Massage in from root to tip, lathering the shampoo as you go. Focus on the areas that are particularly brassy to knock out those unwanted yellow tones. Fudge Tip: If you're using purple shampoo on highlights, try to focus mainly on the blonde streaks.
In colour theory, purple is opposite on the wheel to yellow, so the purple colour in the shampoo balances out the blonde colour, acting as a toner that helps to reduce yellow and orange hues and transform your hair into cool, hydrated blonde.
Let the shampoo sit for two to five minutes depending on how brassy your hair is and how ashy you like your color, then rinse thoroughly. The difference between two minutes and four minutes with purple shampoo is a big one so keep an eye out. It may be helpful to set a timer so you don't go over.
If you have naturally white or grey hair, purple shampoo can be used in the same way as with bleached hair to remove yellow tones and revive vibrant color. It can also be used on red hair to counteract brassy tones for color that stays fresh week after week.
“It's almost like a way to brighten the color to a cooler tone,” Harwood adds. “So, if the hair has a little bit of a yellow tone, a pigmented purple shampoo is going to neutralize that warmth.” Because of this, violet hued shampoo can also neutralize those yellow, brassy tones in more than just blonde hair.
Zoe's answer: Leaving purple shampoo in your hair for longer than the recommended time is not always a good idea. The longer you leave it, the more pigments will be deposited on your hair and they could even stain it permanently.
Purple shampoo is a toning shampoo specially designed for blonde hair. It features crushed violet pigments that neutralize style-ruining brassy and yellow tones. On the color wheel, purple is the opposite of yellow, which is why purple pigments cancel out brassy, yellow tones.
DON'T use purple shampoo on very dry hair
It's important to get the hair into a healthy condition before drenching it in purple shampoo to make it less porous.
Simply put, whichever colors sit opposite one another on this wheel can cancel each other out. For example, blue neutralizes orange, green balances red, and purple tones down yellow hues. That means, in order to target yellow, you need a touch of violet in your formula.
Blue cancels out yellow on the color wheel. Because they are blue based, they are particularly effective at neutralizing any yellowness in the hair. Aim for level 6 to 8 if you are looking to down down brassy hair. For extra strong "yellow killing", we recommend that you squeeze in some Ash Blue Additive.
Your first time, leave the formula on for the lowest amount of time the bottle recommends. Finish With a Rich Conditioner: Purple shampoos can be drying, so be sure to rinse thoroughly and follow up with a luxurious, moisturizing conditioner or hair mask.
What is a purple shampoo? A purple-colored shampoo contains purple pigment to neutralize brassy and yellow tones on lighter hair. “The main reason it is purple is that on the color wheel, it is the direct opposite color of yellow, which means purple and yellow will cancel one another out,” explains Kandasamy.
However, we don't recommend this trick. Because hair is more porous Opens in a new tab when it's dry, the violet shampoo can absorb unevenly, resulting in a patchy, purple effect. Stick to massaging it into wet hair for the most flawless finish, and make sure you rinse it out thoroughly.
When deciding how to tone yellow hair to ash, try using a violet shampoo first. As purple is the opposite of yellow on the colour spectrum, the shampoo's purple pigment draws out the yellow brassiness from your blonde, neutralises those unwanted tones, and makes your colour look cooler, healthier and more vibrant.
To fix yellow hair, you want purple. Since yellow and purple are opposite on the color wheel, they neutralize each other when combined. Choose a toner that matches your current hair color level. The level system ranges from 1 to 10 (1 is the darkest and 10 is the lightest).
There's two reasons why your hair is still brassy after toning or colouring. Either the undertone of the toner/colour is wrong, or the product is too light for you.
Toning to balance out the warm tones
You can also use toners to correct the color and balance out the warm tones. By looking at color theory and choosing the opposite color of your hair in the color wheel, such as purple or blue shades, you can neutralize the yellow and orange.
If your lousy bleach job has come out more yellow, you'll need a purple toner. Purple shampoo can help neutralize the yellow. If your hair is orange, you'll need a blue toner. Try a blue shampoo to tone the brassiness and get rid of the orange.
Why purple shampoo is bad for your hair? Did you know that most purple shampoos can make your hair too dry? It's designed to remove brassiness from your hair, but if used incorrectly they can leave a buildup on your strands that makes them brittle and dull.
Unless you have white hair or gray hair, you shouldn't leave the purple shampoo on for longer than 15 minutes at a time. If you're already leaving the shampoo on for less than 15 minutes and you're noticing a purple tone, then try leaving the product on for even less time.
One of the main concerns is that purple shampoo can strip away natural oils from the hair, leaving it dry and brittle. This can be especially problematic for those with already dry or damaged hair. Another potential risk of using purple shampoo is that it can cause discolouration in certain situations.
As we say in Hair Color Theory, certain colors neutralize other colors. Or as hairdressers put it, these colors color-correct other colors. In plain simple English, certain colors cancel out others. Purple cancels out yellow.
SoSilver shampoo by Matrix - This shampoo, formerly known as Color Care So Silver, cleanses and neutralizes any of the brassiness and eliminates yellow tones. This shampoo works for both natural and color-treated hair that is gray to white.