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  2. da França SA, et al. Types of Hair Dye and Their Mechanisms of Action. Cosmetics. 2015, 2, 110-126; doi:10.3390/cosmetics2020110

  3. Gavazzoni Dias MF. Hair cosmetics: an overview. Int J Trichology. 2015;7(1):2-15. doi:10.4103/0974-7753.153450

  4. Dodgson NA (2019). What is the opposite of blue? The language of colour wheels. Journal of Perceptual Imaging, 2(1). https://doi.org/10.2352/j.percept.imaging.2019.2.1.010401

  5. Basit A, Asghar F, Sadaf S, Akhtar MW. Health improvement of human hair and their reshaping using recombinant keratin K31. Biotechnol Rep (Amst). 2018;20:e00288. Published 2018 Oct 24. doi:10.1016/j.btre.2018.e00288

  6. Ali, Naima et al. Aqueous MEA and Ammonia Sorption-Induced Damage in Keratin Fibers. ACS omega vol. 3,10 (2018): 14173-14180. doi:10.1021/acsomega.8b01189

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