Knowing which copper hair dye is best for you is contingent on your natural hair color and your skin tone. That’s why we’ve put together some advice for how to choose the best copper hair dye for you, as well as suggesting the 11 best copper hair dyes for all hair types.
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In A Rush? Our Top Choices
Image | Title | Buy |
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Top | Garnier Olia Bold Ammonia Free Permanent Hair Color, 7.45 Intense Fire Ruby, Red Hair Dye, | Buy on Amazon |
L'Oreal Paris Feria Multi-Faceted Shimmering Permanent Hair Color, C74 Copper Crave (Intense Copper) | Buy on Amazon | |
Adore Semi-Permanent Haircolor #056 Cajun Spice 4 Ounce (118ml) | Buy on Amazon | |
Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Creme [643] Light Natural Copper 1 ea | Buy on Amazon |
What Is Copper Hair Dye?
If someone has copper hair, their locks are a warm blend of red, bronze, and gold – think auburn in color – and they’re probably dyed.
It’s extremely unlikely that anyone has natural copper hair.
Copper hair dye brightens your skin and, thanks to its many different underlying shades and undertones, can give your locks a new lease of lightened life by making them appear multi-layered, -textured, and -structured.
The undertones of copper hair dye tend to be anything from gold, penny-like sheen to a soft strawberry or gorgeous ginger.
But don’t be fooled – copper hair dye doesn’t make your hair look metallic in an unattractive way.
In fact, it makes your tresses have greater shine and sheen, adding shimmering texture and dimension.
11 Best Copper Hair Dye For All Hair Types
1. Garnier Olia Bold No Ammonia Permanent Hair Color
If you want the best copper hair dye without ammonia that’s still affordable, this cream hair dye will tick the box. You want to be choosing color 7.45 – it’s called ‘intense fire ruby’, but it’s a red-based copper tone.
This hair dye is ammonia-free and permanent, made from a 60% oil blend of natural flower oils, as well as avocado, olive, and shea oil – all of which are intensely hydrating. Your hair will look three times silkier and healthier thanks to the lack of ammonia.
Color is long-lasting and the application is really easy and non-drip – just separate your roots, use the bottle to apply the dye to hair sections, leave it in, and rinse out.
Why we like it: Affordable, ammonia-free copper hair dye that provides hydrating coverage
2. L’Oreal Paris Feria Power Copper High Intensity Shimmering Color
L’Oreal’s Feria range is designed to add serious shimmer to your strands, ensuring that they look multi-dimensional in tone.
You’ll have intensely copper-colored hair, and the dye is specifically designed to last. Be aware that the color will stain your tub, so use clothes that you don’t mind staining.
Why we like it: Adds a real shimmer to your copper hair
3. Creative Image Adore Semi-Permanent Hair Color – Cajun Spice
If you only want to explore the idea of having copper hair, it’s probably best to use a semi-permanent color, in which case this is the best dye for you.
It contains no alcohol, peroxide, or ammonia, and you’ll only need fifteen minutes or so to apply it before you notice the color coming through. For hair dye, it also smells pretty good, and mixes well into conditioner, if you’re keen on maintaining the color for as long as possible.
Why we like it: A nice smelling semi-permanent copper hair dye
4. Garnier Nutrisse Nourishing Color Creme
Combining avocado, olive, and shea oils to moisturize your locks, this is another cream-based hair dye that will take to even the darkest tones.
Your hair will feel both more nourished and stronger thanks to the hydrating formula, and there’s even a fruit oil ampoule that you can easily pour directly into the mix to maximize hydration.
The dye smells pretty good and is also non-drip for easy use.
Why we like it: An easy to apply copper hair dye that is also affordable
5. Schwarzkopf Igora Royal Permanent Color Crème Copper Extra
We’ve included the copper hair dye 6-77 in this list, but their product 8-77 – what’s known as ‘light blonde copper’ – is just as good, depending on your hair tone.
Designed by colorists, this dye is designed to be long-lasting whilst delivering full coverage and a vibrant copper tone and texture to your strands. As you are using a professional hair dye rather than a box dye, you’ll need a developer, so bear that in mind.
We also like that Schwarzkopf has an app that allows you to gauge which copper hair dye is best for you, as well as what developer you’ll need and how long to leave the dye in.
Why we like it: Professional hair dye with a complementary app to judge which color is best for you
6. Clairol Textures & Tones 4C Cognac
The color ‘cognac’ will have your natural hair turning a beautiful copper tone. Formulated without ammonia, this dye is designed to moisturize natural or relaxed hair whilst delivering intense coverage.
Jojoba combines with five other botanical extracts to hydrate strands whilst providing long-lasting color. The dye is easily applied via an applicator bottle, adding rich, vibrant copper tones to your hair.
Why we like it: The best copper hair dye for natural or relaxed hair
7. Pravana ChromaSilk Crème Hair Color 6.45 Dark Copper Mahogany Blonde
This is another professional copper hair dye, so remember to purchase a developer with it. It adds serious vibrancy to your strands, providing long-lasting color that adds texture and tonal variation.
The dye is also designed to moisturize and strengthen hair too, thanks to the added keratin and silk proteins.
Why we like it: Professional hair dye that adds tonal variation whilst strengthening strands
8. Clairol Nice’N Easy Permanent Hair Dye, 6R Light Auburn
Clairol is another affordable box dye that continues to deliver some of the best results. The smell of the dye is quite pleasant – think a light floral scent – and the cream formula is easy to apply (you have a three-step process that’s simple and clear to follow).
Coverage is long lasting – it should keep for up to eight weeks – and also conditioning.
Why we like it: Lightly scented and easy to follow hair dye
9. Wella Permanent Liquid Hair Color – 6R Red Terracotta
Wella is another industry-leading provider of hair dye, and this is a great reddish copper tone.
It suits all hair types and will provide vibrant, long-lasting coverage thanks to the Liquidfuse technology. Remember to buy a developer.
Why we like it: A reliable hair dye that delivers consistent results
10. L’Oreal Paris Superior Preference Fade-Defying Color RR-07 Intense Red Color
This is one of the reddest copper hair dyes in our list, so bear that in mind when purchasing.
The dye is designed to deliver at least eight weeks of color and gives your hair a real shine and luminosity thanks to the ‘Shine Serum’ which contains antioxidants and Vitamin E.
The color is easy to apply at home, and you can use the Care Supreme Conditioning treatment to inject your locks with some hydration.
Why we like it: Affordable, easy to use, high-shine hair dye
11. Herbatint Permanent Hair Color 8R Light Copper Blonde
Dermatologically tested, this hair dye is ammonia-free and is suitable for vegans as it’s cruelty-free. It contains eight herbal extracts including aloe vera, white birch, and echinacea in order to naturally tone your hair color without damaging your hair, scalp, or skin.
You may just need to try different dyes to get the exact color that works for you.
Why we like it: All-natural, cruelty-free copper hair dye
How To Choose The Best Copper Hair Dye
We’ve already said that copper hair dye is one of those colors that somehow works for all skin tones.
However, you need to know what your skin tone is, as well as your natural hair color, before choosing the best copper hair dye for you.
Do you have pink undertones, for example, or is your skin more olive?
Is your hair naturally lighter or darker? All of these factors will impact which is the best copper hair dye for you.
The Best Copper Hair Dye For Your Skin Tone
The undertone of most copper hair dye is warm, but dyes with red, yellow, and even blue colorings will be warmer than those without.
The mix of these different undertones determines the best copper hair dye for your skin tone:
Fair Skin Tone
If your skin is fairer with a lighter complexion, you want to go for copper hair dye with strawberry and gold shades, as these will complement the pinkness in your skin, giving you a beautiful glow from within.
Medium Skin Tone
If you are naturally more olive in your skin tone, you want to be sticking to copper hair dye with undertones of auburn, brown, or gold, as this will ensure the dye looks as natural as possible with your coloring.
It’s best to steer clear of those with red undertones.
Darker Skin Tone
If your skin tone is darker, you can go for more red and auburn undertones in your copper hair dye. In fact, even violet undertones work well to add a glisten and sheen to your hair dye.
Be aware, however, that if you have natural hair of 4C texture and type, you’ll likely need to treat your hair to some intense moisture after having dyed it.
Many hair dyes do contain ammonia as it’s an essential component for enabling the dye color to penetrate into the cortex of your hair strands.
Ammonia can be very dehydrating for hair, so be sure to follow up with a deep conditioning or overnight moisture treatment.
Consider your Hair Color
Which copper hair dye to go for can also depend on your natural hair color:
Light Hair
It’s easier to dye lighter hair tones copper color, and you won’t have to think about lightening your hair in advance of the dye application.
Just remember to consult the copper hair dye manufacturer to check what they advise on which copper hair tone is best for you.
Dark Hair
As ever, if you have dark hair, you’ll need to think a bit more carefully about which is the best copper hair dye for you.
A darker copper tone will typically add more depth and dimensions to your naturally darker hair, adding textural richness and tone.
If you’re keen on lighter copper hair dye – for example, those with strawberry blonde undertones – you’ll need to think about lightening your darker hair before application.
Other Things To Remember
You should always do a patch test on your skin and a strand test before applying the dye.
This is to ensure that you don’t have any allergic reactions to the dye, and it means that you can gauge what the dye looks like on your locks without having applied it to your whole head of hair.
Aim to dye your hair wearing clothes and using towels that you don’t mind getting a little color on them.
Remember that if you let the dye drip into your shower or bathtub, it may well stain.
Look for copper hair dye that has the least amount of chemicals and additional nasties in it.
Admittedly, there will be a certain amount of chemicals in your dye, as they are what enable the dye to penetrate your cuticle and color your hair cortex.
But you can find natural hair dye in some instances if that’s your preference – just be aware that it might be more challenging.
How To Maintain Copper Hair Color
There are a number of steps that you can take to best ensure your copper hair dye lasts as long as possible.
- Minimize your hair washing, and be sure to avoid a clarifying formula that will strip color. You can always use dry shampoo if your roots start to look a little greasy.
- Remember to also look for shampoo that contains minimal chemicals like sulfates, parabens, and phthalates.
- You can add some copper hair dye to your conditioner in order to keep giving the color little boosts.
- Remember to moisturize your hair after drying it – masks and conditioning treatments are ideal.
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