Purple shampoo is the perfect product for anyone looking to maintain their vibrant, fresh from the salon, lightened hair for weeks. That said, purple shampoo on its own, isn't a lightener or hair dye. So it can't darken your hair or make it any lighter.
If you've ever wondered, "Can brunettes use purple shampoo?", the answer is yes. Purple shampoo helps to neutralize unwanted warmth on brown hair the same way that it does on blonde hair. But before we get into further detail, it's important you understand why purple shampoo is used in the first place.
Overuse of purple shampoo. Purple shampoo builds up on the hair and starts to make blonde look darker over time. The best advice I can give if this has happened to you is to use a clarifying shampoo.
One downside of purple shampoo is that overuse can lead to a purple or violet tint, especially if left on for too long. It's important to follow usage instructions to avoid this issue and to ensure the best results for your hair.
It will be a very dark shade of purple, and may not even be very visible depending on how dark brown your hair is. If your hair is originally a dark shade of brown, the purple hair dye may just tint it a bit and your end result may just be a slightly more purpley/auburny shade of dark brown.
Purple AF is a rich, true purple shade that works well across different hair levels, from platinum to light brown. It delivers vibrant color on lighter hair and deep purple tints on darker hair. AF Pro Tip: Mix Purple AF with Wrath for a burgundy hue or with Poseidon for deep indigo tones.
In general, those looking to dye dark hair without bleach will fare best with colors as dark as or darker than your existing hue—think moody burgundies, deep browns, or inky blacks. If you want to go lighter, you'll typically need some form of bleach. Without bleach, you can only deposit color, not lift it.
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.
If you have brown hair with blonde highlights, we also recommend trying Kristin Ess The One Purple Shampoo. This shampoo is formulated for both blondes and brunettes and is a little less potent compared to some of its counterparts, so it effectively enhances brown hair while also neutralizing brassy blonde highlights.
Too much purple tone in these products can cause the hair to look dull and over toned. The more orange the hair throws off from the shampoo lightening the natural hair, the more the public use the toning shampoo to tone out the warmth, resulting in over toned, murky, green/khaki, dull looking blonde hair.
Don't use on very dry hair
It is important to get the hair into a healthy condition before using purple shampoo because hair is more porous when it is dry and those dry areas can absorb more product which could create unevenness in tone and darken those areas more. This in turn will create a patchy purple effect.
Polygonum shampoo can help darken hair and may reduce the visibility of gray hairs over time by increasing melanin production. However, results can vary, and it may not completely reverse graying for everyone.
Just as a purple shampoo neutralises brassy tones on blondes, using a blue shampoo on brown hair neutralises orange and red tones for brunettes.
While you should stick with purple or blue shampoo most of the time, you do have the option to use both if you have multiple undertones. But a good rule of thumb is that a blue shampoo is best for dark hair and brunettes; and purple shampoo is better for blondes, silver or gray hair.
The easiest way to lighten hair is to use a clarifying shampoo or a mixture of baking soda and lemon juice. These methods are gentle and can gradually lighten the hair over a few washes. For more immediate results, a professional toner or hair lightener can be used.
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.
Blue shampoo is typically used for brown hair, as it combats the kind of orange, red, and copper undertones that make brunette hair look brassy. Its color isn't coincidental – blue is on the opposite end of the color wheel from the aforementioned undertones, which lets it neutralize these tones effectively.
Even rose tones and vivid violet ribbons appear fresh and flattering on dark hair, proving just how workable and wearable highlights on brown hair can be.
The truth about purple shampoo, is that it's darkening your blonde! While these violet tones may very well cancel out the unwanted warmth you are seeing, over use can cause build up over time. Have you ever felt like your highlights seem to 'disappear' over time?
Purple shampoo should be applied in the shower or during a hair wash. While your hair is wet, apply the shampoo and lather it onto your hair.
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.
Too much purple shampoo can actually make your blonde appear darker over time. The shampoo is made to remove the yellow from your hair.. with zero yellow, there is no brightness!
Hair with existing blonde tones will find it easier to move towards a platinum shade, whereas darker shades like dark brunette or black will likely appear yellow or even a warm reddish hue after the first bleach application.