The 8 Best Hair Colors for Neutral Skin Tones

If you have neutral skin tones, you’re in luck. Tons of different hair colors look fabulous on you that cool or warm-skinned toned people can’t pull off. These gorgeous best hair colors for neutral skin tones will help you to level up your style game and look incredible.

What Are Neutral Skin Tones?

At their core, neutral skin tones are neither cool nor warm. Warm skin tones tend to be gold, peach, or yellowish and cooler tones are blue or pink. Neutral tones are neither, so you don’t have to coordinate your clothes, makeup, or hair color to match the underlying tones in your skin. 

How to Determine If You Have Neutral Skin Tones

There are a few different ways to figure out your skin tone. It’s important to remember that your skin tone isn’t dictated by how dark or light your skin is.

Instead, it’s all about the tones that make up your skin, so you might have to do a little detective work to figure out if you’re one of the lucky neutral-skin-toned people.

Jewelry

Look at your jewelry. You may have subconsciously picked up several pieces of jewelry that match your skin tone. For example, gold looks better on people with warmer tones, and silver works for those with cool tones. If you can wear both interchangeably, you might have neutral tones.

Clothing

What neutrals do you favor, if any? Usually, people with cooler skin tones look good in black and crisp white. You’ll go for an off-white shirt or browns if you have warm tones.

People with neutral skin tones can wear virtually any neutral. If everything looks fantastic on you, you could have neutral skin tones.

Veins

Can you see your veins? These can be very telling. Are they blue or green? If they’re green, you’re cool. If they’re blue, you’re warm. You could be neutral if you can’t tell or if your veins just fade into your skin.

These tips and tricks merely cover the bases. If you’re curious, see a professional stylist and ask them to tell you whether you’re cool, warm, or neutral.

Read Next: Not sure where to start? Take one of our quizzes:

• What Color Should I Dye My Hair Quiz
• What Color Hair Looks Best on Me Quiz

Best Hair Colors for Neutral Skin Tones

Just as those with neutral skin tones look fabulous in virtually any type of jewelry or outfit, they can also wear plenty of different hair colors that might wash out people with other skin tones.

So, if you have neutral tones, consider stepping outside the box with your hair color or highlights.

1. Red

Red is a tricky color to pull off, but people with neutral skin tones can do it. If you’re feeling adventurous, go for a rich, robust red. Try a muted, rich, auburn if you want to play it a little safe but still get some of that tremendous red action. 

Auburn looks especially striking on people with blue or green eyes and is an eye-catching, glamorous alternative to blond or brown.

2. Dark Brown

Dark brown hair color can be very dramatic, and it washes many people out. Fortunately, this isn’t true for those with neutral tones in their skin.

Dark brown looks dramatic and impressive on neutral skin tones and can even go so far as to make your eyes pop, and your skin look more luminous.

3. Reddish Brown

If you don’t want to go full-on red, consider changing your hair to a reddish brown. Plenty of different colors and shades are available, from cinnamon to copper.

You can even choose a more muted base color and get some fun, funky, and fresh highlights to set it off. Reddish brown is a beautiful color that is very difficult to pull off. But, if you can do it properly, you’ll look stunning and turn heads everywhere.

4. Strawberry Blonde

Strawberry blonde is a beautiful summery color that works so well with neutral skin tones because it doesn’t wash them out. If you’re looking for a fun new summery twist on your hair, consider dying it strawberry blonde.

If you’re feeling very bold, you can even add in some gorgeous deep red highlights or bright blonde streaks. Since dramatic hair colors are less likely to wash out neutral complexions, feel free to experiment to see what works for you.

It’s also a good idea to keep the following things in mind before you set out to dye your hair:

• If you’re dying your hair at home, do a strand test to make sure that you’re not allergic to the color and see how it comes out
• Think about seasonally appropriate colors
• Gauge your lifestyle to ensure that the color works for you professionally
• Have fun with it, and don’t be afraid to step out of the box with temporary dyes

If you’re not ready to completely change your hair color but still want a few styles, we’ve included a list of the best highlights for neutral skin tones below.

Best Highlight Colors for Natural Skin Tones

Just like the best hair colors for neutral skin tones, the best highlights encompass dramatic colors that many people with cooler or warmer tones can’t pull off. In addition, highlights are much less of a commitment, and you can play with different widths and styles to your heart’s content. 

Generally, you will want to get face-framing highlights to bring out your eyes and skin tone, but beyond that, the rest is really up to you and your stylist. So work some of these great highlights into your new look today. 

1. Auburn

Beautiful reds were simply meant for neutral-toned skin. Unlike other tones, you don’t have to worry about winding up with a ruddy complexion or looking too wan after getting auburn highlights.  You can decide how dramatic these highlights are too.

Some people prefer just to get face-framing pieces, while others want highly dramatic different colored auburn highlights all over their heads. Start small and work your way up if you’re nervous about going auburn.

2. Blue Black

Blue-black is another dramatic shade that is one of the best hair colors for neutral skin tones. This deep black is challenging to pull off, but neutral-toned people can do it.

Instead of looking stark and clinical, blue-black highlights can blend with darker hair colors and add serious but warm drama to your look.

3. Cinnamon

Cinnamon, honey, and warm amber colors look fantastic on people with neutral skin tones. One of the best things about cinnamon highlights is that they look luxe and summery without being full-on blond. Get some cinnamon highlights if you want a sophisticated office look that you can dress down for the beach.

4. Rainbow

We’ve all seen perfect Insta-ready rainbow hair, but it can be a little tricky to pull off in real life. Fortunately, people with neutral skin tones are ready to take on this fantastic trend.

Since all of the colors look good on neutral tones, naturally, rainbow highlights will look whimsical and unique. If you want some subtlety along with your color, pick rainbow tones that work best for your hair.

For example, blonds should go with pastel or lighter-colored highlights, whereas people with darker hair might opt for muted jewel tones to play up their dark tresses.

Unless you’re experienced at doing your own hair, it’s a good idea to visit a professional salon to get your highlights. The more intricate and varied the highlights, the more difficult it will be to get them right.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’re just realizing that you are one of the lucky few people with neutral skin tones, you probably have many questions. Although those with neutral skin tones can get away with a lot more than people with warm or cool tones, there still are some boundaries and rules.

These frequently asked questions and answers will help you look fantastic and effortless no matter what.

How Can I Try Different Hair Colors Without Committing to One?

While you can certainly imagine how you would look with a specific hair color, it’s a little bit difficult to actually get the perfect idea before you head into the salon. Fortunately, there are plenty of online apps that can show you with different haircuts and styles.

Go through a few of them to find the right one for you. You can also talk to your stylist and ask them to put swatches of hair color next to your face so you can assess the tone.

Is It Common to Have a Neutral Skin Tone?

Nope! People with neutral skin tones are not very common, so consider yourself extremely lucky if you have one. Having neutral skin tones opens up a whole new realm of fashion and hair possibilities. If you have neutral skin tones, you should definitely experiment to see what’s most striking on you.

What’s the Best Way to Choose a Hair Color?

The colors we mentioned here are a good starting point if you have neutral skin tones. However, you can also think about your eye color and what you do for work. For example, if you work in a corporate environment, you probably can’t get away with rainbow hair, no matter how good it looks.

Choosing the right hair color for you is essential, which is why you should do a strand test beforehand, and also use an app to see how your whole face would look with a different shade of hair color.

What’s the Difference Between Neutral Skin Tones and Neutral Hair?

Neutral hair colors suit all skin tones, including neutral tones. Although there might be some shades that are more suitable for warmer or cooler complexions, colors like brown, dark blonde, or black can technically work as neutral colors. 

What Color Clothes Look Best on Neutral Skin Tones?

Just as with hair color, people with neutral skin tones can wear a variety of different colors, although there are some that look better on them than others. Neutral skin tones tend to look fantastic in off-white and white, rich blues, greens, pinks, and grey.

If you are not sure whether a color works for your skin tone or not, simply hold it up to your face and see if it makes you look washed out or refreshed. Of course, your wardrobe possibilities are endless if you have neutral skin.

The only caveat is the hair. Bright red hair will clash with certain colors, so keep your look in mind and stay cohesive. Otherwise, the world is your oyster.

So, What Are the Best Hair Colors for Neutral Skin Tones?

Neutral skin tones can wear a variety of different hair colors. Much of it comes down to personal preference and lifestyle too. If you have neutral skin tones, consider going for a hard-to-wear hair color like blue-black or red.

You’ll stand out in a good way, and your complexion will look phenomenal. If it’s been a while since you changed your hair, why not consider a fantastic, new neutral tone boosting style today?