Age-Reversing Hair Colors That Can Instantly Make You Look Years Younger

By Kaitlyn Yarborough
Updated February 08, 2021
Credit: @salsalhair

Try as we might, we can’t outrun time—and that's okay. What we can do, however, is even the playing field with an arsenal of antiaging tricks. And so we apply those retinol serums and hyaluronic acid creams. But one of the biggest mistakes we can make as we get older is neglecting something else entirely: our hair. (Don't worry: There are products for that, too.) No antiaging skin-care sorcery is going to amount to much if we’re aging ourselves with dull ash blonde or harshly darkened strands. By adding warmth and softness back into your locks and always choosing your most flattering color, you're able to make your hair work for you—and even take some years off your face instantly. That youthful glow is just a few strokes of hair color away.

We'd never say to stray from whichever cut and color is calling your name, but we'd reckon to claim these particular youth-boosting shades were pulled straight from the fountain of youth. Read on to discover the best hair color for women over 50, and get ready to feel fresher, brighter, and younger. 

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Deep Auburn

Credit: @chadwoodhair

Liven up your brunette locks by going rich red. The warmly pigmented shade works some serious magic on brunettes and redheads alike, bringing a healthy glow out of any dullness.

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Sunset Blonde

Credit: @johnnyramirez

If Jennifer Aniston can rock this beachy blonde hue after she turns 50 (and we all know she does), that’s all the proof we need. The shade, a brown-blonde with flecks of gold, is warm and bright, which will bring out those same qualities in the face.

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Dark Mocha

Credit: @salsalhair

Take a deep dive into dark chocolate. For olive and tan skin tones, rich mocha brown breathes major life back into the strands. The richness of the color, especially when some subtle touches of caramel are added to the ends, makes a statement.

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Bright Copper

Credit: @salsalhair

Go bold or go home? This bright shade brings out those baby blues something fierce, and the trendy asymmetrical cut makes it even cooler.

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Champagne Blonde

Credit: @chrisgreenehair

This color is smooth as butter and not your basic platinum. The warmer, yellow-based blonde conjures up the Goldilocks-inspired tones in your natural hair for a brighter complexion overall. Aging causes us to lose fullness and fat in our facial features, but this hue adds that softness right back in.

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Sun-Kissed Strands

Credit: @justinandersoncolor

Blondes don’t have all the fun. Enhance your rich chocolate brown with golden strokes that hit just where the sun would lighten your hair as a child. Framing the face will pull attention away from any complexion concerns.

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Brightened-Up Money Piece

Credit: @los_pastel

Forget the full root-to-tip highlights and instead embrace a more multi-dimensional look by asking for lighter, brighter "money pieces," which are the front strands of hair that frame your face. 

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Muted Ombré

Credit: @mizzchoi

You might think that this trendy hair color technique belongs to the youngsters, but it can actually give a healthy youthful glow when framing the face and lightening the ends in a super subtle fashion. Ask for a shade just one lighter than your base. 

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Pippi Longstocking Red

What hair color could take you back to your childhood better than this girlish ginger red? Not to mention, it will cure any dullness you're feeling with your usual hair color. (Always ask your stylist which red shade will flatter your skin tone best.) 

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Creamy Stone Blonde

Credit: @eksprovocator

Somewhere right between warm and cool, this neutral blonde melts into your complexion for an overall more effortless look than going fully bright blonde. (This client originally sported brown-black strands, and this shade freshened up her entire complexion.) 

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Toffee Babylights

Credit: @natalieannehair

Slightly more tawny than typical caramel, toffee will add so much dimension to warm brown hair and warmer skin tones. The result? An almost metallic-looking finish that feels low maintenance. 

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Honey Blonde

Credit: @chrisgreenehair

We think of Julia Roberts as the ultimate muse for giving brown hair some honey blonde lovin'. As we mature, our skin and hair might lose some of its natural radiance. Get it back with golden honey balayage highlights that give your complexion a jolt of sunlight and your hair more shine and dimension.

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Cool Blonde Balayage

If your natural hair color veers more into cool tones, ask for accompanying cool blonde around the face and towards the ends to give some complexity without creating major upkeep. 

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Sunflower Blonde

Credit: @los_pastel

Sunflower blonde is like a bright ray of freshness that illuminates dull strands in need of a little shot of caffeine. It adds an instant youthful glow. 

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Chestnut Brown

Credit: @mizzchoi

Truer than the tides, chestnut brown always delivers. Its warmth and dimension, thanks to red and golden undertones, is wonderfully flattering, even as we get older.

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Icelandic Blonde

Credit: @ramireztransalon

Platinum can get tricky as time marches on, but this white blonde offers a fun transition base for ladies going naturally white or gray. 

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Soft Black

Credit: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images

Be careful once inky black hues start haunting your hair dreams. It gets tricky as time goes on and can look harsh as we age. Instead of jet black, soften the shade into a muted black to keep things youthful. The hue sits just on the edge of the brown-black spectrum.

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Strawberry Blonde

Credit: Vera Anderson/Getty Images

It’s an iconic color, and for good reason. Strawberry blondes and golden coppers make you look lit-from-within, minimizing the appearance of dull skin and fine lines.

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By Kaitlyn Yarborough