How Hair Colorists Want You To Use Purple Shampoo
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The one thing no one warned me about when I lightened my hair from dark brown to strawberry blonde is that I'd have to adopt a whole new hair maintenance routine, which would soon include learning how to use purple shampoo to keep my color looking fresh.
Aside from the instructions I received from my then-hairstylist to moisturize my curls more often, I had no idea how much upkeep my new color needed. So imagine my surprise when my blonde locks faded in just a few weeks, and I had to get my color corrected by a new pro. It was only then that I learned that purple shampoo was the secret to maintaining my blonde dye job.
Meet our experts: Kristen Kell, a colorist at Salon SCK in New York City, Stephanie Brown, a hair colorist at IGK Salons in New York City
Many of us with non-natural blonde hair are very familiar with purple shampoo, but for those who aren't, it's a “toning shampoo designed specifically for blonde, grey, or cool-toned hair to remove yellow or brassy tones,” says Kristen Kell, a colorist at Salon SCK in New York City. “The violet tone in the shampoo controls warmth in your hair by neutralizing the yellow- making hair look [ashier] and cool-toned.”
With purple shampoo, you can maintain a fresh blonde look and prevent your hair from looking brassy and yellow by just using one every couple of washes, says Kell. But just like any hair maintenance product, there are some dos and don’ts. The last thing you need is to damage your hair by incorrectly applying the shampoo, so if you're thinking of going blonde soon (or you're just curious to know how the product works), read ahead for a quick guide on how to use purple shampoo.
What Is Purple Shampoo?
Think of purple shampoo as a cooling agent. Bleached blonde hair can oxidize, which is how unwanted yellow-ish tones form in the hair. A colored shampoo will tone those brassy colors and give you a cooler blonde, says Stephanie Brown, a hair colorist at IGK Salons in New York City. “They tone brassy yellow tones out of hair. Purple and yellow are complementary colors on the color wheel and cancel each other out.”
Who Should Use Purple Shampoo?
Purple shampoo should only be used “for blonde to light brown highlights,” says Brown. “It is for hair that has unwanted yellow tones.” People with darker hair or redheads can use purple shampoo, but their tones won’t be altered or changed, says Kell. That said, to revive dark shades or hair with orange tones, Brown recommends using a blue shampoo.
How Does Purple Shampoo Benefit the Hair?
The thing about going blonde is that it might take a few different sessions with your colorist for you to get the shade you want anyway (especially if you're going platinum), and since dye and bleach are already damaging, you want to avoid having to reapply them as much as possible.
Keeping up your dye job with purple shampoo will “help stretch the time between color appointments [and] reduce the damage from over-bleaching,” says Kell. That said, this doesn’t mean you should avoid heading back to the salon altogether. Purple shampoo is nothing but a temporary fix, and there’s only so much a colored shampoo can do before a color refresh is needed.
How Can I Use Purple Shampoo?
According to Brown, purple shampoos are typically pretty strong, so when you're adding it to your routine, she recommends mixing it with your regular shampoo so that it won't overpower your hair. “I find that a lot of purple shampoos are drying, so that’s why I like mixing them,” she says. “And to use it about once a week when your hair starts turning brassy and yellow.”
Since purple shampoos are strong and can leave a lot of pigment on your hair, you don’t want to use too much or too little, she says. Not enough purple shampoo won’t tone your brassiness, while using too much too often will turn your hair ashy or purple. It's best to “use it once a week depending on how often you shampoo,” Brown says.
On the other hand, Kell doesn’t recommend mixing and says you only need to use purple shampoo for three to five washes. She also adds that purple shampoo should not be replaced with your everyday shampoo. Ultimately, whichever maintenance routine you choose depends on your hair and its needs.
Should I Use Purple Conditioner Too?
According to Kell and Brown, a purple conditioner will have the same effect as the shampoo, and using both may actually dry out your hair, Kell adds. Plus, purple shampoo will immediately tone your hair after a wash, so doubling purple hair products is unnecessary. To keep your hair from drying out, Kell recommends following up with “a strengthening or repairing conditioner.”
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