If it's your first time using purple shampoo, it's best to stick to just once a week. Use a color-safe shampoo like our Color Assure Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner Set for Colored Treated Hair the rest of the week and slowly increase how many times you use it until you find your perfect shade.
Timing: Most purple shampoos recommend leaving the product in for a few minutes (typically 3 to 10 minutes) depending on the desired level of toning. Applying it to wet hair and following the instructions will help achieve the best results.
Keep in mind that purple shampoo does not replace your regular shampoo and should only be used once or twice a week. Doss warns that there is such a thing as too much purple. “When you eliminate too much yellow, it visually ends up darker and a lot of people don't want it to look darker,” she says.
Over time, after several washes, the hair starts to slide back towards the yellow underneath. Purple, being the opposite of yellow on the color wheel, neutralizes the yellow and slows the process down a bit. Purple shampoo only works on the lightest of blonde colors. It doesn't affect brown hair at all.
Purple shampoo only works on levels 8+ . If you are not blonde enough, your purple shampoo will not tone correctly.
If you want to use a purple shampoo, Maine recommends “soaking your hair with water and even adding a little conditioner on your ends” beforehand, to prevent the porous tips from absorbing too much pigment.
One downside of purple shampoo is that overuse can lead to a purple or violet tint, especially if left on for too long. It's important to follow usage instructions to avoid this issue and to ensure the best results for your hair.
A lot of people ask about leaving purple shampoo in their hair for an hour or more to get a more intense result. This definitely isn't necessary! In fact, when it comes to how long to leave purple shampoo in, a few minutes will do. This is all you need with our Nexxus Blonde Assure Purple Shampoo.
Brass usually shows up as yellow or orange tones in blonde hair and orange or red tones in brunette hair. Brassy hair is caused by an overabundance of warm pigments in your hair, usually caused by bleaching and the hair coloring process.
Unless the shampoo is specifically designed to be used as a daily toner, applying purple shampoo every time you wash your hair is typically discouraged because it can begin to eliminate too much yellow from your hair.
This is completely up to you and your desired look. In general, we recommend applying a purple shampoo every hair wash (once to twice a week) and alternating between a purple conditioner and your usual conditioner in between washes.
Over-toning: Purple shampoo is designed to neutralize yellow or brassy tones in blonde or gray hair. Using it excessively can result in over-toning, leaving your hair with a dull, ashy, or even slightly purple tint.
To solve the problem of having lilac-tinged hair, the best way to use purple shampoo is by applying one day per week or when you start to notice brassy tones. Unless you have white hair or gray hair, you shouldn't leave the purple shampoo on for longer than 15 minutes at a time.
If you leave purple shampoo in your hair for 30 minutes, the risk of over-toning increases significantly. While purple shampoo is designed to neutralize brassy or yellow tones, leaving it on for an extended period can lead to overly cool or even purple-tinted hair, especially for those with light or porous hair.
No it will keep depositing, and either become more purple or blue. Never sleep with a toner on. Clarify shampoo your hair to get excess purple out, or it may come out with normal shampoo.
Be sure to focus on any problem areas as you go, including brassy or yellow strands. If you have brunette or blonde hair with warm tones, leave it on for 1-3 minutes; neutral brunette or blonde hair, leave it on for 3-5 minutes; or brunette or blonde hair with cool tones, leave it on for 5-15 minutes.
Don't Overuse Purple Shampoo
You only need to use purple shampoo once a week to see a difference. Overuse can make the blonde seem darker and make the lightening process more difficult for future hair appointments. Overuse can also make the hair look dull and over toned.
On the flip side, if you leave the shampoo on for too long or don't rinse it out thoroughly, those violet pigments can overstay their welcome, leaving your hair with a grungy, grayish-purple tint. Not exactly the icy blonde look you were going for, right?
Purple shampoo has been used for decades by hairdressers, mostly to help tone and neutralize blonde and gray hair, getting rid of brassy or yellow tones for an overall more cool-toned look.
Let the Shampoo Sit
Let the shampoo sit for two to five minutes depending on how brassy your hair is and how ashy you like your color, then rinse thoroughly. The difference between two minutes and four minutes with purple shampoo is a big one so keep an eye out. It may be helpful to set a timer so you don't go over.
Nexxus Blonde Assure Purple Shampoo is our favorite purple shampoo that we tested. Every time we used it, our hair looked noticeably brighter, and the shampoo effectively cleaned our scalp while leaving our hair nourished and moisturized.