A Pro’s Guide to the Perfect Hair Colors for Your Skin Tone

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woman with long and strong hair - Hair Colors For Your Skin Tone

Dante Kim

May 10th, 2024

Get your color analysis done
in 60 seconds with WhatColors!

Get your color analysis done in
60 seconds with WhatColors!

Get your color analysis done in 60 seconds with WhatColors!

Choosing the right hair color for your skin tone can be a tricky task, but it's crucial for achieving a flattering look. From warm to cool hair colors, the plethora of skin tone colors can make the decision more overwhelming. In this blog, we'll break down the process of choosing hair colors that match your skin tone, focusing on warm and cool hair colors that can make you shine. Let's dive in!

What Are Skin Undertones & Their Importance in Hair Color Selection

woman with white shade hair - Hair Colors For Your Skin Tone

Skin undertones are the subtle hues beneath the surface of your skin that determine whether you have cool, warm, or neutral undertones. These undertones remain constant regardless of tanning or other surface changes and play a vital role in choosing the perfect hair color that complements your skin tone. It is important to match hair color to undertones to enhance natural features and prevent colors from appearing washed out or clashing with your skin tone.

Cool Undertones: Pink, red, or blue hues
Warm Undertones: Yellow, peach, or golden hues
Neutral Undertones: A mix of both cool and warm tones or a muted undertone.

Simple Ways to Identify Undertones

1. Check your veins

Purple and blue veins indicate cool undertones, green veins indicate warm undertones, and a combination of both signals neutral undertones.

2. The paper test

By holding a white piece of paper to your face, you can determine your undertone. Yellow or orange hints indicate warm undertones, while blueish, red, or pink hues suggest cool undertones. If you see a bit of both, you have neutral undertones.

3. The window test

Stand near a window and observe the skin beneath your eyes. Yellowish-green tones indicate warm undertones, while purple or blue undertones suggest cool undertones.

4. The blusher test

Apply pink blush to one cheek and peach blush to the other. If the pink blush brings out pink tones, you have cool undertones. If the peach blush enhances yellow-gold tones, you have warm undertones.

5. Try on some jewelry

Cool undertones suit silver jewelry, warm undertones prefer gold jewelry, and those who look good in both are likely to have neutral undertones.

6. Tanning tendencies

If you tan easily, you likely have warm undertones. Skin that burns easily or turns pink in the sun indicates cool undertones. Neutral undertones are characterized by the ability to tan with pink tones appearing.

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How to Choose the Best Hair Colors for Your Skin Tone

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Selecting the most suitable hair color for your skin tone is imperative to enhance your overall appearance. A perfect hair color can make your skin look radiant and glow effortlessly, while a mismatched shade can make it look dull and washed out. Here's a breakdown of the best hair colors for each undertone, so you can make an informed decision based on your skin tone.

Deep Skin with Warm Undertones: Best Shades and Tips

The ideal shades to try for deep skin with warm undertones are caramel, golden brown, and butterscotch. These warm browns and caramels can accentuate your skin's natural depth and glow. If your hair is already blonde, tone with hues of caramel for a perfect match. To use a good conditioner for curly or coily hair to maintain both the color and texture.

Deep Skin with Cool Undertones: Best Shades and Tips

For deep skin with cool undertones, dark mocha, brown-black, and deep black are the best shades to try. Cool-toned hair colors such as rich brown, black, burgundy, or cool auburn can create a stunning contrast with your deep skin tone. Avoid warm-toned hair colors that may look too orange against your cool-toned skin.

Deep Skin with Neutral Undertones: Best Shades and Tips

Neutral undertones rock every color, and for deep skin with neutral undertones, auburn red, reddish-brown, and chestnut are the best shades to try. Opt for colors that look rich and vibrant, such as auburn red or chestnut brown to add warmth and glow to your skin.

Medium Skin with Warm Undertones: Best Shades and Tips

Dark chocolate, chestnut, dark auburn, and mocha are the best shades to try for medium skin with warm undertones. Brown tones, especially cooler shades, can make yellow undertones look creamier, offering a striking look. Lightening from black to deep mocha brown with multi-tonal highlights can create a soft and gorgeous effect for those with deep skin.

Medium Skin with Cool Undertones: Best Shades and Tips

Caramel, honey, golden brown, amber, mahogany, and cinnamon are the best shades to try for medium skin with cool undertones. These shades contrast with your complexion to avoid looking washed out. Caramel browns fit best with lighter olive skin tones and add beauty to dark roots or base.

Medium Skin with Neutral Undertones: Best Shades and Tips

True black, espresso, blue-black, and licorice are the best shades to try for medium skin with neutral undertones. Neutral skin tones have the benefit of compatibility with most hair color tones. You can skew warm or cool based on your preference, but it's recommended to stay within two shades of your natural color to avoid harsh or brassy looks.

Fair Skin with Warm Undertones: Best Shades and Tips

Platinum, ice, silver, ash, sand, beige, and champagne are the best shades to try for fair skin with warm undertones. Cool blonde shades complement porcelain skin with blue, violet, or golden undertones by neutralizing redness. Shades that are too golden or yellow should be avoided, as cooler shades are more likely to enhance your appearance.

Fair Skin with Cool Undertones: Best Shades and Tips

Gold, caramel, amber, honey, and butterscotch are the best shades to try for fair skin with cool undertones. Warm tones like strawberry blonde, copper, honey, and gold work best for fair skin with cool undertones, avoiding ashy blonde hues that may wash you out.

Fair Skin with Neutral Undertones: Best Shades and Tips

Strawberry blonde, copper, amber, rust, and russet are the best shades to try for fair skin with neutral undertones. A mix of cool and warm tones can achieve a creamy yet warm color with a hint of golden copper, complementing pale skin. Light, warm shades of red are recommended to counteract cool tones in pale skin, providing a beautiful, dramatic effect on the complexion.

Fair Skin with Peach Undertones: Best Shades and Tips

True red, auburn, and burgundy are the best shades to try for fair skin with peach undertones. Red is an ideal undertone for peach and red undertones to create a glowing effect. Warm, peachy complexions also pop with cooler, auburn reds, while olive undertones should avoid red shades that can make the skin look green in contrast.

Pastel Hair: Best Shades and Tips

For pastel hair colors, the sky's the limit in terms of creativity. Darker skin tends to look washed out with paler shades, so opt for more vibrant and saturated tones like ruby, fuchsia, and magenta for tan skin. For fair skin, choose hues that complement your undertones to create a stunning look.

Shades to Avoid

Depending on your undertones, there are specific hair color shades to avoid. For warm undertones, steer clear of hair colors that are too warm or golden and opt for cooler, blue-toned, or ashy shades. If you have cool undertones, avoid shades that are too cool or ashy and choose warm, golden, or reddish tones to complement your skin.

Those with neutral skin tones have the benefit of most shades working, but it's essential to check pictures of your desired shade on similar undertones to ensure a perfect match.

10 Best Tips for Effective Hair Color Maintenance

woman thinking about Hair Colors For Your Skin Tone

1. Washing practices

It is essential to wash your hair less frequently to maintain the vibrancy of your hair color. Washing your hair too often can cause the color to fade quickly. To care for your color, only wash your hair two to three times a week. You can use dry shampoo to absorb oil from your roots when needed.

2. Conditioning

Jump straight to conditioner when washing your hair if you find it challenging to reduce your washing frequency. This practice will add softness, shine, and nourishment to your hair without washing away the color.

3. Right shampoo selection

Choose a color-protective shampoo that helps to maintain the vibrancy of your hair color. Look for shampoos with low sulfate content to minimize washing out the color from your hair.

4. Conditioning hair

After coloring your hair, it becomes more fragile, which can lead to fading. Using a quality conditioner with hydrating elements can form a protective barrier to prevent color fading.

5. Heat protection

Heat protection sprays can reduce heat damage to your hair caused by heat styling tools. It is essential to minimize your hair's exposure to heat styling to maintain your hair color.

6. Hair masks

Using hair masks twice a week for 5-10 minutes can provide your hair with additional nourishment, repair damage, increase shine, and make your hair color last longer.

7. Air drying

Avoid excessive heat from blow-dryers, straightening irons, and curling tongs to protect your hair color. Apply a quality hair oil to damp hair to nourish and add shine without compromising your hair color.

8. UV protection

Protect your hair color from UV light damage by using a UV filter finishing spray. Even in winter, UV light can affect your hair color, so incorporating UV protection into your routine can help maintain your color vibrancy.

9. Smart swimming

Chlorine from swimming pools can change your hair color and accelerate fading. To protect your hair color, apply a layer of conditioner before swimming to form a protective barrier against chemical damage.

10. Nutrition

A diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids from fish like salmon and mackerel can nourish your hair and make it shiny and strong. Adding walnuts to your diet can provide vitamin E to combat dry, brittle hair post-coloring.

Try AI Personal Color Analysis For Free Today

When it comes to finding the best hair color for your skin tone, there are a few key factors to consider. Not only does your skin tone play a significant role in determining which shades will flatter you the most, but your eye color and natural hair color also come into play. By determining your season based on your skin tone, eye color, and natural hair color, you can find the perfect hair color to enhance your features and complement your unique coloring.

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