Is this your first time using purple shampoo and purple conditioner? Understanding the principle of how purple shampoo work, deeply rooted in basic color theory, is not just crucial, it’s empowering. Purple shampoo, the opposite of yellow on the color wheel, is a toning shampoo mainly designed for blonde, silver, bleached, or brassy hair types. It’s made with crushed violet pigments to neutralize unwanted yellow or brassy color in your hair.
Want to know if you have brassy hair and what to look for? Read my article on what does brassy hair look like.
However, like any hair care product, use of purple shampoo may show different results for different hair types. That’s why it is crucial to read a comprehensive starter guide before buying a purple shampoo bottle. Look for a shampoo specifically formulated for your hair type and color. For instance, if you have bleached hair, look for a purple shampoo that is gentle and moisturizing to prevent further damage. If you have silver hair, look for a shampoo that is designed to enhance the cool tones in your hair. And always do a patch test before using it on your entire head.
How often should you use purple shampoo? Are there more tips and insights you need to know before making it a go-to hair product? There’s a big chance that’s the case!
You can just read on to learn how to jumpstart your battle against unwanted brassy tones.
Does purple shampoo go on dry or wet hair?
If this is your first time using purple shampoo, remember to apply it correctly. Purple shampoo should be used in the shower or during a hair wash while your hair is wet. Just like a regular shampoo, you will apply and lather it into your hair. The amount you decide to use will depend on your chosen product and the level of brassiness in your hair.
Should you use purple shampoo every day?
While it’s a true miracle delivered for those with blonde hair, artificial or au-natural, it is often confusing how to use this product correctly. Does the “shampoo” in purple shampoo mean you can use it every day?
The honest answer could be more straightforward.
It is not advisable to use your regular shampoo and purple shampoo at the same time, as this can damage and dry out your hair.
Purple shampoo is also NOT a permanent replacement for normal shampoo. It acts like a hair treatment rather than a cleanser and does not clean the scalp as regular shampoos do. Regular shampoos are designed to remove dirt and oil from the scalp, while purple shampoos are formulated to neutralize brassy tones in light hair.
There are some things to consider when deciding how often to use purple shampoo, but a good hair care routine would be using it once a week rather than every day. Overuse can lead to a buildup of purple pigments, giving your hair a dull, darker appearance.
How long should I leave purple shampoo in my hair?
Purple shampoos are as tricky as hair dyes. You become skeptical about following what’s on the back label or trusting a random YouTuber’s success story to achieve your goals.
What’s your best bet, then? Well, the safer option is following the manufacturer’s instructions.
Consider this: the manufacturer has invested in research to understand how their product works. Following their instructions makes you feel reassured and confident that you’re using the product correctly and effectively.
If it says 3-5 minutes, do not leave it any less or more. Some brands with less purple pigments in their products will require 20 minutes of processing, so it is better to check before heading to the shower.
What happens when you use too much purple shampoo?
Yes, there is such a thing as overdoing it!
If you use too much purple shampoo or leave it too long, your hair can turn lilac!
While an unwanted color change can be alarming, the potential risks of overusing purple shampoo extend beyond aesthetics. Excessive product buildup on your scalp can lead to brittle and dry hair, making it crucial to use the product with caution and awareness.
So don’t guess your way on this one. While lilac hair may seem extreme, neutralizing too many brassy yellow tones with purple shampoo will most likely lead to darker and duller hair.
CHECK OUT : How To Get Purple Shampoo Out of Hair
How often should you use a purple shampoo?
It’s time to dive into some specific details when using purple shampoo.
Purple shampoos are toners commonly used in hair care for those who want to reduce brassy, yellow, or orange hair tones. Toning refers to neutralizing unwanted tones in the hair, such as yellow or brassy, to achieve a more desirable beautiful color.
If you have lighter hair, you will likely have these warm undertones that can show up due to various environmental factors and unlifted natural pigments. Orange tones may show up after several weeks if you have bleached hair from a brunette.
If you want to maintain your natural hair color and prevent brassy tones, your usage will depend on how much pigment is in your hair; more pigment equals higher frequency.
People with dark blondes will require purple shampoo more often than those with platinum blondes or white hair.
However, using purple shampoos depends not only on hair color but also on hair type.
For those with curly and frizzy hair prone to dryness, purple shampoo may increase dryness. In this case, you can still rely on other products like purple conditioners to deliver your results.
How often should you use purple shampoo and conditioner?
Several purple products are available on the market. Purple shampoos are the most popular, but conditioners and masks are also vital for quicker results.
A combination of purple shampoo and conditioner works well for those with pronounced brassiness. This ensures that the purple pigments can penetrate your hair shaft and cover your strands entirely.
Although it is the quickest way, it’s not always the best. Remember that purple shampoos and conditioners may cause product build-up, so it’s best to use only one of them.
If you have brassy mid-to-end sections, you can co-wash rather than shampoo.
On the other hand, if your brassy parts lie mainly on the roots, you can choose to use shampoo only since this targets the scalp area, unlike conditioners. This is the best option for hair that quickly experiences dryness.
The frequency still depends on your results. If co-washing doesn’t work for you, you can use a combination of both with an increased frequency. Again, monitoring your progress weekly rather than jumping to a more rigorous routine from the start is best.
How often should you use purple shampoo on bleached hair?
The main enemy of bleached hair is the appearance of unwanted tones—specifically, yellow hues. Canceling them out may require a salon appointment, but it might also be solvable with purple shampoo.
This is an important reminder that purple shampoos only work for light-colored hair. That includes blondes, platinum blondes, ash blondes, and very light browns, silver or gray hair, white, and pastel colors that underwent bleaching.
If you had dyed your hair to a cooler tone, such as ash blonde or brown, the pre-lightening process likely rid you of the natural pigments. Brassiness signals that the deposited dyes, especially blue ones with small molecules, have already left and revealed warmer undertones.
To regain your preferred ashiness, you may need to use purple shampoo every wash until the yellow vanishes. This routine is especially advisable for bleached dark blonde to light brown hair.
For those who bleached their hair near platinum, 4-5 times a week may eliminate your yellow hues in about three weeks.
How often should you use purple shampoo for blonde hair?
Blonde hair, even natural, can be a target for unflattering brassiness. However, people with dark hair who have lightened their hair to several levels will likely see a more noticeable brassy change.
Most natural blondes don’t have brassy hues. Those who find themselves with brassy strands after a summer vacation shouldn’t panic; instead, they should know this: it is reversible with purple shampoo.
Using it once a week can help you maintain your natural hair color. Meanwhile, it would help if you avoided chlorine, too much sun, smoking, and air pollution since these factors can damage your cuticle and increase brassiness.
Purple shampoos work more efficiently for dyed hair where the cuticles are more porous and can absorb the purple pigments quickly. If you dyed your hair blonde, this is a rough guide to maintaining it between salon appointments.
White hair requires washing once to twice a week with purple shampoo.
Platinum and silver hair may need to be used thrice a week.
Light ash blondes may also require this frequency to avoid brassy hues.
Those with dark blondes are most susceptible and should use it daily until the yellowness completely disappears.
Again, this shouldn’t be a regular shampoo replacement. To avoid damage, you will need clarifying treatments occasionally when you incorporate this into your routine.
How often should you use purple shampoo for highlights?
Despite the increasing highlighting techniques, one thing remains true: they take time to maintain. Blonde highlights, in particular, make way to—you guessed it—brassiness!
Traditional foil highlighting uses bleach or a lightener to lift the hair to several levels lighter.
If you have brown or dark hair, it’s tempting to brighten your face with this technique. But brunettes have orange undertones, which may quickly appear once the highlight fades.
Since full highlights cover the entire hair, using purple shampoo every time you wash is best.
If your hair is long, a conditioner and hair mask are a must-add on your shopping list. Partial highlights only lift color to two levels so that you may need less purple shampoo applied weekly.
You should always check how well your hair adjusts to purple toners.
Everyone has a different hair history, and while purple shampoos have proven their efficiency on many hair types, it’s wise to keep your routine gradual and consistent.
Never overdo it and deal extra damage to your hair!
What’s the difference between purple shampoo and blue shampoo?
Blue and purple shampoos are mainly made from different pigments that cancel out certain colors. The blue pigments in blue shampoo cancel out orange, while the purple pigments in purple shampoo mostly cancel out yellow. Blue shampoo will remove unwanted orange tones from brunette or darker hair types, while purple shampoo will give the best results when removing unwanted yellow tones.
LEARN MORE : Blue Shampoo Vs. Purple Shampoo