Your Ultimate Guide to Orange Hair Dye

There’s a flavour of orange to suit every style, skin tone and natural base. But which one complements yours the best? Below, we help you choose your ideal orange hair colour based on your unique features and profile.

What orange hair dye is best for my skin tone?

When you match the right shade of orange for your skin tone, it elevates your complexion. When you don’t, it can lead to an unfortunate clash. Here’s a quick guide to the oranges that pair best with different skin tones and undertones:

• Pale skin: Pairs well with pastel and bright orange shades like Apricot, as well as Peach or coral oranges with pink undertones
• Medium skin: Coral oranges again pop on medium skin stones, as do copper oranges like Flame, Fire Opal and Sunstone
• Olive skin: Prioritise either a sunset orange with gradients of orange, red and gold, or a vibrant true orange like Fluorescent Orange
• Dark skin: Matches beautifully with a bright Tangerine or similar orange-red hair colours
• Cool undertones: Burnt oranges and darker coppers complement pinkish or bluish undertones, as can vibrant neons and pastel oranges
• Warm undertones: Sunset oranges, ginger oranges and amber shades flatter warmer skin tones well

While these are our recommendations, don’t be afraid to experiment with different shades. Many oranges match well with multiple skin tones, so test them out to find the one that suits your skin and your style.

What orange hair dye works with my natural colour?

Your natural hair colour can also play a big part in finding your perfect shade of orange.

For the most vibrant, head-turning result, we always recommend lightening your hair beforehand. But if you’re starting with darker hair, certain orange shades can still deliver a warm copper glow or a subtle burnt-orange tint.

Dyeing blonde hair orange

A pale blonde base (Level 9-10) is the perfect base for practically all orange colours, especially bright neon oranges or pastel oranges. The best orange shades for blondes include:

• Peach
• Coral
• Strawberry blonde
• Ginger orange
• Light copper
• Pastel orange

Golden orange highlights also add a striking dimensional warmth to a natural blonde base for a strong summery vibe.

Dyeing brown hair orange

Light brown hair (Level 7-8) should show most rich or deeper orange hair colours, such as a pure orange or burnt orange. However, the darker your natural shade of brown, the more limited your options may be without pre-lightening.

The best orange shades for brunettes include:

• Burnt orange
• Copper
• Auburn
• Rust
• Golden orange

Darker orange shades like Flame or Tangerine can deliver a multidimensional, sun-kissed effect on darker brown hair if you’d prefer not to lighten your hair.

Dyeing black hair orange

While it pairs beautifully with orange in a split-dye look, black is one of the toughest bases to achieve a vibrant orange result. In most cases, you'll need to bleach or lighten the hair first, so the orange pigment has something to show up on. Without pre-lightening, the colour may appear as a subtle coppery sheen rather than a true orange, with limited intensity and longevity.

Have a better idea of your ideal orange shade? Perfect, because now we’re going to explain how to get the best results when dyeing your hair orange:

1. Perform both a strand test and a skin patch test to see how your chosen colour takes to your hair and prevent allergic reactions.
2. If you have darker hair, pre-lighten with a hair lightening kit to ensure a bright, vibrant orange colour.
3. Wash your hair with a pre-colour shampoo to prepare it for colouring, then towel-dry.
4. Use Vaseline or petroleum jelly on your hairline, ears and neck to reduce the risk of staining your skin, wear gloves when applying, and cover your clothes with dark towels or salon capes.
5. Move your orange dye from its pot into a mixing bowl with a tint brush, giving you better control over your colour.
6. Divide your hair into sections using clips, then apply your colour with a tint brush for precise, even coverage, starting at the roots.
7. Allow your colour to develop for 15-30 minutes, depending on the outcome of your strand test.
8. Rinse your hair until the water runs almost clear, using either cool or lukewarm water.
9. Gently towel-dry your hair, then style to show off your vibrant new orange look.

How do I get orange hair dye off my skin?

The first thing you should do when you notice orange hair dye on your skin is wipe it with a damp cloth or cotton pad.

If this isn’t enough on its own, a small amount of makeup remover, micellar water or rubbing alcohol can help remove more stubborn orange stains. Rub the stain lightly in a circular motion to avoid further irritating your skin.

How do I get orange hair dye out of clothes or carpet?

For orange hair dye on clothes, rinse the stain under cold running water, then rub in a stain remover or liquid detergent before putting the clothes in the wash.

For carpets and upholstery, blot the stain with a clean cloth – don’t rub, as this will spread the dye further. Apply a warm water solution with either washing-up liquid or white vinegar, and gently dab it onto the stain until it’s gone.

Semi-permanent orange hair dyes don’t last forever, but there are steps you can take to keep your fire burning as long as possible. Here are our top tips for longer-lasting orange shades:

• Use our specially formulated pre-colour shampoo before dyeing: This improves dye penetration by removing buildup, oils and styling residue from your hair
• Wash your hair less often: Aim for 2-3 washes per week at most, and rinse exclusively with cool or lukewarm water
• Use Directions colour-protecting shampoo and conditioner: Our sulphate-free formulas better protect your colour, while ensuring soft, shiny locks
• Avoid heat styling tools: Straighteners, curling irons and other heat stylers can cause orange hair colours to fade faster
• Protect your hair from the elements: Factors like strong sunlight, swimming-pool water and seawater can strip away your hair colour

Does orange hair dye damage hair?

At Directions, our semi-permanent orange hair dyes are specially designed to protect the look, feel and health of your hair. They contain conditioning formulas that deposit colour and add moisture at the same time, ensuring maximum shine and minimal damage.

We recommend avoiding permanent orange hair dyes – these contain ammonia, peroxide and PPDs, which can damage your hair with prolonged use.

Can I top up my semi-permanent orange hair dye?

The beauty of semi-permanent hair dye is that when the fade starts to set in, you can relight your orange’s flame with a quick top-up. Doing this every few weeks or monthly helps you maintain a vivid orange glow at all times.

With regular top-ups and by following our tips for maintaining orange hair, you’ll find your colour lasts noticeably longer and leaves a lasting impression.

Our entire range of orange hair colours is fully mixable, so you can experiment with different dyes to discover your own unique shade. As well as mixing our various orange hues, colours that are known to blend well with orange hair dyes include:

• Orange & red hair dye: Adding red deepens and warms the base orange, achieving fiery coppers and rich auburns.
• Orange & yellow hair dye: Yellow brightens and softens orange, delivering golden, marigold and warm amber shades.
• Orange & pink hair dye: Mixing orange and pink produces subtle peach, coral and warm rose tones.
• Orange & brown hair dye: Blending in brown grounds the orange, making it earthier and more muted, resulting in hues like burnt orange, rust, and terracotta.
• Orange & copper hair dye: Adding orange to a copper hair dye adds brightness and warmth for a more vibrant look.
• Orange & white hair toner: A clear diluter or toner allows for softer custom shades and pastel orange tones.

We recommend avoiding mixing oranges with either blue hair dyes or green hair dyes. These often result in muddy, unattractive hues.

When mixing colours at home, remember:

• Use a mixing bowl and tint brushes to combine colours
• Measure your ratios carefully to get the best outcome
• Perform a strand test to try out your custom shade
• Mix a maximum of 2-3 colours at once to avoid muddy shades

What hair colours go well with orange hair dye?

Want to make your orange hair even more eye-catching? Orange is an incredibly versatile shade that works beautifully in split-dye styles and bold colour combinations. From warm complementary tones to striking contrasts, here are shades that pair perfectly with orange:

• Orange & red hair: Red and orange sit next to each other on the colour wheel, so a split dye or ombre looks intentional and blended rather than jarring.
• Orange & pink hair: The warmth of both orange and pink shades means that the contrast is harmonious and doesn’t clash.
• Orange & yellow hair: Orange and yellow can create a stunning sunset ombre for a natural, sun-drenched style.
• Orange & black hair: This is a strong high-contrast result, with the depth of the black enhancing the brightness of the orange.
• Orange & blue hair: Orange and blue are complementary colours on the colour wheel, meaning this is the choice for maximum contrast.
• Orange & purple hair: Purple adds a delicate accent to the luminous orange, for a contrast that isn’t quite as stark as orange and blue.

Not a fan of your latest orange flavour? If you're ready to make a change, there are a few things you can do to remove orange hair dye faster:

• Wash your hair often with warm water, as this opens the cuticle so the colour escapes more quickly
• Use a deep conditioner when washing, leaving it on for 10-20 minutes before rinsing, as this helps speed up the fade
• Speak to a professional, who can advise on steps to fade out your orange hair dye faster

Please avoid using colour strippers or bleach unless advised to by a professional. These can damage your hair and leave it looking brassy when removing hair colours at home.

What colours can I use to cover orange hair dye?

When your orange hair colour is running out of juice, some of the best hair dyes you can use to cover it up include:

• Red and hot pink shades (most seamless)
• Dark browns and blacks (for full coverage)
• Deep burgundy or red-purple (for a dimensional auburn)
• Blue or purple hair dyes (to neutralise the orange)

Be warned that applying lighter colours, such as blondes or pastels, directly over your existing orange may produce an unwanted result, as the orange base may bleed through and distort your new shade.

What colour does orange hair dye fade into?

This changes based on the shade of orange you used. A vivid or neon orange tends to fade into a peach or apricot colour. A copper orange fades into a brassy gold, while a burnt orange or auburn will change into a brassy light brown.