Why Purple Shampoo Works for (Almost) Every Hair Color

We’ve been hearing the buzz about purple shampoo – and it’s time to address the hype!

Let’s cut to the chase.

If you’ve got platinum blonde hair, balayage blonde, caramel blonde, brunette with blonde highlights, ombre blonde, even silvery or gray hair; you need to be using purple shampoo. 

 

There’s a simple reason why: blonde hair tends to turn yellow and brassy over time for a plethora of reasons.

If you’re born blonde you understand the struggle, as simple things like the sun, swimming in a chlorine pool or mineral deposits from standard tap shower water can lead your blonde locks to look brassier and yellow.

If you color your hair blonde or have blonde highlights (this is where the grays and silvers come in too!), it is in essence the same cause, but this is because your natural hair color may just have brassy undertones from the get-go.

 

So the more time passes, the more you’ll notice those stubborn brassy hues peeking out of your perfectly salon-toned hair you had done just a few weeks ago.

So, why is purple shampoo the best to combat this?

Well, it’s simple science!

Purple is the opposing color to yellow on the color wheel, so they inherently neutralize each other when combined.

 

The violet pigments in the shampoo work to neutralize the yellow, brassy pigments in blonde hair. It’s as simple as that!

Using purple shampoo will result in your color looking more cool-toned, with pale-beige's and brighter blondes.

For gray hair, it leaves it looking dimensional and vibrant.

But, it must be noted too – purple shampoo is usually quite powerful and effective, so it isn’t necessarily made for everyday use.

It is most effective once or twice a week during your normal bathing, and leaving it on for 5-10 minutes depending on the level of brassiness in your hair.

 

 

The longer you leave it on, the more effective it will be.

BUT, do be aware that leaving purple shampoo on for upwards of 30 minutes to an hour can over-tone your locks and leave an unwanted tint to the hair color. 

Make sure you do a test strand first to see how porous your hair is and how well it reacts to the shampoo!

Also, if you're wondering about your dark brunette or black hair, to combat the same issue I recommend using a blue shampoo.

Since purple is made specifically to combat yellow in blonde hair, most brunettes find that blue shampoo does the exact same thing for dark locks, to combat orange-y brass tones (blue and orange are opposites on the wheel!).

So, no matter what color blonde is in your hair, stripping the brassy tones is always a good call.

 

 

 

CITATIONS:

1. Abby Smith. “Calling All Blondes: Why You Need To Start Using Purple Shampoo”, Babble.com, Babble, 2012, https://www.babble.com/beauty/calling-all-blondes-purple-shampoo/
2. Embry Roberts and Danielle Wolf. “How Purple Shampoo Will Help Your Blond Hair Color Last Longer”, Today.com, Today Show, https://www.today.com/style/purple-shampoo-why-it-works-blond-hair-more-t104820
3. Chloe Metzger. “Okay, Do Blondes Actually Need to Use Purple Shampoo?”, MarieClaire.com, Marie Claire Magazine, Jun 1, 2018, https://www.marieclaire.com/beauty/a20967732/how-to-use-purple-shampoo/