The Best Purple Shampoo to Preserve Brilliant Blonde Hair

They say blondes have more fun, and whether or not that's true, there's one big exception: hair care. Blonde hair not only requires more salon visits to keep highlights, balayage, and dye jobs fresh, but it also demands proper care between treatments. Use the wrong shampoo or wash too often, and your strands will quickly turn brassy (read: yellow). Love to swim laps? Those bright blonde streaks may even begin to look green.

So what's a blonde to do? Use purple shampoo. Yes, it really is purple. And, yes, purple shampoo really does work. The purple pigment in the shampoo neutralizes yellow, cancelling out any unwanted tones, says Paul Labrecque with Paul Labrecque Salon and Skincare Spa. Of course, if you have brunette, gray, silver, or white hair, you can dabble with these special shampoos too, though the results may not be as dramatic.

One word of caution: Be sure not to overuse the product, especially if your hair already skews silver: "Using a purple shampoo on an already cool-toned blonde or, more specifically, gray hair will turn it blue," says celebrity stylist Michelle Cleveland. (For best results, supplement your go-to shampoo with a purple shampoo once a week, then build up as needed.)

Ahead, the best purple shampoos for the job, including a highly-rated Amazon pick, a budget-friendly option at Walmart (hello, under $12), a salon-quality shampoo at Ulta, and a few you can even pick up at your local drugstore.