When browsing hair dye aisles in drugstores, you almost exclusively see brands related to animal testing and products containing animal byproducts.
Luckily, things look better online. We have put together a guide with the vegan hair dye you can shop online – from natural henna colors to affordable vegan box dyes and salon dyes.
Vegan hair dye is not just better for the animals but usually free of toxic chemicals. Now you can change your hair color in a natural and safe way.
Best Vegan Hair Dyes 2023
Best Overall
Best Natural
Best Salon
Best Affordable
Best Henna
Best Permanent
Best Semi-Permanent
For Dark Hair
For Red Hair
For Blonde Hair
For Natural Hair
For Sensitive Scalp
For Men
For Kids
Vegan Hair Toner
Color Conditioner
Colored Hair Care
What Makes Hair Dye Vegan?
Vegan hair dye is a dye that has not been tested on animals. It also does not contain ingredients that have been tested on animals or are of animal origin.
Typical non-vegan ingredients in hair dyes are carmine, keratine, stearic acid, lanolin, and animal-based glycerine.
- Carmine – bright red pigment made from crushed red lice, widely used in red hair dyes
- Keratine – a hair strengthtening protein made from animal hair, horns, and nails
- Stearic Acid – fatty acid made from the pig’s belly, used as a conditioner in dyes
- Lanolin – a moisturizing ingredient in hair dyes, derived from sheep’s sebaceous glands
- Glycerine – emollient in hair dyes, derived from animal fats (can also be vegan)
Instead of carmine, vegan brands use plant-derived red pigments. For keratin, vegan hair dyes use soy protein known for its hair strengthening and conditioning effects.
For moisturizing, vegan hair dyes have replaced lanolin and animal glycerin with premium plant oils such as coconut, shea, and jojoba.
What To Look For In Vegan Hair Dye?
Most of the store-bought hair dyes contain a large number of harmful chemicals such as ammonia, peroxide, PPD, parabens, and resorcinol.
Many of these chemicals can irritate the eyes and skin and cause poisoning. Some are even potentially carcinogenic, especially those in permanent hair dyes.
When shopping for vegan hair dye, prefer products labeled eco-friendly, natural, plant-derived, non-damaging, conditioning, or organic.
Natural vegan hair dyes today will deliver you the same result as old drugstore dyes. They are just healthier to you as well as our environment and ecosystems.
One of the safest ways to dye your hair is with henna. Our ancestors used this natural plant-based dye already thousands of years ago. And it’s still going strong.
Best Vegan Hair Dye Brands
These are the best brands for vegan hair dye. These companies make only vegan and cruelty-free hair dye which makes shopping so much more fun.
Lime Crime
Lime Crime is an American cosmetics brand famous for its bright and bold hair dyes. The brand is 100% PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free.
Advocating self-expression, Lime Crime offers semi-permanent colors with very strong pigments. You can find colors of the whole rainbow from their collection.
Good Dye Young
Good Dye Young (GDY) is a vegan brand co-founded by Hayley Williams – the world-famous singer and songwriter from the band Paramore.
GDY supports expressive creativity and supports people to be themselves. They offer a very wide range of semi-permanent vegan colors and vegan bleach.
The brand does not use ammonia or peroxides in its products.
Herbatint
Italian hair color brand Herbatint dates back to the 1970s and is one of the first pure and natural permanent hair dyes. Herbatint is vegan and cruelty-free.
Instead of harsh chemicals such as ammonia and PPD, the brand uses only delicate natural, and organic components.
Arctic Fox
Arctic Fox offers vibrant and modern premixed semi-permanent hair colors and bleach – all vegan and cruelty-free.
The hair dye is produced in California in an innovative way. The vegan dyes are stain-free, long-lasting, conditioning, and free of drying alcohols or PPDs.
As a kind and caring venture, Arctic Fox donates 15% of its profits to animal cruelty prevention.
Manic Panic
New York brand Manic Panic has been rocking the hair dye world since 1977. From their selection, you will find vegan and cruelty-free hair colors for every occasion.
Even their semi-permanent hair dye is super vibrant and lasts long. Plus, the dyes are free of PPD, parabens, gluten, ammonia, phthalates, and resorcinol.
Tints of Nature
Tints of Nature is an organic vegan hair color brand from the UK. The natural brand does not use ammonia, resorcinol, or parabens in its dyes.
They have some great vegan hair dyes: permanent dyes, semi-permanent dyes based on henna, bleach kits, and gentle vegan hair care products.
Best Vegan Hair Dyes 2023
We’ve researched the market and compiled a list of clean and natural vegan hair dyes. Have fun finding your new favorite hair color.
Best Vegan Hair Dye Overall
Our favorite vegan hair dye is this one from Herbatint. It’s made with organic ingredients, leaves an even result, and covers up the gray with ease.
The plant extracts protect your scalp and hair. The permanent dye is also suitable for sensitive skin and has been clinically and dermatologically controlled.
The organic vegan hair dye is free of ammonia, resorcinol, parabens, and added fragrance. Plus, the gel formula is super easy to apply at home.
Best Natural Vegan Hair Dye
Tints of Nature Permanent Hair Dye
Tints of Nature makes the best natural vegan hair dye. 95% of the ingredients of this permanent hair dye are natural and 75% of organic origin.
The vegan hair dye comes in 23 great shades. The permanent dye covers gray hair without fail, the result is long-lasting and intense.
Tints of Nature is one of the most popular vegan hair dye brands. Their dye includes a minimum amount of PPD and it’s free of ammonia, parabens, and resorcinol.
Best Salon Vegan Hair Dye
Aveda Full Spectrum Permanent Haircolor
Aveda is a vegan and cruelty-free haircare brand from New York. With their Full Spectrum permanent hair dye, you’ll get the salon-worthy experience in your own home.
The professional vegan hair dye is a mixture of damage-free ingredients with hydrating and nourishing sunflower, castor, and jojoba oil.
We love that this professional vegan hair dye wears out slowly and leaves the hair looking shiny and healthy.
You can buy Aveda Full Spectrum on Amazon or visit a salon. If you are based in the UK, know that also Paul Mitchell salon hair dyes are vegan-friendly.
Best Affordable Vegan Hair Dye
Clairol Natural Instincts Demi-Permanent Dye
Looking for a good old affordable box dye that is also vegan? Clairol offers a demi-permanent vegan hair color that is free of ammonia or parabens.
This vegan box hair dye costs little but amazes you with quality. It includes coconut and aloe that invigorate and condition your hair leaving it soft and shiny.
The cream formula is suitable for all hair types. The dye is easy to use and stays fresh for at least a month.
There are 38 natural vegan shades to choose from for brown, blonde, black, and red tones. The vegan hair dye works also well for coily and curly natural hair.
Best Vegan Henna Hair Dye
Naturally Brite Henna Hair Dye
Brite’s semi-permanent hair dye is famous among henna lovers. Built on the base of plant oils, the premixed vegan hair dye is nourishing and moisturizing.
Using this dye is super easy. It can be applied to the hair directly from the tube. If you have longer hair, just mix the color with water.
The natural paint is free of ammonia, bleach, and peroxide. It is also a 100% vegan and PETA-certified cruelty-free product.
Best Permanent Vegan Hair Dye
Naturtint Permanent Hair Color
For a long-lasting result, we recommend the Naturtint Permanent Hair Color. It gives you vibrant color and then protects the color for up to five weeks.
The day contains oleic acid from olives, vitamin E, sunflower extract, and various seed oils to nourish the hair, reduce frizz, and repair the split ends.
The natural vegan hair dye is free from ammonia, gluten, artificial fragrance, heavy metals, parabens, silicone, and SLS.
Naturtint is an American brand that offers vegan hair dyes made in the USA. As an eco-friendly venture, even the water used in their facilities is filtered.
Best Semi-Permanent Vegan Hair Dye
Good Dye Young Semi-Permanent Hair Dye
Semi-permanent dye is the perfect way to experiment with bold and vibrant colors. And Good Dye Young makes the best semi-permanent vegan hair dyes.
The bright pigmented colors contain bergamot, natural sunflower oil, and plant-derived nutrients to nourish and protect your hair.
The semi-permanent hair color has a premixed cream formula that is easy to use at home, just like a hair mask. The vegan hair dye is made in the USA.
Best Vegan Hair Dye For Dark Hair
Herbaceuticals Naturcolor Hair Dye
Herbaceuticals Naturcolor is one of the most reliable vegan hair dyes for dark hair. They have a good selection of brown and black shades that look very natural.
The natural permanent hair dye is also safe and easy to use at home. It takes a maximum of an hour to apply and the result is even and the color does not fade.
While dark hair dye has notoriously the most amount of chemicals, this one does not. The cruelty-free vegan hair dye is free of ammonia, resorcinol, or parabens.
Best Vegan Hair Dye For Red Hair
If red hair is your trademark, Manic Panic is the brand you should know about. The New York hair color brand has an amazing collection of red vegan hair dyes.
Their vegan hair color works well for pretreated as well as virgin hair. Although the dye is semi-permanent, it stays on for up to 6 weeks and only then fades slowly.
The natural vegan formula is free of ammonia, parabens, and resorcinol. In addition to reds, Manic Panic has great vegan hair dyes for pink, purple, and other bold tones.
Best Vegan Hair Dye For Blonde Hair
Revlon Total Color Clean + Vegan Hair Dye
For blonde hair, we recommend the Total Color range from Revlon. The range is vegan and includes a great selection of blonde tones.
This innovative permanent vegan hair dye is free of ammonia, silicone, mineral oils, and parabens. Instead, it uses hemp seed oil that helps the scalp stay healthy.
The dye is also packed with botanical extracts and oils to deeply nourish the hair. The color covers the hair evenly and lasts up to 6 weeks.
Best Vegan Hair Dye For Natural Hair
This henna hair color is perfect for gentle scalps and undamaged natural hair. The organic and natural vegan dye gives hair a beautiful tone and shine.
From different shades, you can freely mix the perfect one to match your natural hair. The cruelty-free formula does not contain any harsh chemicals.
Best Vegan Hair Dye For Sensitive Scalp
Onc Naturalcolors Permanent Hair Dye
This certified organic vegan hair dye has been specially developed for delicate skin.
Argan oil, orange extracts, chamomile, coconut, and aloe are gentle on the scalp but moisturize and nourish the skin and hair.
No ammonia, parabens, sulfates, gluten, resorcinol, or other harsh chemicals. The salon-quality formula also covers gray hair.
Best Vegan Hair Dye For Men
Ekoeh Brazil Hair Food Color Cream
This vegan hair dye is perfect for men and stronger hair types.
The color cream covers the hair well and leaves a very natural result. It looks as if the hair hasn’t been dyed at all. The dye is also ideal for grays.
The ingredients are pure and organic, including fair trade shea butter. The hypoallergenic vegan hair dye is also safe for sensitive skin.
The vegan hair dye is free of parabens, fragrance, BPA, PVC, lead, resorcinol, and ammonia.
Best Vegan Hair Dye For Kids
Arctic Fox Semi-Permanent Hair Color
Arctic Fox offers a semi-permanent vegan hair dye that is also safe for children. With parental consent, of course.
There are no animal products in the formula and it doesn’t contain any harsh ingredients such as ammonia, ethyl alcohol, or PPD.
The vegan hair dye has a very pleasant smell and leaves the hair shiny and bright.
Best Vegan Hair Toner
This toner kit is designed to get rid of orange and yellow tones from your hair. It leaves blonde and bleached hair perfectly cool and shiny.
Bleach London’s entire collection is PETA-certified vegan and cruelty-free. The toner is also free of ammonia and it’s safe to use at home.
You can choose from several different kits such as white toner, champagne blonde, and rose blonde.
Best Vegan Color Conditioner
Celeb Luxury Viral Colorditioner
Suitable for daily use, the color depositing vegan conditioner is a great multitasker. You can give additional care to your hair while coloring it at the same time.
This is the perfect product to keep your hairstyle fresh and intense in a low-maintenance way. It only takes 20 minutes at home.
The vegan conditioner also moisturizes and strengthens your hair by fixing hair bonds. Plant-based sugars make your hair feel super soft.
Viral Colorditioner is made from sustainably resourced plant-based ingredients. It is free of ammonia, gluten, parabens, PPD, mineral oil, and peroxide.
Best Vegan Colored Hair Care
Colored hair needs the best care it can get. And to our experience, the Beautiful Color range from Oribe is the height of hair color care.
This duo protects hair color from fading caused by UV damage and environmental pollution. It also enhances the vibrancy of your color and highlights.
The conditioner offers intense moisture while repairing and fortifying chemically-treated hair. Your hair is left nourished and glossy.
The range also includes Oribe Signature Complex (watermelon, lychee, and edelweiss flower) that protects your hair from oxidative stress and photoaging.
The vegan shampoo and conditioner are also paraben-free, sulfate-free (SLS & SLES), gluten-free, cruelty-free, and vegan.
FAQ About Vegan Hair Dye
Most hair dyes in drugstores are not vegan since they are animal tested or contain animal byproducts. Hair dye can be vegan though and you can luckily find many vegan hair dye brands online.
Yes, vegans can dye their hair. Vegans simply use cruelty-free hair dye that does not include any animal byproducts.
Typical non-vegan ingredients in hair dyes are carmine, keratine, stearic acid, lanolin, and animal-based glycerine. Hair dyes are also often tested on animals.
With great probability, vegan hair dye is better for your hair. Most vegan brands aim to be ethical, natural, health-oriented, and toxin-free.
These hair dye brands are 100% vegan: Lime Crime, Good Dye Young, Tints of Nature, Herbatint, and Arctic Fox.
The largest selection of vegan hair dyes can be found online. You can find vegan hair dyes in well-stocked drugstores and more modern hair salons.
Revlon Total Color Clean + Vegan collection is vegan. Other Revlon hair dyes are not vegan.
No. Schwarzkopf tests on animals.
No. L’Oreal tests on animals.
Summary
Vegan hair dye allows us to express our individuality in a kind and compassionate way.
Vegan hair dye is also likely to be better for your hair since vegan brands use more natural and environmentally-friendly ingredients.
We have many vegan hair dye brands we love. Our current favorites are Lime Crime, Good Dye Young, Tints of Nature, Manic Panic, Herbatint, and Arctic Fox.
As we love all things related to hair, we’ll keep looking out for more vegan hair dyes, and add our favorite ones to this list.
See also: Vegan Shampoos, List Of 100% Vegan Haircare Brands, Vegan Makeup, Vegan Nail Polish
