Best Red Hair Dyes For Dark Hair

1. Top Choice: SoftSheen-Carson Dark and Lovely go intense! – Radiant Copper

The Soft Sheen-Carson Dark and Lovely Ultra Vibrant Hair Color offer intense results on dark hair. This highly pigmented, non-drip hair color provides 100% gray coverage while boosting hair shine. The anti-drying cream-gel formula is enriched with olive oil that protects the stands by conditioning them. It delivers vibrantly visible results on dark hair. This perfectly balanced hair dye contains color and shine boosters and is developed for women of color. It complements all skin tones and leaves your hair look smooth and soft. In this YouTube video, you will find a detailed review of the SoftSheen-Carson Dark and Lovely go intense! – Radiant Copper Pros

Vibrant Softens the hair Covers grays Delivers intense shine

Cons

May make the hair feel straw-like

2. Best Chemical-Free: Manic Panic – Vampire Red

The Manic Panic hair dye in the shade Vampire Red imparts burgundy tones to virgin dark hair. This semi-permanent hair dye stays on the top of hair shafts without coming in contact with the cortex of the hair and lasts for 4-6 weeks. It is enriched with conditioners that nourish and add moisture to the hair. This hair dye is free of additives like parabens, ammonia, gluten, and phthalate, making it safe to apply. The vibrant hair shade is non-drying and can be used without a color developer. For the best results, it is recommended to pre-lighten your hair with a suitable bleaching kit. To know more about the results of the Manic Panic – Vampire Red hair dye, go ahead and click on this video. Pros

Ammonia-free PPD-free Paraben-free Gluten-free Phthalate-free Resorcinol-free Vegan Cruelty-free Ready to use Lasting results No bad odor

Cons

Stains a lot

3. Best Easy-To-Use Hair Color: L’Oreal Excellence HiColorHiLights – Red Highlights

The L’OrealHiColorHiLights offers intense red highlights without any brassiness. This easy-to-use hair color requires no pre-lightening or bleaching of hair to get the desired results. Its breakthrough technology provides results in just 30 minutes by lifting the color up to three levels to leave you with a consistent and beautiful shade. The rich and creamy formula is non-drip and doesnot dry the hair. It is true to color and does not fade quickly. This dye is available in three hi-lift red hues.  Pros

Easy application Intense color Long-lasting Value for money

Cons None

4. Best Permanent Hair color: Revlon ColorSilkLuminista – Red

The Revlon ColorSilkLuminista is a permanent at-home hair coloring kit that offers excellent coverage to dark hair. The advanced Hi Intense System offers vibrant and shimmering hues to naturally dark hair while eliminating brassiness. Its gentle formula is infused with mango butter to add a glossy shine while providing conditioning effects, making your hair healthy and bouncy. For a visual demonstration of the Revlon ColorSilkLuminista – Red, go ahead and check out this YouTuber’s video. Pros

Ammonia-free Conditions the hair Imparts shine Minimizes brassiness

Cons

Fades quickly

5. Best For Gray Coverage: L’Oreal Paris Feria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color

L’Oreal Paris Feria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color kit contains conditioning color gel, conditioning developer cream, aromatic shimmer serum, extra shot of pure dyes, conditioning shampoo, and power shimmer conditioner. The hair kit provides excellent gray coverage and long-lasting color. This multi-faceted hair color is known for edgy colors, shimmering colors. It is ideal for all hair types. Pros

Long-lasting color Easy-to-use Available in 50 shades

Cons

None

6. Best For Salon-Like Results: Vidal Sassoon Ultra Vibrant Color – 6RR Runway Red

The Vidal Sassoon Ultra Vibrant Color in the shade 6RR Runway Red is a professional hair color that provides salon-like results.The right blend of pigments offers rich and intense hues. This ready-to-use hair color is easy to apply and delivers an extended stay of up to 8 weeks. It comes with a color preserving conditioner that keeps the color vibrant,provides nourishment to the hair,and adds shine and softness.  Pros

Long-lasting Highly pigmented Easy to apply Nourishes the hair Doesnot stain the skin

Cons

Not true to color

7. Best Nourishing Formula: Creme of Nature Exotic Shine Color – Intensive Red 7.6

The Creme of Nature Exotic Shine Color offers a deep red hue to naturally dark hair. The long-lasting formula provides conditioning effects post-coloring with its ultra-nourishing ingredients. This red hair dye contains argan oil that intensely conditions the strands to leave them soft, smooth, and silky while locking the hair color. It also contains hair strengthening vitamins that go deep into the hair shafts to deliver rich color while preventing damage, dryness, and breakage. The innovative Microsphere Technology makes your hair strong, healthy, and glossy. Pros

Intense color Prevents damage Conditions the hair Strengthens the hair Long-lasting Imparts shine

Cons None

8. Best Long-Lasting Formula: Splat Midnight Ruby

Splat Midnight Ruby provides extremely vivid color to your hair while leaving it conditioned and soft. This semi-permanent hair color contains a shimmering conditioner with no harmful chemicals that can cause hair damage. The Deep Reconstructorconditions and refortifies the hair cuticles. This extended stay hair color is easy to apply and made with natural ingredients. It contains baobab seed oil and quinoa extracts that strengthen the hair strands, impart shine, and lock in the color to provide a decent stay. This red hair dye lasts up to 30 washes and is vegan and cruelty-free. Pros

Vegan Cruelty-free Imparts shine Ultra-conditioning

Cons

Stains a lot

9. Best Ammonia-Free Hair Color: Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color – 64 Ruby Red

The Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color adds a burst of vibrant red shades to each strand. It contains a rich blend of natural ingredients that add shine, softness, and silkiness to hair while locking the color to offer extended stay. The aloe vera in the hair dye nourishes the hair and keeps it healthy. This product does not contain harmful additives like alcohol, ammonia, and peroxide that can damage the hair and cause dryness. Pros

Ammonia-free Alcohol-free Peroxide-free Prevents hair damage Doesnot bleed much

Cons

Doesnot impart actual color

There are various options available in red hair dye regarding colors and brands. You have to look out into a few things before buying red hair dye. We are providing a buying guide that will help you in selecting the best red hair dye.

Things To Look Out for When Buying A Red Hair Dye

Ingredients

Red hair dye can make your hair dry out so it would be the ideal choice to go for the product that includes extra conditioner, moisturizer, and nourishment features. You can go with the hair dye that is chemicals free and includes more natural ingredients.

Ingredients To Avoid

You must select a red hair dye that is PPD-free, Paraben-free, gluten-free, phthalate-free, resorcinol-free, and cruelty-free. You must use ammonia-free hair color to minimize the risk of allergic reactions and foul smell.

Permanent Vs Semi-Permanent

While semi-permanent hair colors do not open your hair shafts and deliver a more natural color to your strands, permanent hair colors do in order to provide deep color. Additionally, since they don’t include bleach, they won’t lighten your natural hair color. However, they require frequent touch-ups and fade over time, which can harm and dry out your hair.

Skin Tone

If you want to get a more appealing look then you must choose the red hair dye color according to your skin undertone. For instance, fair-skinned ladies with pink undertones can go lighter red colors. Medium-toned women with olive skin can flaunt darker shades like auburn or burgundy hair, which are both reddish-brown. Darker shades of red, including burgundy and mahogany, are ideal for people with dark skin tones.

Darker Shade

Since fading can occur, think about dying your hair a shade or two darker than you actually want to keep the color for longer. The color of your natural hair should also be taken into consideration when choosing a hair dye, as the dye’s final appearance is greatly influenced by the color of your existing hair. This procedure shouldn’t be too challenging because the majority of dyes come with a color chart that you can use as a guide.

Lasting Power

The simplest option is to choose a permanent color and cut back on your hair washing to a few times per week because semi-permanent colors will fade more quickly and washing your hair frequently will also cause the dye to bleed more. Choosing the right red shade requires lots of research and selection of a quality brand that delivers lasting results without fading easily. Here are some points to consider while buying one. 

Things To Look Out For When Buying A Red Hair Dye

Skin Tone

It is essential to understand your skin tone before applying any hair color. For fair to medium skin tones, metallic shades of red and copper look good. For dark skin tones, darker hues of red, such as burgundy and mahogany, are perfect.

Permanent Vs. Semi-permanent

Permanent hair colors open your hair shafts to provide deep color, while semi-permanent hair colors do not open your hair shafts and offer a more natural color to your strands. They also do not contain bleach and will not lighten your natural hair color. However, they fade quickly and require frequent retouching, which can cause dryness and damage to your hair.

Ammonia-free

Go for an ammonia-free hair color to reduce the chances of allergic reactions and foul smell. If you want your red hair color to last longer, scroll down for a few helpful tips.

How To Make Your Red Hair Color Last Longer

Wash Your Hair With Cool Water: Wash your colored hair with cool water. This is because warm water swells up the hair cuticles and causes the hair color to fade faster by seeping out.

Apply UV Protective Serums: Sun exposure can fade your hair color. Hence, use a sun-protective serum or lotion to protect your hair. You can also consider using a shine-boosting serum to keep the color bright and vibrant.

Use Color Protective Shampoo And Conditioner: Use only color protective shampoos and conditioners as they contain color-enhancing pigments that brighten and refreshen the hair color.

Dry Shampoo: Avoid washing your red hair with shampoo regularly as it will wash away the color faster. Instead, opt for a dry shampoo between washes to keep your hair smelling fresh.

Avoid Heating Tools: Avoid frequent use of heating tools. Such devices cause the red color to wear out quickly due to the excessive heat transfer to your strands. Also, always use a heat protectant before using any heating device. 

Why Trust StyleCraze?

The author, Shiboli Chakraborti, is a certified skin care coach who enjoys all things related to hair, keeping a close eye on the newest hair trends. She advises that the right dye can give you dark, rich, and luxurious red tresses. She compiled this list of the best red hair dye for dark hair after extensive research and analysis of online reviews. What are the best natural red hair dyes for dark hair? Pure henna powder is organic and perfect for getting rich red hair color. You can also opt for the Manic Panic Vampire Red shade or the Revlon ColorSilk Luminista Red for your dark hair. These colors are chemical-free, non-drying, and minimize brassiness. What is a suitable, temporary red hair dye for dark hair? Several temporary red hair dyes like the L’Oréal Excellence Hicolor Hilights and the Splat Midnight Ruby are available online for instant results. If we use red hair dye on dark hair, do we need to bleach it first for the moderately dark results? No. It is possible to achieve red hair without bleaching only if your hair is virgin. However, if your hair is resistant or previously colored, you need to bleach it before dyeing to achieve the suitable shade of red. How do you get red hair dye off your scalp? There are several methods to remove the dye from your scalp, and the most popular are vinegar and baking soda. First, massage your scalp with equal proportions of vinegar and baking soda and let it sit for 5 mins. Then rinse the scalp thoroughly with lukewarm water.

Red Hair Dyes Organic Hair Color Products