Purple shampoo is exactly what it sounds like – it's a shampoo infused with violet pigments. These pigments tone your hair to eliminate unwanted brassy tones, pulling it back to a neutral or cool tone. This leaves your grey hair with a more flattering silver undertone, instead of a stark yellow or orange.
From sun exposure to colour and toner wearing off, grey hair is (sadly) just as prone to brassiness as blonde locks are. There's no need to panic though! Using a purple shampoo on grey hair can help to remove brassy yellow shades, leaving you with a flattering silver undertone.
The brightening effect caused by purple shampoo is actually illusionary. It happens because of an effect called bluing. While your hair might be very slightly darker than before, it will not look darker, because of the ways our eyes perceive color.
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 naturally white or grey hair, purple shampoo can be used in the same way as with bleached hair to remove yellow tones and revive vibrant color. It can also be used on red hair to counteract brassy tones for color that stays fresh week after week.
To enhance your grey and get the most out of its beautiful color, you have to take good care of your hair. Maintain your naturally grey hair with clarifying or color balancing shampoos. You can also enhance it with highlights, lowlights, or even a touch of color here and there.
Leave it on up to 20 minutes and then wash out and follow with conditioner as usual. It even works to get rid of unwanted yellow tones in natural gray or silver hair. Or, if you need a less intense re-fresh of your light locks, just use it on wet hair in the shower like your normal shampoo.
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.
If you have brassy orange or even red tones, blue shampoo is your best bet. However, blue pigment won't help with yellow undertones. The reverse is true for yellow undertones. Purple shampoo is great for removing yellowness, but not effective for orange or red tones.
Will my hair go back to its original colour if I discontinue use of the Colour Renew Tone-Correcting Shampoo? Yes, this tone-correcting purple shampoo treats the surface of your hair. Discontinuing use and returning to a normal daily shampoo and conditioner will ultimately fade away the effects of the purple shampoo.
If you are a natural brunette, you'll want to blend your greys with darker lowlights. For natural blondes, you should add highlights and lowlights ranging from pearl to medium blonde. And if you are a natural redhead, a range of brown and blonde highlights and lowlights will enhance your grey locks best.
Because purple shampoos leave hair with an ultra-cool finish and can be used on silver hair, the names silver shampoo and purple shampoo are frequently interchanged.
If you leave purple shampoo on for too long, you may find yourself with a little lilac hue. This color is not permanent and is more likely to happen if you have very light blonde hair or if your hair is dry and damaged. To remove the purple hue, switch to regular shampoo for your next few washes.
Thankfully, a purple shampoo will help remedy that, which is why it's so important to a going gray guide. 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.
After rinsing, you'll finish by applying a conditioner to moisturize your hair. You may notice that purple conditioners are available. However, you should only use a purple conditioner with your purple shampoo if you want a pale hair color or ashy tone.
Bodt always recommends that the first time you use a purple shampoo to mix it with a little of your regular shampoo to see how potent it is; you don't want to wind up with purple hair accidentally. "Alternate your purple shampoo with a moisturizing shampoo," says Wiley.
If your hair is blond, grey, or white, use an apple cider vinegar rinse or a baking soda-hydrogen peroxide paste. Once you get the yellow out, you can prevent it from returning with a few changes to your personal care routine.
Q: If I use a purple shampoo, when should I expect to see results? If you've used your purple shampoo correctly, you will see color-correction results instantly after you rinse. If you can't see any difference, then this means you're either using too little purple shampoo, and/or haven't left it on long enough.
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.
“Gray hair tends to turn a dull yellowish color that can age you, so try keeping it shiny and bright.” You can do this by using toning, purple-colored shampoos. Popular options include Aveda's Blue Malva Shampoo, Davines Alchemic Silver series, and Joico's Color Endure Violet.
Just like blondes, brunettes and redheads can benefit from using color-specific shampoos, those with gray and silver hair are no exception. Gray hair, since it lacks pigment and can be coarser, needs a little extra TLC to keep it shiny and healthy.
Vinegar rinse, one tablespoon of (apple cider or distilled) vinegar to one gallon of water. Work evenly through hair and rinse. Many people find this to be effective but it can dry your hair out so follow with moisture rich conditioning.
The reason though that your hair has turned purple though is because of the violet pigment contained within the shampoo. The violet/purple/blue pigment is what neutralizes the yellow and brassy tones in the hair. You'll see on the colour wheel that purple is opposite to yellow and orange, This is important!
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.
Too Much of a Good Thing: Purple Shampoo Left On Too Long
You can, in fact, over-tone your hair. Leaving purple shampoo in your hair for an hour or more can cause your hair to look dull and lifeless. To leave purple shampoo for more than 10 minutes is already too much.