Top 10- Professional Hair Color Brands You Need to Know in 2023
In this article we will be discussing Top 10- Professional Hair Color Brands You Need to Know in 2023.
Whether you are a cosmetology student, a seasoned pro refreshing yourself, or simply educating yourself on some brands you might not be familiar with, you’ve come to the right place!
Here we’ll be covering –
- Matrix So Color
- Matrix ColorSync
- Redken Color
- Redken Gray Blending
- Redken ShadesEQ
- Schwarzkopf
- Pravana & ChromaSilk
- Wella
- Majirel – L’Oreal
- Pulp Riot
These are the top 10 Professional Hair Color Brands used by stylists around the world today.
Of course we don’t have time to cover all professional hair color brands but the top 10 will have to do for now 🙂 Let’s get to it!
Also, at the end of this article we will be categorizing these brands for –
✔️ Best Bond Protection
✔️ Least Damaging
✔️ Best Budget Color
✔️ Best Toning
✔️ Best Semi Permanent
✔️ Best Glossy Shine
✔️ Best Vivid Colors
✔️ Best Gray Coverage
✔️ Best Neutralizing Colors
Alright, let’s get to it! 👏
Pros and Cons of the Best Professional Hair Color Brands
Matrix So Color
A professional favorite, Matrix has been known to hit their shades and color right on target and fade to tone (meaning an ash will still fade ashy, it won’t fade warm).
SoColor is Matrix’s permanent color line that contains ammonia to really drive the color into hard-to-penetrate hair shafts, including gray coverage.
SoColor also covers all 11 levels, following the European Level System.
For those of you that haven’t learned that in Cosmetology School yet, the darkest midnight color is a level 1, the lightest and most platinum blonde is a level 11. Matrix covers all of the levels (note: level doesn’t mean tone, you can have all levels in warm, neutral, or cool tones).
Matrix SoColor
👍 Pros
- Covers Gray
- Permanent
- Fades slowly to the correct tone
- All 11 Color Levels Available
- Processes in 30-45 minutes
- The Permanent line and Demi Permanent line (ColorSync) are perfectly matched
- Reasonably Priced
👎 Cons
- Can be damaging to the hair because of it’s strength
- Smells Strong
Matrix ColorSync
Matrix ColorSync is a Demi-Permanent line that matches SoColor perfectly for those applications where both are needed for the roots to ends refreshing and matching.
It is less damaging than the permanent color and processes for half of the time.
Matrix ColorSync
👍 Pros
- Matches the SoColor Shades Perfectly
- Semi Permanent, so a little less damaging to the hair
- Great for Toning
- Contains no Ammonia
- Contains Cera-Oil technology so there is deep conditioning for the hair that lasts up to 20 washes
- Has a Clear shade to add an extra shine, or mix the clear with any other toner to dilute the tone
- Can be applied to towel dried hair, it doesn’t have to be 100% dry.
👎 Cons
- Only lasts 20 washes
- Demi Permanent fades faster than permanent
Redken Color
Redken is used in most salons and has excellent styling and care products, for men and women, to use after the color service.
Redken Chromatics is their permanent color line that covers 100% gray with no ammonia. Which is amazing because for those clients that have allergic reactions to permanent colors containing ammonia, this one is safe and still covers gray!
👍 Pros
- Ammonia free permanent gray coverage color
- Up to 3 levels of lift
- Can use 10, 20, or 30 volume developer
👎 Cons
- Some professionals don’t like the way that Redken color takes to the hair, and can bleed into other colors or highlights
Redken Camo Gray Blending
Gray blending means that it is designed to coat the gray and stain it, not covering or change the gray color, but instead to make it stand out a little less.
👍 Pros
- Camo Gray Blending processes extremely quickly, 2-6 minutes
- It blends the both light and dark salt and pepper hair
👎 Cons
- Because it processes so quickly it’s easy to over-process
- The product oxidizes quickly so it’s hard to see how the hair is taking the color because you can’t see through the product
Redken ShadesEQ
Redken ShadesEQ is a favorite toner amongst professional hairstylists because of it’s lightness and jelly-like consistency. It’s one of the best toners out there because of the variety of shades and mixes of shades (over 100).
It is perfect for soaking into towel dried hair to finish off that perfect highlight or color with a toner that will leave the hair shimmering with an undeniable gloss.
👍 Pros
- Semi Permanent
- Can be applied to towel dried hair
- Applied with a bowl and brush or (colorist recommended) an applicator bottle
- Leaves the hair shiny
- Can blend up to 50% gray
👎 Cons
- Not good for covering gray
- Has it’s own processing solution – DO NOT use developer with this brand, you MUST use it’s very own EQ processing solution
Schwarzkopf
Schwarzkopf IGORA series has 3 different permanent options –
✔️ IGORA Royal – Strictly the red boxes.
Confident in their 140+ shades to choose from among their IGORA Royal vibrant permanent color brand, Schwarzkopf takes pride in this series because of their top notch true-to-color matching formulas.
The color contains special technology within the formula that seals the cuticle firmly behind the color deposited into the hair shaft to it in and ensure a longer lasting color.
✔️ IGORA Royal Absolutes – The soft gray/purple boxes.
Covers 100% gray without placing a new color base. Contains collagen & siliamine in the formula to which makes the hair look sleeker once the color process is complete.
With the Royal Abolutes you can get up to 3 levels of lift. And it has a low odor formula when mixed with the oil based cream developer that delays the evaporation of ammonia (that’s what helps intensify the coverage to snap those tough to get grays), which lessens the unpleasant smell permanent professional hair color brands typically have.
✔️ IGORA Royal Highlifts – The soft blue color boxes. Only the coolest blonde shades.
The Royal Highlifts can lift up to 5 levels!
👍 Pros
- Uses a technology that seals the cuticle behind to leave a more vibrant and long lasting color.
- Schwarzkopf uses European level system (up to 1-12 instead of USA 1-10)
- 140+ Shades to choose from
- 3 different series specifically designed for specific types of hair
- Abolutes has less odor than other permanent brands
- Their numbered color system ensures that each color consistent and true to color tone
👎 Cons
- IGORA uses a number system for their shades, which can be difficult to learn
- Some of their products use an oil cream developer, so you can’t ever run out and use an emergency mix-and-match brands of developer
- Their numbered color system can be hard to understand and has to be studied before accurately formulating a color
Schwarzkopf uses a numbered color system that can make it difficult to read the color boxes if you aren’t familiar with their labels.
A single label, for example, may read, 6-77.
6 = The level of the hair, level 6.
-7 = indicates that the undertone is 7 which for Schwarzkopf is a warm blonde.
The final 7 indicates copper.
So 6-77 = a Level 6 Warm Blonde Copper (which in layman’s terms is a medium red).
There are many Schwarzkopf color charts to help you learn their scale on google. Give them a look to help you study their system.
Pravana
ChromaSilk – Pravana ChromaSilk permanent color has over 135 shades and tones to choose from. They widely specialize in Ash, Intense Ash, and warm or extremely warm tones. There are some neutral blends and beige tones amongst their collection.
VIVIDS – Think, mermaids and unicorns. The Pravana VIVIDS line carries 23 different vivid colors, including Smokey Silver, Periwinkle, and Blue Topaz to describe a few.
This line is a non-oxidative color line, which means it doesn’t need developer to be processed.
👍 Pros
- All colors are cream, not gel, so they are applied with a bowl and brush
- Cover 100% gray
- Well known throughout the industry
- The VIVIDS vibrant colors truly turn out shockingly vibrant
👎 Cons
- Many hairstylists mainly use Pravana for their vivid mermaid colors, over their permanent shades
- Less neutral colors available, mostly neutral blends
- The VIVIDS fade and bleed easily
Pravana offers a FREE Color Certification program to fully learn their products and color theory! Find it on their website HERE
I found that this 4 part course took me only 10 minutes to finish the quiz at the end of the module (there’s a quiz at the end of each part, and a test at the end to complete the certification). I would imagine with each video included in each part the entire certification should take less than 90 minutes total.
Wella –
Well known throughout the hair industry to being spot on for their true – to – colors and color matching but also for their lasting colors. Wella is an excellent color brand to carry in a salon.
Similar to Schwarzkopf Wella uses a similar numbered color charting system.
So, let’s use the 6-77 example again.
6 = indicates the level at which we want to reach.
-7 = indicates a blonde undertone (slightly warm)
The final number for this formula 7 indicates a brown for the Wella system.
The Schwarzkopf and Wella number systems are not compatible side by side as far as their undertone and final color results.
You can find Wella color charts online or on their website to familiarize yourself with before using their color.
👍 Pros
- True to color
- Good reputation in the hair color world
- Their number system ensures accuracy in their consistency of colors and tones
👎 Cons
- The number system is difficult to understand and read at first
- Wella isn’t carried in salons quite as widely as some other brands which means if you switch salons you may be switching color brands too
Majirel – L’Oreal
L’Oreal has been known world wide for their hair products. Marjirel professional hair color brand also has a great reputation.
👍 Pros
- Permanent color, it covers gray
- Known to be long-lasting
- Has at least 60 different color options in warm, neutral, and cool tones
👎 Cons
- Not all professionals use this brand because it can also be found in drugstores, which implies that it may not be professional quality
Pulp Riot
Think rainbows and mermaids. Neons under black-lights.
That is Pulp Riot.
Pulp Riot has almost 30 shades of various vibrant colors (and the colors don’t smell like other color brands either, they smell delicious instead of chemical-y).
👍 Pros
- No Developer Needed
- All bright and vibrant colors
- Fades well, it washes out after a few weeks
- Not damaging to the hair
👎 Cons
- Works best on bleached hair (which means the color doesn’t last as long because of the damage done by bleach)
- Only vibrant colors, no natural colors
- Color vibrancy fades within a few washes
What You Need to Know About Color – Color Theory
Color doesn’t lift color
No matter how much you want your dark brown to become blonde, if you put a light blonde on it without using a lifting agent first, you will not get a lighter color by putting it on a dark color.
For example- say you color a big splotch with a red crayon, if you color a pink crayon on top of the red will the red become lighter? No. You would have to lighten the red with a white before you could see the pink, correct?
It’s the same with color. You cannot use one color to lift another color.
Now… Developer (3%, 6%, 9%, 12% aka 10 Volume, 20 Volume, 30 Volume, 40 Volume) is mixed with color to help it oxidize and open the cuticle to help deposit the color.
The higher the percentage (above) of hydrogen peroxide (developer’s main ingredient) the lighter the hair will become.
20 volume lifts 1 level. 30 volume lifts 2 levels. 40 volume lifts 3 levels. 10 volume only lifts the cuticle to deposit in an equal level or darker color.
With that being said, you must also be familiar with the color levels, 1-10.
1 being the darkest raven black, 10 being the lightest platinum blonde.
6-7 is an average medium brown/blonde and 8 is a typical natural blonde. The range varies but once you have the levels down, you can more fully understand what color doesn’t lift color means (an 8 can’t lift a 6 unless you use 30 volume 9% developer).
The Color Wheel
The color wheel consists of 3 primary colors – blue, red, & yellow, 3 secondary colors (when the primary colors are mixed) orange, green, & purple.
This is the basics of the color wheel.
If you mix opposites of the color wheel, such as green and red that sit exactly opposite each other on the wheel, they will tone each other out and achieve a neutral brown.
So! If you use bleach or lift hair and it becomes an untasteful shade of yellow or orange, you simply use the opposite of that color on the color wheel and it will tone right out.
Here is a helpful tool to help you remember –
🎄 Red and Green- Christmas colors.
🏈 Blue and Orange- Broncos colors (come on football fans!), or Sunset colors.
💐 Yellow and Purple- Easter colors.
How Long to Leave Toner in Hair?
Purple Shampoo- Treating Orange Hair at Home
Application Techniques
There are two simple ways to apply hair color.
- A color brush and bowl
- An applicator bottle
A brush and bowl is the most accurate way to evenly distribute the color throughout all of the hair.
Start by sectioning the hair into 4 parts, the front two quarters and the back two quarters. Beginning in the back, section that quarter horizontally in 1/4″ – 1/2″ partings and start applying the color from the bottom of the section up. And repeat for all of the other quarters.
20 Piece Hair Color Kit 2 Bowls 6 Brushes for $6.99
For an applicator bottle, this is a tool used for toners or gel colors (come in a bottle) over cream colors (come in a tube). You can section the quarters with the nozzle of the bottle and with your gloved hands you can go back through the hair to make sure that it has truly been evenly distributed throughout the hair.
8 oz Applicator Bottle for $4.30
For more information about color bowls, brushes and application techniques please see Top 5 Best Hair Dye Brush and Bowl Kits & How to Use Them – Hairstylist Reviewed 2023
The Importance of the Consultation
Communicating with a client is one of the biggest points of having a satisfied customer. If you can accurately communicate what they want and what you can reasonably perform in one day, it’s magic.
It’s hard though to get the image they have in their head for what they want their hair to look like into yours and be able to perform it exactly the way they want. There are so many different variables as to why an how that can go poorly. It could be a style that they want more than the cut or color of the photo they show you.
This is why communication during the consultation is key.
Consultations are free in most salons. And only take a few minutes. There are some salons that require a consultation before booking any service. They want to ensure that their stylists have an accurate picture of what condition the hair is in currently and what their game plan will be when the service is booked.
Some salons offer a hair consultation form. I personally, prefer to speak with the client directly and hear them describe what they want, watch how they style it, listen to what parts bother them, and gather all of the information I need that way.
Color Consultation Questions- How to conduct the perfect salon consultation
Formulating Properly
It is extremely important to be able to formulate color properly.
Understanding the color levels, the developers and percentages of H2O2 that they contain and how they affect the hair is key to formulating color.
Once you understand color theory, you can safely get to know the professional hair color brands and start formulating your own formulas!
Using a scale is extremely helpful when measuring color and developer. Especially when the formula requires a specific ratio (almost every color formulation does when there is a developer involved) such as 1:1, 1:1 1/2, 1:2.
Warm, Cool, and Neutral Tones
Understanding tones is easy.
Warm means sunshine colors, yellow undertones, reds, coppers and oranges.
Cool means blue and purple undertones, such as pearls, platinums, ash tones.
Neutral is neither. It’s when the warm and cool have been balanced, like we discussed in the color wheel portion of this article before. Neutrals are the most common colors to perform in the salon.
All professional hair color brands offer warm, neutral, and cool tones in each of their lines to satisfy your client’s needs.
Best Of – Pro Hair Color Brands
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✔️ Best Bond Protection
Pravana Chromasilk
Pravana Chromasilk 7N for $13.95
Pravana 10 Volume Developer 33.8oz No Lift for $15.00
✔️ Least Damaging
Redken ShadesEQ – for it’s consistency and lightness and glossiness on the hair
Redken ShadesEQ 07NA for $28.99
Matrix ColorSync *Not Available on Amazon*
✔️ Best Budget Color
Schwarzkopf IGORA Royal
IGORA 3% 10 Volume Developer 33.8 oz for $22.99
✔️ Best Toning
Redken ShadesEQ 07NA for $28.99
✔️ Best Semi Permanent
Matrix ColorSync
*Not Available on Amazon*
✔️ Best Glossy Shine
Pravana Vivids Clear
Pravana Chromasilk Vivids Clear for $11.25
Pravana 10 Volume Developer 33.8oz No Lift for $15.00
✔️ Best Vivid Colors
Pulp Riot
Pulp Riot JAM (Purple) for $15.50
Pulp Riot AQUATIC (green/blue) for $17.56
Pulp Riot SORCERY (blue) for $19.49
Pulp Riot FIREBALL (red) for $17.42
Pulp Riot BLUSH (pink) for $17.49
Pulp Riot Neopop NEUCULEAR (orange) for $17.56
✔️ Best Gray Coverage
Schwarzkopf IGORA Absolutes
IGORA Absolutes 8-50 Light Blonde Gold Natural for $8.50
✔️ Best Neutralizing Colors
Matris SoColor
*Not Available on Amazon*
FAQs for Everything You Need to Know About Professional Hair Color Brands
Why didn’t we talk about Aveda Professional Hair Color Brand?
First of all, we can’t possibly cover every color line in existence. But second of all, Aveda products are strictly only available in Aveda salons.
Unless you work in an Aveda salon you won’t use Aveda products. If you do work in an Aveda salon you will be trained on-site how to use their color system.
I guarantee, however, that Aveda color system follows the same color-rules as all brands matching shades and ratio color/developer amounts. The only thing that might differ, as most brands, would be their names of toners, their true to color-ness, and their processing times.
Why didn’t we cover the Paul Mitchell Brand?
Similar to the Aveda brand, Paul Mitchell is only carried in select salons.
I have heard some stylists not prefer the Mitchell color brand because it doesn’t hold for very long. Personally, I did not enjoy using the brand when I worked in a salon that carried it.
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