diff --git a/.changeset/serious-peas-explain.md b/.changeset/serious-peas-explain.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8abdc012b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/serious-peas-explain.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@hashicorp/design-system-tokens": minor
+---
+
+refactored “focus-ring” tokens and CSS helpers to support both “action” and “critical“ colors
diff --git a/.changeset/thirty-fireants-cheat.md b/.changeset/thirty-fireants-cheat.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..d1c3876e33
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.changeset/thirty-fireants-cheat.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@hashicorp/design-system-components": patch
+---
+
+refactored the “focus-ring” mixins to support both “action” (default) and “critical“ colors
diff --git a/packages/components/app/styles/mixins/_focus-ring.scss b/packages/components/app/styles/mixins/_focus-ring.scss
index 2ac34c3d73..135c25c1c0 100644
--- a/packages/components/app/styles/mixins/_focus-ring.scss
+++ b/packages/components/app/styles/mixins/_focus-ring.scss
@@ -2,14 +2,14 @@
 // - https://github.com/hashicorp/design-system-components/issues/161
 // - https://www.tpgi.com/focus-visible-and-backwards-compatibility/
 
-@mixin hds-focus-ring-basic() {
+@mixin hds-focus-ring-basic($color: action) {
   outline-style: solid; // used to avoid double outline+focus-ring in Safari (see https://github.com/hashicorp/design-system-components/issues/161#issuecomment-1031548656)
   outline-color: transparent;
 
   // default focus for browsers that still rely on ":focus"
   &:focus,
   &.is-focus {
-    box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-box-shadow);
+    box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-#{$color}-box-shadow);
   }
   // undo the previous declaration for browsers that support ":focus-visible" but wouldn't normally show default focus styles
   &:focus:not(:focus-visible) {
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
   }
   // set focus for browsers that support ":focus-visible"
   &:focus-visible {
-    box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-box-shadow);
+    box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-#{$color}-box-shadow);
   }
   // remove the focus ring on "active + focused" state (by design)
   &:focus:active,
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
   }
 }
 
-@mixin hds-focus-ring-with-pseudo-element($top: 0, $right: 0, $bottom: 0, $left: 0, $radius: 5px) {
+@mixin hds-focus-ring-with-pseudo-element($top: 0, $right: 0, $bottom: 0, $left: 0, $radius: 5px, $color: action) {
   isolation: isolate; // used to create a new stacking context (needed to have the pseudo element below text/icon but not the parent container)
   outline-style: solid; // used to avoid double outline+focus-ring in Safari (see https://github.com/hashicorp/design-system-components/issues/161#issuecomment-1031548656)
   outline-color: transparent;
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@
   &:focus,
   &.is-focus {
     &::before {
-      box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-box-shadow);
+      box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-#{$color}-box-shadow);
     }
   }
   // undo the previous declaration for browsers that support ":focus-visible" but wouldn't normally show default focus styles
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
   // set focus for browsers that support ":focus-visible"
   &:focus-visible {
     &::before {
-      box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-box-shadow);
+      box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-#{$color}-box-shadow);
     }
   }
   // remove the focus ring on "active + focused" state (by design)
diff --git a/packages/components/tests/dummy/app/templates/foundations/focus-ring.hbs b/packages/components/tests/dummy/app/templates/foundations/focus-ring.hbs
index 1aac56d2d8..c3a1e5e058 100644
--- a/packages/components/tests/dummy/app/templates/foundations/focus-ring.hbs
+++ b/packages/components/tests/dummy/app/templates/foundations/focus-ring.hbs
@@ -63,6 +63,49 @@
       value).</li>
   </ul>
 
+  <h4 class="dummy-h4">Sass mixins</h4>
+  <p class="dummy-paragraph">We have also created two
+    <strong>Sass mixins</strong>
+    <code class="dummy-code">hds-focus-ring-basic</code>
+    and
+    <code class="dummy-code">hds-focus-ring-with-pseudo-element</code>
+    but they're mainly used for internal use (to the design system codebase). These mixins do more than just apply the
+    focus style: they also take care of all the different way to declare the
+    <code class="dummy-code">:focus/:focus-visible</code>
+    for different browsers.
+  </p>
+  <p class="dummy-paragraph">To use these mixins you have to import the Sass file
+    <code class="dummy-code">packages/components/app/styles/mixins/_focus-ring.scss</code>
+    contained in the
+    <code class="dummy-code">@hashicorp/design-system</code>
+    monorepo or the same file
+    <code class="dummy-code">app/styles/mixins/_focus-ring.scss</code>
+    distributed in the
+    <code class="dummy-code">@hashicorp/design-system-components</code>
+    package.</p>
+  <p class="dummy-paragraph">Then the mixins can be invoked in this way:</p>
+  {{! prettier-ignore-start }}
+  <CodeBlock
+    @language="css"
+    @code="
+      /* include the mixin file via @use (path will depend on your context) */
+      @use '../mixins/focus-ring' as *;
+
+      /* apply the focus-ring as box-shadow ('action' will be the default color ) */
+      .your-selector {
+        [...your CSS declarations]
+        @include hds-focus-ring-basic();
+      }
+
+      /* apply the focus-ring as pseudo-element (with 'critical' color ) */
+      .your-selector {
+        [...your CSS declarations]
+        @include hds-focus-ring-with-pseudo-element($top: 0, $right: 0, $bottom: 0, $left: 0, $radius: 5px, $color: critical);
+      }
+    "
+  />
+  {{! prettier-ignore-end }}
+
 </section>
 
 <section data-test-percy>
@@ -70,11 +113,27 @@
   <h4 class="dummy-h4">Focus ring:</h4>
   <p class="dummy-paragraph">Standalone "focus ring" effect</p>
   <div class="dummy-focus-ring-samples">
-    <div class="dummy-focus-ring-sample hds-focus-ring-box-shadow">
+    <div class="dummy-focus-ring-sample hds-focus-ring-action-box-shadow">
       <DummyPlaceholder @text="no radius" @width="100" @height="100" @background="transparent" />
     </div>
-    <div class="dummy-focus-ring-sample dummy-focus-ring-sample--border-radius hds-focus-ring-box-shadow">
+    <div class="dummy-focus-ring-sample dummy-focus-ring-sample--border-radius hds-focus-ring-action-box-shadow">
       <DummyPlaceholder @text="with border radius" @width="100" @height="100" @background="transparent" />
     </div>
   </div>
+  <div class="dummy-focus-ring-samples">
+    <div class="dummy-focus-ring-sample">
+      <span class="dummy-text-small">action</span>
+      <br />
+      <div class="hds-focus-ring-action-box-shadow">
+        <DummyPlaceholder @text="with border radius" @width="100" @height="100" @background="transparent" />
+      </div>
+    </div>
+    <div class="dummy-focus-ring-sample">
+      <span class="dummy-text-small">critical</span>
+      <br />
+      <div class="hds-focus-ring-critical-box-shadow">
+        <DummyPlaceholder @text="with border radius" @width="100" @height="100" @background="transparent" />
+      </div>
+    </div>
+  </div>
 </section>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/packages/tokens/dist/devdot/css/helpers/focus-ring.css b/packages/tokens/dist/devdot/css/helpers/focus-ring.css
index 176f913a06..a6f0aa4412 100644
--- a/packages/tokens/dist/devdot/css/helpers/focus-ring.css
+++ b/packages/tokens/dist/devdot/css/helpers/focus-ring.css
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /**
  * Do not edit directly
- * Generated on Tue, 22 Feb 2022 21:05:19 GMT
+ * Generated on Fri, 18 Mar 2022 20:06:01 GMT
  */
 
-.hds-focus-ring-box-shadow { box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-box-shadow); }
+.hds-focus-ring-action-box-shadow { box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-action-box-shadow); }
+.hds-focus-ring-critical-box-shadow { box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-critical-box-shadow); }
diff --git a/packages/tokens/dist/devdot/css/tokens.css b/packages/tokens/dist/devdot/css/tokens.css
index 9c27583a17..91b061d5d6 100644
--- a/packages/tokens/dist/devdot/css/tokens.css
+++ b/packages/tokens/dist/devdot/css/tokens.css
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  * Do not edit directly
- * Generated on Thu, 17 Mar 2022 08:19:13 GMT
+ * Generated on Fri, 18 Mar 2022 20:06:01 GMT
  */
 
 :root {
@@ -238,7 +238,8 @@
   --token-surface-high-box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px #656a7640, 0px 2px 3px 0px #656a7626, 0px 16px 16px -10px #656a7633;
   --token-surface-higher-box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px #656a7633, 0px 2px 3px 0px #656a761a, 0px 12px 28px 0px #656a7640;
   --token-surface-overlay-box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px #3b3d4566, 0px 2px 3px 0px #3b3d4580, 0px 12px 24px 0px #3b3d4599;
-  --token-focus-ring-box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px #0c56e9, 0 0 0 3px #5990ff;
+  --token-focus-ring-action-box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px #0c56e9, 0 0 0 3px #5990ff;
+  --token-focus-ring-critical-box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px #c00005, 0 0 0 3px #dd7578;
   --token-typography-font-stack-display: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, SF Pro Display, Segoe UI Display, Ubuntu, sans-serif;
   --token-typography-font-stack-text: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, SF Pro Text, Segoe UI Text, Ubuntu, sans-serif;
   --token-typography-font-stack-code: SF Mono, Consolas, Ubuntu Mono, monospace;
diff --git a/packages/tokens/dist/docs/devdot/tokens.json b/packages/tokens/dist/docs/devdot/tokens.json
index f7f482351c..d424502e31 100644
--- a/packages/tokens/dist/docs/devdot/tokens.json
+++ b/packages/tokens/dist/docs/devdot/tokens.json
@@ -5288,15 +5288,34 @@
   {
     "value": "inset 0 0 0 1px #0c56e9, 0 0 0 3px #5990ff",
     "original": {
-      "value": "{focus-ring.internal.box-shadow.value}, {focus-ring.external.box-shadow.value}"
+      "value": "{focus-ring.action.internal-box-shadow.value}, {focus-ring.action.external-box-shadow.value}"
     },
-    "name": "token-focus-ring-box-shadow",
+    "name": "token-focus-ring-action-box-shadow",
     "attributes": {
       "category": "focus-ring",
-      "type": "box-shadow"
+      "type": "action",
+      "item": "box-shadow"
     },
     "path": [
       "focus-ring",
+      "action",
+      "box-shadow"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "value": "inset 0 0 0 1px #c00005, 0 0 0 3px #dd7578",
+    "original": {
+      "value": "{focus-ring.critical.internal-box-shadow.value}, {focus-ring.critical.external-box-shadow.value}"
+    },
+    "name": "token-focus-ring-critical-box-shadow",
+    "attributes": {
+      "category": "focus-ring",
+      "type": "critical",
+      "item": "box-shadow"
+    },
+    "path": [
+      "focus-ring",
+      "critical",
       "box-shadow"
     ]
   },
diff --git a/packages/tokens/dist/docs/products/tokens.json b/packages/tokens/dist/docs/products/tokens.json
index bbb184ffb0..6085af5fa9 100644
--- a/packages/tokens/dist/docs/products/tokens.json
+++ b/packages/tokens/dist/docs/products/tokens.json
@@ -5242,15 +5242,34 @@
   {
     "value": "inset 0 0 0 1px #0c56e9, 0 0 0 3px #5990ff",
     "original": {
-      "value": "{focus-ring.internal.box-shadow.value}, {focus-ring.external.box-shadow.value}"
+      "value": "{focus-ring.action.internal-box-shadow.value}, {focus-ring.action.external-box-shadow.value}"
     },
-    "name": "token-focus-ring-box-shadow",
+    "name": "token-focus-ring-action-box-shadow",
     "attributes": {
       "category": "focus-ring",
-      "type": "box-shadow"
+      "type": "action",
+      "item": "box-shadow"
     },
     "path": [
       "focus-ring",
+      "action",
+      "box-shadow"
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "value": "inset 0 0 0 1px #c00005, 0 0 0 3px #dd7578",
+    "original": {
+      "value": "{focus-ring.critical.internal-box-shadow.value}, {focus-ring.critical.external-box-shadow.value}"
+    },
+    "name": "token-focus-ring-critical-box-shadow",
+    "attributes": {
+      "category": "focus-ring",
+      "type": "critical",
+      "item": "box-shadow"
+    },
+    "path": [
+      "focus-ring",
+      "critical",
       "box-shadow"
     ]
   },
diff --git a/packages/tokens/dist/products/css/helpers/focus-ring.css b/packages/tokens/dist/products/css/helpers/focus-ring.css
index 176f913a06..a6f0aa4412 100644
--- a/packages/tokens/dist/products/css/helpers/focus-ring.css
+++ b/packages/tokens/dist/products/css/helpers/focus-ring.css
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 /**
  * Do not edit directly
- * Generated on Tue, 22 Feb 2022 21:05:19 GMT
+ * Generated on Fri, 18 Mar 2022 20:06:01 GMT
  */
 
-.hds-focus-ring-box-shadow { box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-box-shadow); }
+.hds-focus-ring-action-box-shadow { box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-action-box-shadow); }
+.hds-focus-ring-critical-box-shadow { box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-critical-box-shadow); }
diff --git a/packages/tokens/dist/products/css/tokens.css b/packages/tokens/dist/products/css/tokens.css
index 386e18bb15..2b2ca8a1f5 100644
--- a/packages/tokens/dist/products/css/tokens.css
+++ b/packages/tokens/dist/products/css/tokens.css
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 /**
  * Do not edit directly
- * Generated on Mon, 07 Mar 2022 11:14:41 GMT
+ * Generated on Fri, 18 Mar 2022 20:06:01 GMT
  */
 
 :root {
@@ -236,7 +236,8 @@
   --token-surface-high-box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px #656a7640, 0px 2px 3px 0px #656a7626, 0px 16px 16px -10px #656a7633;
   --token-surface-higher-box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px #656a7633, 0px 2px 3px 0px #656a761a, 0px 12px 28px 0px #656a7640;
   --token-surface-overlay-box-shadow: 0 0 0 1px #3b3d4566, 0px 2px 3px 0px #3b3d4580, 0px 12px 24px 0px #3b3d4599;
-  --token-focus-ring-box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px #0c56e9, 0 0 0 3px #5990ff;
+  --token-focus-ring-action-box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px #0c56e9, 0 0 0 3px #5990ff;
+  --token-focus-ring-critical-box-shadow: inset 0 0 0 1px #c00005, 0 0 0 3px #dd7578;
   --token-typography-font-stack-display: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, SF Pro Display, Segoe UI Display, Ubuntu, sans-serif;
   --token-typography-font-stack-text: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, SF Pro Text, Segoe UI Text, Ubuntu, sans-serif;
   --token-typography-font-stack-code: SF Mono, Consolas, Ubuntu Mono, monospace;
diff --git a/packages/tokens/scripts/build-parts/generateFocusRingHelpers.ts b/packages/tokens/scripts/build-parts/generateFocusRingHelpers.ts
index c2deb7573a..3cd616b458 100644
--- a/packages/tokens/scripts/build-parts/generateFocusRingHelpers.ts
+++ b/packages/tokens/scripts/build-parts/generateFocusRingHelpers.ts
@@ -6,15 +6,15 @@ type Helpers = string[];
 
 export function generateFocusRingHelpers(tokens: TransformedTokens): Helpers {
 
-    // notice: even if the focus-ring case is much simpler than the other helpers I have
-    // maintained the same code structure for consistency so it's easier to compare and refactor if needed
-
     const helpersFocusRing: Helpers = [];
 
-    if (tokens.hasOwnProperty('box-shadow')) {
-        const selector = `.${PREFIX}-focus-ring-box-shadow`;
-        helpersFocusRing.push(`${selector} { box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-box-shadow); }`);
-    }
+    Object.keys(tokens).forEach((key: string) => {
+        const color = key;
+        if (tokens[color].hasOwnProperty('box-shadow')) {
+            const selector = `.${PREFIX}-focus-ring-${color}-box-shadow`;
+            helpersFocusRing.push(`${selector} { box-shadow: var(--token-focus-ring-${color}-box-shadow); }`);
+        }
+    });
 
     return [...helpersFocusRing];
 }
diff --git a/packages/tokens/src/global/focus-ring.json b/packages/tokens/src/global/focus-ring.json
index fb4b9d16c2..9cc28fca40 100644
--- a/packages/tokens/src/global/focus-ring.json
+++ b/packages/tokens/src/global/focus-ring.json
@@ -1,39 +1,30 @@
 {
     "focus-ring": {
-        "internal": {
-            "spread": {
-                "value": "1",
-                "type": "size",
+        "action": {
+            "internal-box-shadow": {
+                "value": "inset 0 0 0 1px {color.focus.action.internal.value}",
                 "private": true
             },
-            "color": {
-                "value": "{color.palette.blue-300.value}",
-                "type": "color",
+            "external-box-shadow": {
+                "value": "0 0 0 3px {color.focus.action.external.value}",
                 "private": true
             },
             "box-shadow": {
-                "value": "inset 0 0 0 {focus-ring.internal.spread.value} {focus-ring.internal.color.value}",
-                "private": true
+                "value": "{focus-ring.action.internal-box-shadow.value}, {focus-ring.action.external-box-shadow.value}"
             }
         },
-        "external": {
-            "spread": {
-                "value": "3",
-                "type": "size",
+        "critical": {
+            "internal-box-shadow": {
+                "value": "inset 0 0 0 1px {color.focus.critical.internal.value}",
                 "private": true
             },
-            "color": {
-                "value": "{color.focus.action.external.value}",
-                "type": "color",
+            "external-box-shadow": {
+                "value": "0 0 0 3px {color.focus.critical.external.value}",
                 "private": true
             },
             "box-shadow": {
-                "value": "0 0 0 {focus-ring.external.spread.value} {focus-ring.external.color.value}",
-                "private": true
+                "value": "{focus-ring.critical.internal-box-shadow.value}, {focus-ring.critical.external-box-shadow.value}"
             }
-        },
-        "box-shadow": {
-            "value": "{focus-ring.internal.box-shadow.value}, {focus-ring.external.box-shadow.value}"
         }
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file