The 11 Best Hair Dyes for Dark Hair Without Bleach (2024)

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Ulta

Best Overall

1. DpHUE Color Boosting Gloss + Deep Conditioning Treatment

dpHUE

Add this deep conditioning treatment to your wash day and watch your hair's natural color change. According to the brand, you can see a fresh shade appear on your strands in as little as three minutes. Plus, the formula doesn't contain any peroxide or ammonia, so you can use it as often as you like without drying out your strands. Try out semi-permanent colors like auburn, copper or strawberry, which offers a boost shine and softness to your dark locks. "It took all the cool tones out of my hair and warmed it up [with] just the right amount and left it soft and shiny. I will continue to use this when I need to help my grays blend in better with my natural dark hair without that harsh stark contrast," shares one Ulta reviewer.

Amazon

Best Purple Shade

2. Splat Midnight Complete No Bleach Kit

Splat

Packed with finely milled micro-pigments that attach to the surface of your hair (rather than penetrating the shaft), this semi-permanent dye provides up to six weeks of bold color. The bleach-free kit is infused with baobab seed oil to nourish and protect strands, as well as quinoa extract to prevent breakage, improve shine and seal-in shade. It's specifically made for brunettes, so try out the "Midnight Tanzanite" shade without needing to lighten hair first. As one shopper notes, "It works great on brunettes. Purple is very vivid and [leaves] such a pretty color. You may need help because if it gets on the skin it can stay on for over 24 hours." Make sure to slip on a pair of rubber gloves before you get started because—as you can imagine—the dye is quite powerful.

Amazon

Best Budget

3. Jerome Russell Temporary Hair Color Spray

Jerome Russell

If you're looking for a temporary color, Jerome Russell offers 17 shades for under $10. From copper tones to icy blues, spray the vivid hue directly onto your strands and opt for subtle ends or spritz all over to your hearts desire—with no mess, bleach or peroxide in sight. Shoppers enjoy the no-fuss application, using it primarily to cover grays or thinning spots. "I have fairly dark brown hair and needed this for a Halloween costume as Ginny Weasley [from Harry Potter], who has bright red hair. Of course, I didn't expect it to turn out as red as in the movies, but this did the job fairly well.It made my hair look reddish and was easy to apply," shares one Amazon shopper.

Amazon

Best Temporary Dye

4. L'Oréal Paris Colorista Hair Makeup

L'oreal

Do you have a fun event coming up? Turn heads with a temporary color. This hair makeup washes out after one rinse (with help from your go-to shampoo) so there's no need for the color commitment. Pick from five bold shades (like green or raspberry) and try out those money piece highlights you've been holding off on. "This color is awesome on my dark brown hair. I used it to change my hair color for a Halloween costume and I got so many compliments on my hair all night. I applied it to dry hair, combed through and then used the blow dryer. I then went and had my hair done with a curling iron and more teasing and brushing and the color stayed in wonderfully," says one Amazon customer.

Overtone

Best Red Dye

5. Overtone Hair Coloring Conditioner

Overtone

Hair dyes can leave a very strong (and often unpleasant) scent behind which has everything to do with the chemicals. However, this is not the case with this color conditioner from Overtone, which is specifically designed for brown locks. The formula has coconut oil, shea butter, avocado oil and jojoba oil to moisturize and repair strands. Leave it on for 15 minutes, rinse and see the pigment shine through—regardless what color you choose (though our favorite has to be the rose gold hue). "This is the second color for brown hair I've tried. Both worked well for me (purple and rose gold) and I love that it doesn't damage my hair. The color is really pretty though and Overtone [conditioner] smells great!" shares one Overtone reviewer.

Sally Beauty

Most Pigmented

6. Ion True Tones For Dark Hair Permanent Crème Hair Color

Ion

This line is literally dedicated to dark hair, so expect color to actually show up on strands. It's designed to tone and color your hair in one step without a pre-lightening treatment. Whether you want a fiery red or a blue tone, it only takes 30 minutes to get the rich pigment. It has 300 5-star reviews and even has one Sally Beauty shopper dropping a review for the very first time: "I honestly am not much of a review person, but I decided to leave this one because I love the product. I have very very dark brown hair and it works great. I love how bright and vibrant the colors turn out without me having to bleach it! I go through red hair phases every few years, and I use this every time. 100 percent recommend."

Sally Beauty

Best for Natural Hair

7. As I Am Curl Color

As I Am

The brand behind the beloved curly hair products created a line of vibrant temporary colors. Try one (or all) nine shades on your curls and coils for the day. OnePureWow editor(yours truly)eventried it—and yes, the claims are true. My dark curls tookon funcolorsI didn't think were possible without bleach.I never knewI couldlook this good in blue, gold or red.

Ulta

Best Hair Gloss

8. Madison Reed Color Reviving Gloss

Madison Reed

A hair glossis a great way to boost your natural hair color and PerkinslovesMadison Reed's Color Reviving Glossfor this. The semi-permanent shades (like Espresso) helps refresh locks, neutralize brassiness and improve shine. It can last for up to eight washes and worksbest when applied to themid-lengthandends of hair. "My preference is always an ammonia-free color and this one has keratin to strengthen hair and argan oil to moisturize strands, so you're improving the health of your hair while you're coloring it," says Perkins.

Amazon

Best Demi-Permanent

9. Clairol Natural Instincts Demi-Permanent Hair Dye

Clairol

"I like demi-permanentdye[because]it deposits color and addsshine, asopposed to permanent dyes, whichrequire peroxide for the color to take to the hair," says Dorram. Her favoritedemi-permanent formula? The Clairol Natural Instinct line.Withover 30 shades to try out, from dark bronze brown to dark burgundy,andinfusedwith coconut and aloe vera, the color can last up to 28 washes—and itworkswell on gray hairs. The hair dye is also ammonia- andparaben-free,making ita gentleroption forthose withfine or thinninglocks.

Ulta

Best Color Stick

10. Hally Shade Stix

Hally

Although it's notatraditional hair dye, this temporary color stick can still providefun, boldhuesfor youto decorate your strandsinfor any festival or party coming up. Whether you're eyeing pink, orange or yellow, it's easy to applyand wash out, so you can dabble in multiple hues at once. For one mom, she found it to begreat for herkiddo's hair: "My kids are obsessed with these! No mess and the color washes right out of their hair. So much better than the temporary hair sprays and chalks. [I] will be buying all the shades!!"

Ulta

Best Shade Range

11. Arctic Fox Semi-Permanent Hair Color

Arctic Fox

This semi-permanent hair dyeoffersthe boldest shades for dark locks. Fromoceanic blueto deep purple, there are 14 colors to try out—minusanyharsh chemicals (aka peroxide, ammonia and PPD). Shoppers say it's easy to use and the scent is deliciously good for a hair dye. "I love Arctic Fox hair color. It's easy to use and smells lovely. Most of the vibrant colors even give me a pretty good tint on my dark roots. It lasts a pretty long time on most of my hair but fades quickly on my grays," says one Ulta reviewer.

What to Consider When Shopping for the Best Hair Dye for Dark Hair

Which Hair Dye Colors Show Up Best on Dark Hair?

How to Dye Dark Hair At Home

The experts provided salon tips and tricks, so you can color your hair at home like a pro.

1. Gather all your materials. Aside from the hair dye, have clips, gloves and a brush ready. Also consider wearing an old T-shirt and/or a towel you don't care about getting stained.
2. Cover your hair coloring station. Perkins suggest placing some parchment paper down to catch any drips and avoid staining your sink. "Also tape the instructions on your mirror, so you don't have to keep touching it when you have color on your gloves," adds Perkins.
3. Apply Vaseline on skin to avoid stains. Dorram suggests applying Vaseline (or any petroleum jelly) on your hairline, tips of the ears and along the nape of the neck. She adds, "This step will ensure the skin will not have tell tale signs when you are through [coloring your hair]."
4. Use a color with ash tones. "While all natural hair colors have some amount of warmthto them(think yellow, orange, and red tones), darker hair has the most. Even if you’renot going for an ashy, cool-toned color,havingsome blue or green pigment is necessaryfor your hairto look neutral and not reddish," says Perkins.
5. Followthe instructions on the box. It's important to go through each step slowly to ensure an even application. Most box dyes will have you start at the root before blending it down to the ends using an applicator brush. Remember to work insectionsand wrap your hairupwhile you wait for the color to process.
Wash your hair and condition afterwards. Dorram say a sulfate-free shampoo and a deep conditioner can help keep your hair color looking vibrant and fresh.

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Associate Editor, Ultimate Fangirl, Aspiring Beauty Guru

Chelsea Candelario is an Associate Editor at PureWow. She has been covering beauty, culture, fashion and entertainment for over a decade. You'll find her searching the internet...