Hair Color
8 products ranked by Scout score
Best hair color right now
- L'Oréal Paris Magic Root Permanent Dark Brown 10/100
Scout's analysis: L'Oréal Paris Magic Root Permanent Dark Brown scores 10/100 due to confirmed Dichloromethane contamination at 1.3 mg/Kg (Consumer Reports, April 2026). Dichloromethane…
- Dark & Lovely Jet Black 9/100
Scout's analysis: Dark & Lovely Jet Black scores 9/100 due to confirmed Dichloromethane contamination at 1.3 mg/Kg (Consumer Reports, April 2026). Dichloromethane (methylene chloride) is…
- Dark & Lovely Espresso 7/100
Scout's analysis: Dark & Lovely Espresso scores 7/100 due to confirmed Dichloromethane contamination at 6.4 mg/Kg (Consumer Reports, April 2026) — the second-highest level among…
What to skip
- Dark & Lovely Moisture Plus No-Lye Relaxer 1/100
Scout's analysis: Dark & Lovely Moisture Plus No-Lye Relaxer scores 1/100. Silent Spring Institute confirmed via ingredient analysis that this product contains parabens (methylparaben,…
- Dark & Lovely Honey Blonde 1/100
Scout's analysis: Dark & Lovely Honey Blonde scores 1/100 due to a uniquely concerning combination of contaminants. Consumer Reports (April 2026) detected Dichloromethane at 2.5 mg/Kg…
- Optimum Salon Haircare No-Lye Relaxer 5/100
Scout's analysis: Optimum Salon Haircare No-Lye Relaxer scores 5/100. Silent Spring Institute documented that this product carries the same chemical profile as the Dark & Lovely No-Lye…
Independently lab-tested hair color
2 of the 8 products ranked here have a lab panel on their pages — each measured amount, the level it falls in and the report it comes from.
Ingredients to watch in hair color
The flagged ingredients that show up most often across these 8 products. Each link opens Scout's analysis of the ingredient.
- Parfum (Fragrance) in 6 of 8
- p-Phenylenediamine (PPD) in 5 of 8
- Resorcinol in 5 of 8
- Ammonium Hydroxide / Hydrogen Peroxide in 5 of 8
- BHT in 3 of 8
- Dichloromethane (1.3 mg/Kg — confirmed contamination) in 2 of 8
What the better hair color have in common
Common questions about hair color
What scores highest in hair color on Scout?
L'Oréal Paris Magic Root Permanent Dark Brown leads Scout's hair color ranking at 10/100, followed by Dark & Lovely Jet Black (9) and Dark & Lovely Espresso (7). Scores compare products within the category on ingredients, processing, packaging and any lab results.
What should I avoid in hair color?
Dark & Lovely Moisture Plus No-Lye Relaxer scores 1/100, the lowest of the 8 products Scout has analyzed in hair color; next lowest are Dark & Lovely Honey Blonde (1) and Optimum Salon Haircare No-Lye Relaxer (5). Each product page lists the ingredients behind the number.
What drags scores down in hair color?
Across these 8 products the most common flagged ingredients are Parfum (Fragrance), p-Phenylenediamine (PPD), Resorcinol, Ammonium Hydroxide / Hydrogen Peroxide, BHT, Dichloromethane (1.3 mg/Kg — confirmed contamination). Each appears in at least two of the products ranked here.
Is anything in hair color independently lab tested?
2 of the 8 products on this page carry independent lab results — Dark & Lovely Honey Blonde, Dark & Lovely Moisture Plus No-Lye Relaxer. Each of their product pages shows the measured amounts, the level each falls in and the report they come from.
How does Scout score hair color?
Every product in hair color gets one 1–100 score for comparison within its category: the full ingredient list judged by a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. Lab results are disclosed, not scored. Scout takes no payment for scores or placement.
How Scout scores hair color
One 1–100 score per product, judged within its category: every ingredient on the label through a category-specific framework, the published processing level, the packaging, and any credible lab results. No brand pays for a score or a position on this list. Read the full methodology →