What is a purple shampoo? A purple-colored shampoo contains purple pigment to neutralize brassy and yellow tones on lighter hair. "The main reason it is purple is because on the color wheel, it is the direct opposite color of yellow, which means purple and yellow will cancel one another out," explains Kandasamy.
Why purple shampoo is bad for your hair? 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.
To solve the problem of having lilac-tinged hair, the best way to use purple shampoo is by applying one day per week or when you start to notice brassy tones. Unless you have white hair or gray hair, you shouldn't leave the purple shampoo on for longer than 15 minutes at a time.
Redken Artist Jaclyn Harwood says that these brassy undertones do not just appear because toner has warn off. Brassiness can also be caused by things like sun, hard water or heat styling tools. For this reason, purple shampoo is not just for color-treated blondes. Natural blondes need it, too, Harwood says.
As purple is the opposite of orange on the colour spectrum, the purple pigment in purple shampoo draws out the brassiness from your hair, neutralises those unwanted tones, and makes your colour look cooler.
Lastly, purple shampoo will only work for gray hair that is a level 8 or higher (which in this case, means lighter), so if you have darker gray hair or dark hair with just a few grays, purple shampoo may not work for you. RELATED: The best all-natural purple shampoos for gray hair (or silver or white or blonde hair).
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.
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.
As for how often to use it? Sorry to say, there's no specific schedule to follow. 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.
Who should use purple shampoo? Purple shampoo is for those with light hair, salon achieved or natural, such as blonde, platinum, silver / gray, white, or pastel. Because it is made for light colored hair, if you're brunette you wont see any results.
You'll find that purple shampoo does not actually lighten your hair. It removes the warm, brass-colored, or orangish tones found in bleach blondes or highlights among brunettes.
Is purple shampoo a toner? Any product that dispenses pigment to adjust hair tone can be considered a toner, and that includes purple shampoo. Its pigments work to neutralize brass.
What is Blue Shampoo? Just as the purple pigments in purple shampoo neutralize brassy tones in blonde hair, the blue pigments in blue shampoo cancel out the unwanted orange, red, and copper tones that brunettes often battle—especially color-treated brunettes.
Because it does not contain an ingredient that will chemically change the color of your hair, purple shampoo cannot truly lighten hair. If anything, purple shampoo may make your hair temporarily slightly darker.
When To Use It
Your purple shampoo should be implemented into your blonde hair care routine to keep your hair looking bright and healthy. Purple shampoo does not replace your regular shampoo as they have different functions.
If your hair is on the yellowish, orange end of the spectrum, purple shampoo will fix it. Like blue shampoo, purple shampoo is another at-home option that's formulated to neutralize brassy yellow and orange tones in color-treated hair. It's primarily used to tone blonde (or lightened), color-treated hair.
This is when you notice hair appearing to turn grey, when there is a mix of dark colored and grey or white hair. As the person grows older and the body's ability to produce melanin begins to slow down, all the hair in the body turns grey or white and this when you begin to see all white hair.
Gray or white hair, which contains little or no pigment, sometimes gets yellow because it picks up pigments from the environment; for example, if you use a yellowish shampoo or conditioner, rather than a clear one, a trace of the color might be deposited on your hair.
Silver Hair Turned Blue (or Purple) This is the opposite situation to silver hair turning yellow. It's usually caused by excessive toning or overuse of color depositing shampoos. Thankfully, this is easy to fix: This kind of products usually wash out from the hair pretty quickly.
A purple color-correcting shampoo will counteract the yellow tones and make your hair appear brighter and blonder. This is not as strong as toner, since it is intended for regular use.
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.
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.
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!
Well, unlike its shampoo counterpart which acts as a toning agent to neutralize brassiness, the conditioner does the job of nourishing hair after toning. A lot of purple conditioners are also pigmented with a bluish/purple tint to help tone hair even further after your shampoo.