If you’re like many, you might associate purple shampoo primarily with banishing brassiness from your hair. While it excels at that, its benefits go beyond just color correction. Maintaining vibrant highlights or a freshly done color job requires both dedications to touch-ups and investing in products to preserve that salon-fresh look.
Purple shampoos’ primary role is to neutralize yellow and orange undertones in blonde or color-treated hair, preserving a fresh and vibrant look. Think of it as a trusted ally in maintaining the brilliance of your color job. In essence, purple shampoo helps extend the life of your color while keeping your hair looking salon-worthy.
In this blog post, we’ll delve into the wonders of purple shampoo, exploring its multifaceted role in hair care and providing a list of recommended products. Now, let’s address the burning question: what exactly does purple shampoo do for your hair?
What a Purple Shampoo Does to Hair
Let’s face it, toners fade, the sun takes its toll, chlorine in pools wreaks havoc, and daily heat styling tools contribute to the struggle. Enter the issue of brassiness. After about six weeks, you might notice your once-perfect blonde turn into dull, yellow, or brassy hair. A simple solution to keep your blonde hair vibrant between salon visits is to use a purple shampoo!
Purple shampoo, designed as a color corrector for blonde locks, features crucial purple pigments. These pigments play a key role in neutralizing undesired yellow and orange tones. The significance of violet pigment in purple shampoo is grounded in color theory and complementary colors, where the purple hue, positioned opposite yellow and orange on the color wheel, effectively counteracts and cancels out these warm tones.
Much like how green concealer neutralizes redness on your face, the purple pigments in the shampoo work to neutralize and eliminate brassy tones in blonde hair. This makes purple shampoo not just great for all blondes but an absolute essential for those with highlights, bleached, or gray hair.
Explore the additional benefits of using purple shampoo in the infographic below.
Optimizing Your Purple Shampoo Routine: A Guide to Frequency
Determining how often to use purple shampoo depends on various factors, including your hair-washing frequency, water type, and activities like swimming. It’s crucial to note that purple shampoos are not substitutes for your regular ones.
- For those dealing with hard water, more frequent use of purple shampoo may be necessary compared to those with soft water. Tailoring your usage to your unique hair needs is key.
- Incorporating purple shampoo into every hair wash, typically every three days or once a week can be beneficial if you sport blonde highlights.
- Meanwhile, a weekly application might suffice for bleached hair; for gray hair, once a month could be adequate.
The essential aspect is experimentation to find the optimal routine for your hair type. Additionally, consider the duration the shampoo stays on your hair to achieve your desired tone, adding another layer to your personalized purple shampoo strategy.
Optimizing Purple Shampoo Application: Duration and Tips
Determining Duration
- Consider leaving the purple shampoo on for up to five minutes for bleached hair.
- Achieving a golden tone? Opt for a quick wash.
- Two minutes of purple shampoo application may be sufficient if you have blonde highlights.
- Grey hair? A mere one-minute application could do the trick.
- Aiming for an ashy tone? Extend the duration to six minutes.
- For a sandy blonde tone (beige-y), around three minutes should suffice.
Usage Tips
- Using too much purple shampoo can leave your blonde hair flat, dull, and ashy, so use it sparingly.
- Start with a small amount and increase if necessary, as excessive use can result in a darker tone due to color contrast loss with the base.
- If you notice buildup or dry hair after using a purple toning shampoo, remove it with a clarifying shampoo.
Who Should Use a Purple Shampoo?
Purple shampoo is a must for anyone with blonde hair, whether you have highlights, bleach your hair, or rock a natural grey shade. Its unique formula aids in maintaining the vibrant blonde you desire.
While brassiness can affect everyone, it’s particularly noticeable in lighter hair colors. This makes purple shampoo beneficial for color-treated blonde hair and those with natural blonde hair seeking to combat brassiness effectively.
How to Use Purple Shampoo
For best results, stick to these straightforward steps to make the most of the benefits of a purple shampoo:
- Wet Hair: Begin by wetting your hair thoroughly in the shower.
- Apply Purple Shampoo: Evenly apply the purple shampoo throughout your hair shaft. For first-time users, start with a small amount and adjust as needed based on your hair length and thickness.
- Determine Duration: Leave the purple shampoo on your hair for two to three minutes. Adjust this duration depending on the level of brassiness you’re dealing with.
- Rinse Thoroughly: Rinse your hair thoroughly, ensuring that all the purple shampoo is washed out.
- Condition as Usual: Follow up with your regular conditioner as part of your usual hair care routine.
- Usage Tips for Beginners: If you’re using purple shampoo for the first time, start with a conservative amount and increase if necessary. This helps you gauge the ideal quantity for your hair without overdoing it.
Best Purple Shampoo for Blonde Hair
Here’s a curated list of purple toning shampoos tailored to bleached blonde hair. However, it’s important to note that some of these shampoos may contain sulfates. If you’re sensitive to sulfates, be sure to check the ingredients before making a selection.
Also, make sure to check the size of the hair products, as each site varies. Finally, some shampoos may include a corresponding purple conditioner.
Best Purple Shampoo for Curly Blonde Hair (Sulfate-Free)
Best Purple Shampoo for Grey Hair / Silver Hair (Sulfate-Free)
FAQs
Is purple shampoo bad for your hair?
No, purple shampoo is not bad for your hair. In fact, it can actually be good for your hair as it can help reduce brassiness and maintain your desired blonde hair color.
Can I use purple shampoo every day?
No, you should not use purple shampoo every day. Using it too often can actually cause your hair to build up and become dry and brittle.
Does purple shampoo work on brown hair?
Yes, you can use purple shampoo on dark hair, such as brown hair. A purple shampoo will not be very helpful if your hair is fully brown. However, if you have lightened hair with highlights, the purple shampoo will tone it.
Do you use purple shampoo before or after regular shampoo?
You should use purple shampoo after a regular shampoo.
Does purple shampoo make your hair lighter?
No, purple shampoo does not make your hair lighter. Purple shampoo is formulated for blonde hair and already bleached hair. Its purpose is to neutralize the yellow tone, which happens to be the opposite color of purple on the color wheel.
How is a blue shampoo different than a purple shampoo?
The blue shampoo is formulated to neutralize orange and brassy tones in brunette hair that has been lightened, while the purple shampoo is designed for blonde or light-colored hair to counteract unwanted yellow tones.
