Both silver and purple shampoo are designed to neutralise yellow and brassy tones in blonde, silver and grey hair.
Silver shampoo is also perfect for natural grey hair which can develop a yellow tinge from exposure to elements such as wind, rain and pollution. The shampoo can help correct this brassy colour, as well as strengthen hair fibres.
Hair products with alcohol are a no-no for gray hair. As gray hair already struggles in keeping moisture and adding alcohol to your hair will only dry out even more and make it look even wirier.
Grey hair is more wiry in nature, so I still recommend purple shampoo over blue shampoo if you have grey hair - the reason for this is that blue shampoo tends to have more drying formulas than purple toners, so regardless if you use shampoo, conditioner, or mask, they will make grey hair more prone to frizz.
Grey hair may be more prone to not only dryness but also breakage, so choose shampoos that contain ingredients like biotin or keratin. These ingredients can strengthen your hair, reduce breakage and help keep it shiny and healthy.
"You want to stop using it two weeks before any lightening service. 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.
Use a hydrating shampoo regularly
So starting your hair care routine with a hydrating shampoo and conditioner is the foundation for keeping silver strands soft and shiny.
Silver shampoo is designed for those with gray or silver hair, and as silver is opposite yellow on the color wheel. This shampoo fights brassy tones of yellow that can appear in your gray locks, and take away from your color. Thirdly, purple shampoo is used for blonde hair or those with blonde highlights.
Red: a bold and daring choice that can create a stunning contrast with grey hair. This shade is perfect for those with warm skin tones. Purple: a unique, eye-catching shade that can add a pop of colour to grey hair. This hue is perfect for those with cool skin tones.
Stimulate the Scalp
Small said that combing and brushing the hair daily is key to keeping gray hair looking its best. "These techniques will help move natural oils from [the] scalp to [the] ends while also polishing the cuticle, leading to more vibrant-looking hair," Small explained.
Root sprays and root powders offer a quick and temporary way to cover up gray hairs: simply choose a shade that matches your natural color and apply to the roots.
People use “gray,” “white” and “silver” interchangeably to describe hair that is turning or has turned. Its appearance — whether it looks, gray, white or silver — depends on how much natural color, or pigment, remains, experts say. Hair that has lost all its color typically appears white.
This shampoo/silver toner for hair is just as effective on grey hair as it is on platinum and other light blonde shades which can suffer from the same brassy tones.
How often you use silver shampoo depends on your hair's condition, hair type, and the intensity of unwanted tones. Start with once a week and adjust the frequency based on the results.
John Frieda Shimmering Silver Shampoo 250ml 4.5 out of 5 stars, average rating value.
Purple Shampoo
These purple cleansers are formulated without sulfates and delicately cleanse gray hair, while fighting yellow tones and improving vibrancy and shine. To apply it, simply wash the hair (focusing on the roots), and with the lather, finish washing the mid-lengths and ends.
Is it better to go lighter or darker to cover grey hair? As for your permanent colour kit choice, for the best grey coverage, Josh recommends choosing a shade close to your natural root colour (that's the colour between the greys.) "Make sure to never stray more than two shades away from this,” says Josh.
There are many reasons why platinum shampoo is a far better alternative to purple shampoo. First of all, platinum shampoo can make your hair look incredibly shiny. It's also less likely than purple shampoo to cause your hair to become dry and brittle.
Our top pick for this category is Nexxus Blonde Assure Purple Shampoo Color Care Shampoo because it not only includes keratin protein but also effectively neutralizes brassy tones while nourishing strands. With just one wash, our hair looked much less brassy, even when we were long overdue for a highlight refresh.
Gradually infuses brunette tones to blend away first greys.
Regarding using baking soda for gray hair, experts endorse its potential benefits such as controlling pigmentation loss, lightening the strands, and providing texture. It can be used on coarse grey locks to make them smoother too by eliminating product buildup from oils or soaps.
Clairol Shimmer Lights is our favorite drugstore option because it promises to enhance your color and tone down brassiness—a tall order for a budget-friendly product. We love that it works on both naturally gray and dyed hair—plus it revitalizes blonde and silver highlights for a shiny, healthy-looking mane.
That said, certain conditions may temporarily restore pigmentation. For example, if greying is caused by a vitamin deficiency, stress, or an underlying medical condition, addressing these issues may slow or even partially reverse greying. However, the complete reversal of naturally aged hair remains a challenge.