The 10 Best Black Hair Dyes
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Whether you want a soft shade of black or a dramatic raven mane, the best black hair dyes will complement your skin tone with dark, vibrant color while minimizing potential damage.
When choosing the perfect at-home hair color, there are a few things to keep in mind. First off, a dye can sometimes turn out darker on your head than it appears on the box, so you might want to start with a shade that’s closer to your natural hair color and keep going progressively darker until you get the look you want. This will help you avoid any makeover regret — especially since it's much harder to go lighter than it is to go dark (read: often requires the use of bleach — something best left to professional stylists).
Choosing a color that complements your skin tone is another way to guarantee you love your new look. Cool shades like true black and blueish black look great on those with warm or neutral skin tones, but if you're fair and cool-toned, you might want to consider a more chocolatey black instead. And if you have deeper skin, you’re in luck: Just about any shade of black will look stunning on you.
Last but not least, you'll have to weigh ammonia-based dyes against ammonia-free options. Both can be hard on your hair, but ammonia-based dyes usually provide the most intense and long-lasting colors while ammonia-free formulas tend to fade faster and may provide less gray coverage. One downside to ammonia-based dye is that it creates a very strong smell when coloring your hair, so you may prefer ammonia-free dye if you’re sensitive to that odor.
Whichever shade and formula you choose, these are the best black hair dyes on Amazon that are packed with conditioners to leave your midnight-colored locks shiny and soft.
1. The Best Permanent Color
With six radiant black shades to choose from — including peppercorn and a warmer "black tea" — this permanent hair dye by Garnier is a fan favorite with over 22,000 ratings. The non-drip cream formula contains moisturizing avocado oil and comes with a conditioning grape seed oil ampoule that you add into the mix for extra hydration during the coloring process. There’s also an after-color conditioner infused with avocado, olive, and shea oils to leave hair soft and shiny. This permanent hair color contains ammonia for long-lasting color and reviewers are pleased with its fade resistance.
According to a home stylist: “Love this color, stays longer than other blacks, plus makes your hair look really shiny after drying your hair and adding your oils. This is my fourth time using this, love it."
2. The Best Semi-Permanent Color
If you're not quite ready to commit to a raven-haired look or just want an ammonia-free option, opt for this semi-permanent black hair dye by Clairol that lasts through about 28 washes. Available in several shades of black, this cream formula is made from 80% naturally derived ingredients, including shine-boosting coconut oil and aloe vera. However, you won't get quite as much coverage as you would a permanent dye.
According to a home stylist: “Left my hair super shiny and soft. Lasted 3 washes before showing even the slightest signs of fading!”
3. The Best For Natural Or Relaxed Hair
Made without ammonia, this highly rated black hair dye is formulated for textured and low-porosity hair and is packed with ultra-moisturizing jojoba oil and botanical extracts to deeply hydrate and defend against breakage. This option is available in two black shades plus more dark browns. However, this gentle formula may fade faster than ammonia hair dyes.
According to a home stylist: “Color came out exactly the way I wanted it to. Will definitely be my new go to for a beautiful black color.”
4. The Best For Gray Coverage
Hair dyes have a harder time penetrating gray hair, making it tricky to get full coverage if that's what you're looking for, but this permanent hair color from L’Oréal is a well-reviewed pick for covering even stubborn silver strands. The dye comes in seven black shades that run the gamut from a cool velvet black to a warmer soft black. The kit comes with a pre-color treatment made with moisturizing ceramides, a non-drip color cream made with strengthening keratin, and a weekly collagen conditioning treatment to help protect your hair between colorings. To optimize gray coverage, this formula includes ammonia.
According to a home stylist: “This is the only over the counter brand that covers my stubborn grays. Easy application with this creme mix so there is no drippage. I get vibrant black color on my medium brown and white gray hair.”
5. The Best Budget Black Dye
At just $3, it’s no surprise that this Revlon hair dye is a fan-favorite on Amazon with a 4.6-star overall rating and over 47,000 reviews. The permanent dye is ammonia-free and contains hair-strengthening keratin and amino acids, and it comes with a hydrating after-color conditioner. Despite being ammonia-free, reviewers report this hair dye provides good coverage for grays if that’s what you’re looking for. You can choose from four shades of black, including soft and brown-black colors.
According to a home stylist: “I've dyed black for at least 10 years and I have to say, ColorSilk is by far the longest-lasting brand I've encountered [...] This does not go anywhere. All I have to do is touch up my roots at this point, I only refresh all the color maybe once or twice a year. If you're dying black, I can say with confidence that ColorSilk is the most color-fast, and it even thoroughly covers those pesky silver hairs as well.”
6. The Best Dye For Sensitive Skin
If your scalp is sensitive, this gentle hair dye hair that’s been dermatologist-tested may help you avoid skin irritation. The permanent dye is formulated with oat milk, soy protein, and argan oil to help nourish strands while you color, and it’s free from potentially irritating ammonia, alcohol, and silicone. Reviewers are happy with the dye’s gray coverage, too. It’s available in jet black.
According to a home stylist: “I love the color (jet black), there are no blue undertones and it looks very natural. It was super easy to use and the hair dye itself didn’t irritate my skin or scalp (I have a PPD allergy).”
7. The Best Vegan Dye
This semi-permanent vegan hair dye is available in three shades of black — cool ebony black, warmer brownish-black, and blue-black — and contains no ammonia, artificial fragrance, parabens, or other potentially harsh ingredients. To help make your hair soft and shiny and protect your scalp while coloring, the formula is enriched with nourishing ingredients like oleic acid derived from olives and meadowfoam seed oil. However, since it's ammonia-free, it may fade faster and provide less gray coverage.
According to a home stylist: “I really like this brand and I have used it before for red hair so I trusted it again when I decided to go black. It definitely made it a vivid ebony black color and I have had it in for a month and some now without any fading or discoloration with ordinary hair products.”
8. The Best Blue-Black Dye
Using a blend of three color tones, this permanent hair dye creates a dramatic black shade with blue undertones. The kit includes a color cream, color activator, and an after-color conditioner, and according to the brand, the dye is formulated to reduce the risk of allergic reactions. However, if you’re sensitive to scents, this dye contains ammonia and has a floral fragrance. In addition to this blue-black shade, the dye is available in other shades such as plum black and deepest cherry black.
According to a home stylist: “Absolutely love the smell of this hair color. It has a nice rose like scent. It goes through hair easy and does not make it tangle are your dying your hair. It is very gentle and I did not have any reactions and I have sensitive skin.”
9. The Best Bright Black Dye
This L’Oreal Feria hair dye promises to deliver shimmering color, and it’s available in bright black (pictured here) and natural black shades. The permanent hair dye kit comes with a conditioning color cream containing ammonia, an aromatic serum, and a conditioner to help keep your hair hydrated. This hair dye is another popular pick on Amazon, having earned a 4.5-star overall rating after more than 15,000 reviews.
According to a home stylist: “If you’re going for a dark black, this is it. This dye washes off very easy, comes with all you need, will go over any color, doesn’t make a mess and is a very pretty color! It also makes your hair very soft.”
10. The Best For Root Touch-Ups
To refresh your roots in as little as five minutes, reach for this easy-to-use root touch-up kit from Revlon. The semi-permanent formula comes in a can that doubles as a bowl for easy mixing, and comes with an applicator brush that makes it easy to distribute the dye through your roots. The best part? This kit comes with enough dye and supplies for three root-dying sessions. The formula does contain ammonia and — the biggest downside — is only available in one shade of black.
According to a home stylist: “This product worked well for very fast growing black hair. I was able to "erase" the white ring around the tops and sides of my face with ease. Worked well and as easy as regular dye.”
Also Great: A Green Shampoo That Neutralizes Red Tones
To neutralize any potential red undertones and keep your dark hair looking vibrant, consider using this color-depositing green shampoo once or twice a week. Just apply to wet hair, leave on for three to five minutes, and rinse. You can also follow it up with a conditioner formulated for black hair for maximum results.
According to a home stylist: “I have dark hair and dye it maybe once every 6 months. My regrowth is never super obvious other than a few grays here and there. My hair color itself tends to get a little dull after so many washes though. This shampoo has added a lot of color, vibrance and dimension to my otherwise lifeless drab hair color.”
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