Are you wondering how to determine your natural hair color? Maybe you’re just diving into the world of at-home hair color and you’re trying to find the closest match. Or maybe you’ve been dyeing your hair for so long you can’t even remember your natural color! Either way, it’s good to know what your actual color is, since most hair care products are based on your natural level.
We’re here to help you figure out your natural color so you can feel confident in making the right hair color choices to fit your individual style.
Related: What’s the best hair color for my skin tone?
Natural Hair Colors
All hair colors are formed from melanin pigments within the cortex of the hair. There are two main melanin pigments found in human hair.
- Eumelanin: this is the most common melanin pigment and contains two types – brown eumelanin and black eumelanin. Eumelanin determines how dark hair is and consists of all three primary colors – red, yellow, and blue.
- Pheomelanin: provides red and yellow pigments. People with red hair tend to have large quantities of pheomelanin.
These pigments blend together in varying amounts and proportions to form all the hair colors we see. Depending on the amount of eumelanin and pheomelanin, there are 8 natural hair colors.
- Black
- Brown
- Blonde
- Auburn
- Red
- Chestnut
- Gray
- White
Black hair is the darkest and most common hair color in the world. Light blonde hair actually contains very little melanin. The pale yellow we see is due to keratin in the hair, rather than pigments. Similarly, white and albino hair contain little to no pigment.
So, what is your natural hair color? We’ll walk you through how to figure it out! But first, you may want to grab a friend to help you!
Figuring Out Your Natural Hair Color
Figuring out your natural color is easier than you might think.
To do this, you will want to use the darkest part of your hair. Start by parting the back of your hair down the center. Then, cover up any dyed sections of hair so that you’re able to focus on evaluating your scalp.
Have a friend match the color against our color chart to figure out the color closest to your own. For best results, make sure you’re in bright, natural lighting.
Once you’ve figured out your natural hair color, be sure to write it down somewhere so you’ll have it on hand if needed! Now you’re ready to explore what hair colors will best complement your natural hair color.
Choosing a Color to Highlight Your Natural Hair Color
Since you’ve figured out your natural hair color, you can choose a color to complement or match it. When you’re considering what colors to use, there are a few important things to keep in mind.
You can go as dark as you like, but you’ll generally get better results if you darken gradually. For this reason, we recommend only darkening by two levels at a time. It’s also important to note that Naturtint permanent hair color can only lighten by one or two levels. Most people find that staying within two shades of their natural hair color suits their skin tone well.
Mixing two Naturtint permanent hair colors together is also an option. To measure and mix colors, we suggest you use a plastic or glass container that measures in milliliters. Most importantly, always measure and use equal portions of colorant and developer to maintain the manufacturer’s recommended 1:1 ratio.
As you can see, you have many options when it comes to finding a hair color that will allow you to feel confident and showcase your individual style. Now that you know how to determine your natural hair color, you’ll be able to narrow down the colors that will work best for you!
Or, you can check out our color chart if you’re still undecided.
Still unsure what your natural color is and the best color to select? Our team of Color Specialists is here to help, let’s connect and figure it out together!
