Silver shampoo is designed to maintain vibrancy in grey or silver hair. Purple is opposite yellow on the colour wheel, this means the deep purple formula in the silver shampoo targets and eliminates yellow tones and brassiness to liven up the bright shades.
Using a purple shampoo on grey hair can help to remove brassy yellow shades, leaving you with a flattering silver undertone.
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.
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.
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 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.
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.
Don't overuse the purple shampoo, or you'll dry out your hair. Once a week should be more than enough.
You can also apply silver shampoo specifically to any yellow-looking sections of hair. Apply the product while your hair is dry, and then let it sit for 10-15 minutes before rinsing it out.
You can also mix the purple shampoo with your regular shampoo to add some of the violet pigment into daily hair-care routine without any risk of going overboard.
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.
To keep it looking a vibrant and shiny gray, use a color depositing shampoo or gloss occasionally. Many of these products have a purple tint and should be used once every week or two. Protect your hair from the sun and avoid any shampoos or hair products that have a gold or yellow tint to them.
Since baking soda is a scrubbing agent, washing your hair with it can gradually strip the dye from your locks. Baking soda can lighten all hair colors, but it might take a few washes to get your hair to the desired color.
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.
The pigment in our hair is caused by melanin— the same pigment that is also responsible for our skin color. Gray hair is caused by a loss in melanin, whereas white hair does not have any melanin at all. As you age, your hair produces less and less melanin that leads your hair to appear gray, and then eventually white.
How is grey hair different from normal hair? The main difference you'll notice when you start to get grey hair is the texture, as oil glands start to produce less sebum. This causes strands to become coarse, dry and rough in texture, which make hair appear dull and lifeless.
A weekly moisture mask will help soften coarse gray strands. You'll also want to switch to a violet-tinged shampoo to help neutralize yellow tones; even white hair can turn brassy from UV rays and minerals in the water.
Purple Shampoo
Purple shampoos are the best shampoos for gray hair turning yellow, as purple is the opposite of yellow on the color wheel. A great purple option is BTWCo's purple shampoo & conditioner. It's very gentle, has a light fragrance, and really makes silver hair shine.
Redken Color Extend Graydiant Purple Shampoo
As its name suggests, Redken's Color Extend Graydient Purple Shampoo was made specifically for gray hair types. This anti-yellow shampoo balances undertones with the help of its purple pigment.
As we mentioned, gray hair's lack of sebum can make it feel dry. To reduce further dryness, you'll want to wash it as infrequently as possible. "Washing every other day or three to four times a week can help with this," says Mazzei.
Just like purple shampoo, the term silver shampoo refers to a pigmented shampoo that's purple in color and helps neutralize brassy, yellow tones in blonde and silver hair.