It seems each year, brands are coming out with new natural hair dyes. As consumers are increasingly aware of harsh chemicals’ negative impacts on hair, the search is on for the best natural dyes. Natural formulas are just as effective as chemical dyes but are far less toxic for humans and the environment. The good news is there are many shades to choose from!
In this post, we’ll examine some of the best natural hair dyes on the market to help you get vibrant, bold color without damaging your hair.
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Top 6 Natural Hair Dyes To Try
When it comes to defining what natural hair dye actually means, it’s a bit of a minefield. Natural can refer to eco-friendly, plant-derived ingredients or a formula that doesn’t contain harsh chemicals like ammonia. The general consensus is that these natural hair dyes are less damaging to your hair. Thus, you’re less likely to experience hair breakage, dryness, and allergic reactions.
Here are some of our favourite at-home natural hair dyes:
Best Overall: Naturtint Permanent Hair Color
This brand boasts thousands of 4 and 5-star ratings on Amazon. It offers a large color range with everything from black to light blonde, with many gorgeous shades in-between. It’s a gentle formula without all those harsh chemical additives. There’s no ammonia, parabens, DEA, SLS, mineral oils, and paraffin.
This product contains oleic acid, derived from olives, which helps strengthen and fortify your hair. Therefore, you can color your hair safely without risking major damage. This dye is also great for covering greys, and it has a good lasting power of about six weeks. Considering all the benefits, this dye is the top pick because it delivers bold, vibrant color and adds dimension.
We picked this dye as the overall winner because it’s got tons of great reviews and delivers the color results you see on the package.
Best Conditioning Formula: Schwarzkopf Simply Color Permanent Hair Color
It’s hard to beat the color results of this Schwarzkopf formula. There are three great reasons to try this product: it comes in a recyclable carton, it’s very affordable, and it comes in twelve bold shades. The formula is dermatologically tested; therefore, it’s gentle on the scalp and doesn’t dry your hair out.
Since it’s a permanent hair dye, it lasts up to eight weeks and also covers greys. It is free from silicones, ammonia, and alcohol, so it’s mostly a natural dye. It also nourishes your hair because it contains oat milk, soy protein, and argan oil for that healthy and shiny hair you’ve always dreamed of. If you have greys, this dye covers them up too and blends in nicely with the roots.
This dye made our list because it’s very conditioning and helps hair look healthier, thanks to the argan oil-infused formula.
Most Affordable: Clairol Natural Instincts Semi-Permanent Hair Color
Made with 80% natural ingredients, this affordable at-home dye kit is one of the most popular, and for a good reason. It offers a beautiful natural-looking color that lasts about four to six weeks without fading. There are 37 shade choices, so you’re certainly going to find your perfect color.
This is an ammonia-free formula with no added parabens or other highly toxic chemical additives. Therefore, it’s an excellent option for your hair, as it nourishes and makes it look soft, shiny, and radiant. We love this dye because it works on all hair types and textures without damaging the hair shaft.
Clairol is a great choice if you’re after budget-friendly dyes because it delivers beautiful color for a low price.
Best Henna: Hannah Natural 100% Pure Henna Powder
No list of natural hair dyes is complete without a great Henna powder. This plant-based coloring kit is a chemical-free henna powder. Since it’s formulated with only two ingredients, you can be sure there are no chemical additives in there. Although henna dye comes in a limited number of colors (reds), it doesn’t damage your hair.
The henna powder makes your hair look healthy and shiny. It adds bold pigment and gives hair dimension and volume. It’s been a preferred hair of choice in India for many centuries because it’s easy to use and gentle on the scalp, skin, and hair. Even women with greys can use it because the red tones blend in nicely.
This Henna powder is on our list because it’s made of pure natural henna leaves and doesn’t contain any harmful additives.
Best for Bold Colors: Manic Panic Amplified
Who says that bold, bright colors can’t be natural and vegan? Manic Panic offers a wide selection of unusual colors like blue, pink, red, purple, green (and more). Best of all, the formula is vegan, cruelty-free, and made with natural ingredients. Thus, there’s no ammonia or harsh chemicals in their products. As well, there’s no PPD, parabens, and gluten, so it doesn’t destroy your hair follicles.
You can finally escape the boring basic colors without sacrificing your hair’s health. This brand has fluorescent shades, pastels, neons, and all kinds of unique hues. It’s very easy to use these dyes because there’s no developer, peroxide, or mixing required. The colors wash out gradually after about six to eight weeks.
We couldn’t leave out Manic Panic because it offers the best selection of gorgeous bold shades.
Best Natural Hair Dye for Grey Hair: Naturcolor Permanent Herbal Based Haircolor Gel
This product is specifically formulated for grey hair coverup and root touch-ups. It’s made with a blend of herbal ingredients and Italian botanical pigments. There are 31 colors available, making it one of the most complete color ranges in the natural dye category. So, you’re sure to find a hue that suits you.
The dye contains no harsh additives such as ammonia, resorcinol, or parabens. Instead, the herbal blend nourishes, hydrates, and conditions your hair, making it look shiny and healthy. This product’s great benefit is that you can use it on colored or permed and textured hair. Overall, this dye is very versatile and gives a vibrant, long-lasting, and highly pigmented result.
Greys are a significant concern for many women, so we knew we had to include an excellent natural dye that offers up to 100% grey coverage.
You’ve seen our top picks, and now you can feel confident that there are many great natural dyes out there. Just because you want bold or vibrant hair color doesn’t mean you have to douse your hair in chemicals. Natural formulas work just as well, if not better than regular box dyes, and they are far less damaging.