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.
We all ask ourselves the same question a day or two after our color appointment: “How long do I have to wait before washing my hair?” Celebrity colorist Aura Friedman makes it simple: “Wait at least three days before shampooing your hair after color,” she says.
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.
While purple shampoo is essential for a bleached blonde look, you can also use it on darker shades of blonde. Purple shampoo is for anyone looking to reduce brassy, yellow, or orange tones in their hair color.
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.
But at my last color session, my stylist revealed that the grey, muddy tone my highlights had taken on may have actually been caused by my beloved purple products. Yes, purple shampoo could be making your blonde hair look darker — but don't worry, it's fixable.
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.
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.
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.
“So if you wash your hair twice a week, use the purple shampoo only once a week to keep the hair bright but not yellow.” Harwood also adds that purple shampoo can be mixed with regular shampoo to add some of the violet pigment into a regular hair cleansing routine without any risk of going overboard.
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.
Using a purple shampoo on grey hair can help to remove brassy yellow shades, leaving you with a flattering silver undertone.
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.
Fashion Shades
After pre-lightening the hair, you will want to create a clear, clean canvas prior to depositing your final tone. For example, after bleaching, apply purple shampoo or a violet toner for a neutral base, and then apply your final hue.
Depending on what shade of orange your hair is, a purple shampoo may help correct your color. If your hair has become more of a yellowy-orange tone after using bleach or dye, the purple shampoo might help remove brassy tones. The purple shampoo will correct yellow tones, but not necessarily orange.
In short: No, you shouldn't put purple shampoo on dry hair. While it's true that dry hair will absorb more pigment, it's also uneven in its absorption. For most if not all of us—blonde or not—the ends tend to be drier and more porous than the rest of our hair.
For blondes, especially with platinum hair, overusing purple shampoo can lead to severe staining. Obviously, shampooing the hair too much can also lead to more damage. Better to stick to the recommended time frame to prevent future hair dilemmas.
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.
If you need to cut out a lot of brassiness, use a comb to work your purple shampoo through your dry hair before you get in the shower. 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.
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.
The short answer: Yes, you can use purple shampoo on darker hair colors. If you have a full mane of dark brown hair, using a purple shampoo won't be particularly effective. However, if you have dark hair with highlights, the purple shampoo will tone your lightened strands.
Typically, no matter the brand, these shampoos all claim to do the same thing. They're intended to balance the colors of blonde hair by working against fading and preventing the emergence of brassy tones.
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!
While purple shampoo is widely used on blonde tresses, it can also be used on lightened brunette hair to tone highlights, balayages and ombres.
“Purple shampoo can actually change the color of your blonde if you use it too often or too soon after your color session since the hair will be especially porous and absorbent.