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.
Using a purple shampoo on grey hair can help to remove brassy yellow shades, leaving you with a flattering silver undertone.
If you've got gray hair, purple shampoos are now officially your new best friend. They'll remove all the unwanted brassy and warm undertones that taint your beautiful silver color, leaving you with bright, shiny locks.
Everyone's hair is different, but we recommend using it once every week or two, then building it up from there until you find your own cadence. Just know that it is possible to overdo it—especially if you have high porosity hair—which results in a (temporary!) purple tinge.
If you have platinum, gray, or silver hair, you can leave the purple shampoo on for up to 30 minutes, depending on how brassy or discolored your hair is.
Purple shampoo is the best toner to use when it comes to gray hair because it neutralizes brassiness caused by heat styling, medications, product buildup, sun, salt, chlorine and environmental pollutants.
Technically, purple shampoo turns grey hair a slightly darker color than before you used it. However, because of the way color passes through the eyes, you won't notice a darkening effect.
Purple shampoo neutralises brassiness but enhances blonde pigmentation. To maintain a silver shade, your shampoo requires a stronger colour neutralisation. Silver shampoo is formulated with deeper purple pigments to target yellow tones in a much stronger way.
The myth: If you have silver hair, you must use purple shampoo. Not true. You don't NEED purple products of any kind. Unless, you have bleached blonde hair that needs toning, or your gray hair has permanent yellowing.
DON'T use purple shampoo before your colour appointment
As Anneliese said, it's important not to use purple shampoo in the run-up to your colouring appointment. “Stop using purple shampoo a week or so before you have your colour done,” advises Jimmy.
Use a Clarifying Shampoo
This will remove impurities and surface buildup from your gray hair which will result in a nicer tone. Follow the clarifying shampoo with a violet-based shampoo and/or conditioner like Sachajuan's Silver Shampoo. The violet will counteract any dull, yellow hues in your white hair.
The purple shampoo can cause build up making the hair look dull and darker if overused." This makes the lightening process more difficult to create a seamless blend.
DOES PURPLE SHAMPOO DAMAGE HAIR? The cool violet pigment in purple shampoo won't damage hair, but if you leave it on strands too long, those purple pigments will take their job a little too far and could turn tresses a purple-violet colour.
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.
Therefore, applying purple shampoo will neutralize yellow undertones in your hair. Meanwhile, blue shampoo will neutralize orange undertones in your hair. According to color theory, brunettes should reach for a blue shampoo. Purple shampoos, on the other hand, are better for blondes, silver or grey hair.
Your hair turns gray or white from a loss of melanin, a pigment-producing component that produces melanocyte cells. These make up your natural hair and skin color. The less melanin you have, the lighter your hair color. Gray hair has minimal melanin, while white has none.
And since gray hair is more likely to turn yellow or brassy, folks should use purple and blue shampoos to correct these undertones. If you want more advice on using purple shampoo, check out our guide to the product.
To quench your parched grays, harness the deep moisturizing properties of natural butters and oils, including shea butter, olive oil, or coconut oil. On a cautionary note, applying too much of these intense oils can leave thin or fine hair greasy and weighed down.