What key ingredients should someone should avoid in a professional hair color?

Avoid using extremely harsh ingredients like ammonia, metallic salts, and henna on your hair.

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 (think someone who is just starting to get strands), 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 will not cover any percentage of gray hair or lift color.

The 12 Best Professional Hair Color Brands of 2023

Maybe you're a DIY dye veteran, a salon devotee, a professional stylist, or are 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 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.

With this in mind, we rounded up standout options that, for the most part, are reserved for color specialists to consider using on their clients. And 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.

Ahead are the best professional hair color brands available today.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall:

Wella Professionals Illumina Permanent Creme Hair Color at Amazon

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Best Budget:

L'Oréal Professionnel Majirel Permanent Crème Color at Walmart

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Best With Bond Protection:

Matrix SoColor Pre-Bonded Permanent Hair at Walmart

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Best Toning:

Redken Shades EQ Gloss Bonder Inside Hair Toner at Walmart

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Best Demi-Permanent:

Wella Demi-Permanent Hair Color at Walmart

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Best Gloss:

L'Anza Liquids Demi Gloss at Saloncentric.com

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Best Natural Colors:

Schwarzkopf IGORA ROYAL Permanent Color Creme at Amazon

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Best Trendy Colors:

Pulp Riot Semi-Permanent Hair Color at Amazon

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Best Bright Colors:

Pravana ChromaSilk VIVIDS Everlasting at Amazon

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Best Neutralizing:

Pulp Riot High Speed Toner at Amazon

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In This Article

Our Picks
Final Verdict
What to Look For
FAQ
Why Trust Byrdie

Wella Professionals Illumina Permanent Creme Hair Color

Amazon

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What We Like

Gentle formula
Leaves hair shiny
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."

This cream hair dye is available 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.

Price at time of publish: $17

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

L'OrÃ©al Professionnel Majirel Permanent CrÃ¨me Color

Walmart

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What We Like

Budget-friendly
True to tone
Long-lasting

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.

Price at time of publish: $14

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

Matrix SoColor Pre-Bonded Permanent Hair

Walmart

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What We Like

Protects bond fibers
Long-lasting
Budget-friendly

What We Don’t Like

Strong smell
Contains PEGs

If you preventing as much damage as possible is important to you, Matrix SoColor could be your best bet. It contains a concentrate of bond protectors that work to safeguard the inner structure of your strands. And with 90 shades to choose from, there's something for everyone.

Price at time of publish: $17

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

Redken Shades EQ Gloss Bonder Inside Hair Toner

Walmart

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What We Like

Versatile formula
Colorist-recommended
Leaves hair shiny

What We Don’t Like

Not DIY-friendly

Rez and Walker both use Redken Shades EQ for in-salon glossing, toning, 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."

Price at time of publish: $17

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

Wella Color Touch Demi-Permanent Hair Color

Walmart

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What We Like

Budget-friendly
Gradually washes out
Colorist-recommended

What We Don’t Like

Doesn't work as well on dark hair

Walker also 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 don't want or need to move to a permanent hair color."

Price at time of publish: $14

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

Walmart

View On Saloncentric.com

What We Like

Leaves hair shiny
Minimizes swelling
Works quickly

What We Don’t Like

Activator sold separately

L'Anza Liquids is available in 60 shades, ranging from blue-black to golden-brown to ultra-light violet blonde. It processes in less than 20 minutes and promises minimal swelling of your strands, which can be damaging. The demi-permanent treatment leaves hair super shiny and lasts for up to 24 shampoos. It's a great option if you're pleased with your color but you want to brighten dullness and enhance shine.

Price at time of publish: $13

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

Schwarzkopf IGORA ROYAL Permanent Color Creme

Amazon

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What We Like

Budget-friendly
True to tone
Long-lasting

What We Don’t Like

Developer sold separately

If you're looking to cover grays or you just want your hair color to look authentic, Schwarzkopf's Igora Royal is a great option. The formula penetrates each strand with true-to-color pigments, then seals the surface to ensure full, long-lasting coverage. The offers tons of color variations for brunettes, blondes, redheads, and more.

Price at time of publish: $15

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

Amazon

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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 lilac, blush, plum, periwinkle, or maybe even orange (à la Ally from A Star Is Born)? Pulp Riot has you covered. It comes in 29 shades, including a few neon hues that glow under blacklights. And since this is a semi-permanent treatment, it's not a serious commitment.

Price at time of publish: $25

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

Amazon

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What We Like

No activator needed
Strengthening
Gradually washes out

What We Don’t Like

Doesn't work as well on dark hair
Contains PEGs

The ChromaSilk Vivids are another great option if you want to experiment with a bright hue. The semi-permanent, ammonia-free cream comes in 20 statement shades ranging from aquamarine to emerald to magenta to red—as in fire-engine red. What's more, it contains strengthening amino acids and washes out just in time for you to choose a new hue.

Price at time of publish: $12

Type: Semi-permanent cream | Active Ingredients: Basic color, amino acids | Shades: 20 | Cruelty-Free: Yes

Amazon

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What We Like

Works quickly
Cancels unwanted tones
Leaves hair shiny

What We Don’t Like

Doesn't work as well on dark hair
Developer sold separately

If you're looking to neutralize the unwanted tones of chemically lightened or tinted hair, reach for Pulp Riot's High-Speed Toner. Beyond bluish-violet pigments that counteract yellowish, brassy hues, you can choose silver, ashy, rosy, or icy treatments for a more custom effect.

Price at time of publish: $23

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

Wella Professionals Blondor Multi-Blonde Lightening Powder

Walmart

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What We Like

Gentle formula
Anti-yellowing agents
Colorist-recommended

What We Don’t Like

Not DIY-friendly
Developer sold separately

Walker likes to use Blondor 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."

Price at time of publish: $34

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

Amazon

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What We Like

DIY-friendly
Gentle formula
Colorist-recommended

What We Don’t Like

Contains PEGs

"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."

Price at time of publish: $30

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

Final Verdict

When it comes to salon treatments, the best professional hair color line is Wella Illumina 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.

Meet the Expert

Reece Walker is a bi-coastal celebrity colorist specializing in blond color work. He has worked with many high-profile clients, including Miranda Kerr, Victoria Beckham, and Eva Longoria.

Matt Rez is a celebrity colorist who has worked with Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber. He is also the inventor of the midlight technique and brand ambassador for Redken.

Felicia Dosso, hair colorist at Nunzio Saviano Salon in NYC.

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.”

Color

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. 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 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, metallic salts, and henna,” suggests Dosso. “These are all extremely harsh ingredients that you do not want to use on your hair—and unfortunately, most box dyes contain them.”

FAQ

What key ingredients should someone should avoid in a professional hair color?

Avoid using extremely harsh ingredients like ammonia, metallic salts, and henna on your hair.
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 (think someone who is just starting to get strands), 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 will not 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.

The 15 Best Professional Hair Bleaches of 2023

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.

Towns A. (2021). A review of developments in industrial hair colorant actives for oxidative dyes. Coloration Technology. 137. 301-335. 10.1111/cote.12545.
da França SA, et al. Types of Hair Dye and Their Mechanisms of Action. Cosmetics. 2015, 2, 110-126; doi:10.3390/cosmetics2020110
Gavazzoni Dias MF. Hair cosmetics: an overview. Int J Trichology. 2015;7(1):2-15. doi:10.4103/0974-7753.153450
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