What does a purple toner do?

Author: Gerardo Ankunding  |  Last update: Friday, September 12, 2025

"When applied, these purple tones absorb into the hair and counteract the unwanted warm tones, restoring the hair's cooler, ashy or platinum shades.

What does purple toner cancel out?

Purple shampoo is a pigmented shampoo for blondes that neutralizes and removes unwanted brassy, yellow undertones. While your stylist uses a toner to eliminate these unwanted tones at the salon, you may notice yellow, orange, and red tones appearing in your hair as time passes.

Does purple toner darken hair?

Yes. Purple shampoo tones the hair down. Cooler toned hair looks darker.

What is the downside of purple shampoo?

Did you know that most purple shampoos can make your hair too dry? It's designed to remove brassiness from your hair, but if used incorrectly they can leave a buildup on your strands that makes them brittle and dull.

Do you put purple toner on wet or dry hair?

It's important to apply it on dry hair because once your hair is wet you will cut the absorption of color into your hair by a significant amount and you lose the benefits of the toning shampoo. But if you apply it dry, the toning color has time to soak into your dry hair first. Here I am applying it to my head.

Does Purple Shampoo Work? | Toning Brassy Hair at Home | DIY Hair care Philippines

What happens if I leave purple shampoo in my hair for 30 minutes?

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.

How long do you leave purple toner on?

You'll leave the shampoo on for 5-15 minutes before rinsing with cool water if your colored hair has been recently dyed or is discolored. If it's your first time trying purple shampoo, experiment with leaving it on for only 5-10 minutes before washing it out.

Can I use purple shampoo instead of toner?

Purple shampoo is a toning shampoo used for all shades of blonde hair to help preserve its color and keep locks looking healthy and vibrant. The shampoo essentially acts as a color-correcting toner for your hair without you ever having to step foot in a salon.

What happens if a brunette uses purple shampoo?

Purple shampoo works the same way to eliminate brassiness on brown hair as it does on blonde. It helps to prevent color fade, while emphasizing shine, keeping brown hair vibrant and rich. Using purple shampoo on brown hair regularly will take out any unwanted warm tones in your strands.

How long should I wait to use purple shampoo after getting highlights?

When To Use Purple Shampoo After Bleaching? Avoid washing your mane for the first 48 to 72 hours after bleaching it. This is to give your hair enough time to seal in its new color. If you waited 72 hours before washing your hair after it was bleached, you could use the purple shampoo the next time you shower.

What does purple toner do to GREY hair?

Yellow is the opposite of purple on the color wheel. So when your gray or lightened hair has unwanted yellow tones, purple shampoo acts as a toner and can cancel out brassy hues.

Can I use regular conditioner after purple shampoo?

Purple shampoo can be drying, so be sure to follow up with a purple conditioner and/or your favorite color-protecting hair mask to restore lost moisture.

What is the best drugstore purple shampoo?

Best Drugstore: L'Oréal Ever-Pure Sulfate-Free Purple Shampoo and Conditioner. If you're shopping for a fantastic purple shampoo and conditioner with a drugstore price point, look no further than this highly rated duo from L'Oréal.

Can I use purple shampoo 2 days in a row?

If you've wondered whether you can use purple shampoo every day, the answer is generally no.

Which is better for grey hair, blue or purple shampoo?

Purple shampoo deposits violet pigments onto the hair's surface to help offset yellow tones. It's most commonly recommended for those with cool-toned blonde, gray, or silver strands but can also help warmer blondes strike the ideal balance of warm but not brassy.

How many washes does it take to remove purple toner?

Most toners are not permanent, therefore eventually, after several washes, the 'cool' tones will fade. If you want that toner gone quicker, 2-3 washes with a clarifying shampoo will start to remove the blue, grey or purple stains.

What happens if you put silver toner on brown hair?

Silver toner for brown hair? Why not. You could use a silver toner on brown hair to remove any yellow tones, or to refresh the cool tones (for example on ash brown or cool cocoa shades). Dark silver hair toner should be used on dark shades, not light blondes.

How to make brown hair lighter?

How to Lighten Hair Dyed Too Dark with a DIY Approach
  1. Use a paste of Baking Soda and Lemon Juice.
  2. Wash your Hair with Apple Cider Vinegar.
  3. Take some Vitamin C Tablets.
  4. Wash Hair With Clarifying Shampoo.
  5. Use Purple or Blue Shampoo for Brassy Tones.
  6. Do a Bleach Bath.
  7. Bleed the Color Out.
  8. Use Hair Lightener or Toner.

Does purple shampoo make brown hair lighter or darker?

Purple shampoo is for already bleached hair, so if you're hoping to lighten brown hair with purple shampoo, you'll be disappointed. This is all down to the fact that purple shampoo isn't lightening. Instead, it brightens blondes by canceling out yellow tones, which just happen to be opposite purple on the color wheel.

How to tone down blonde hair at home?

Use Purple Shampoo and Conditioner

If you are seeking an at-home solution, start with purple shampoo and conditioner. "Purple shampoo is great for neutralizing yellow or brassy tones by balancing them with cool pigments," shares Korab.

Should you put purple shampoo on wet or dry hair?

We've all wondered whether you can put purple shampoo on dry hair at some point, so we're here to set the record straight: toning shampoo should only ever be used on wet hair!

Is purple toner damaging to hair?

So, does purple shampoo damage your hair? No, it's not inherently bad for your hair, but it is definitely ruining your color. "Color-treated blonde hair is super light and it shows dark stains easily. But when hair is chemically-lightened (“lifted”) it can be dehydrated and extremely porous.

What happens if you leave toner in your hair too long?

Overlapping the toner application or leaving it on for too long can lead to overprocessing, which may result in dryness, breakage, or a change in texture. To avoid overprocessing, it's crucial to follow the manufacturer's instructions carefully and monitor the toner's development time.

What does champagne blonde hair look like?

Unlike traditional blonde hair colors you're probably used to, champagne blonde has an ever-so-slight touch of cool pink to allow it to not only fit within the blonde family but among rose gold shades, too. The rosy, golden blonde hue is perfect if you're looking to tweak your traditional blonde hair color.

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