Keep in mind that purple shampoo does not replace your regular shampoo and should only be used once or twice a week. Doss warns that there is such a thing as too much purple. “When you eliminate too much yellow, it visually ends up darker and a lot of people don't want it to look darker,” she says.
Purple shampoo is meant to only be used weekly or when your hair is looking brassy — not every day. Generally, you'll want to incorporate it into your hair care routine one to three times a week in place of your usual shampoo for color-treated hair.
If you waited 72 hours before washing your hair after it was bleached, you could use the purple shampoo the next time you shower. If it hasn't been up to 72 hours, shy away from the purple shampoo until your next wash day, so it doesn't potentially ruin your hair tone.
If it's your first time using purple shampoo, it's best to stick to just once a week. Use a color-safe shampoo like our Color Assure Color Care Shampoo and Conditioner Set for Colored Treated Hair the rest of the week and slowly increase how many times you use it until you find your perfect shade.
How Often Should Blondes Use Purple Shampoo? Purple shampoo is meant to be used when your hair is looking brassy, not every day. A good rule is one to three times a week. How often you use it should depend on how often you wash your hair and how long it takes for it to look brassy.
If you only wash your hair a couple of times a week, I recommend waiting two weeks before incorporating a purple shampoo to preserve your tone.
Because it does not contain an ingredient that will chemically change the color of your hair, purple shampoo cannot truly lighten hair. If anything, purple shampoo may make your hair temporarily slightly darker.
Lather the purple shampoo on your hair. Depending on your hair's level of brassiness, leave the purple shampoo on for two to three minutes. Rinse the shampoo out. Apply a purple conditioner to nourish your hair and prevent breakage.
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.
Alternate your purple shampoo use with regular shampoo formulated for color-treated hair so your hair color stays light and even. If you have warmer naturally blonde hair, use purple shampoo only when you notice yellowing.
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.
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.
“So if you wash your hair twice a week, use the purple shampoo only once a week to keep the hair bright but not yellow.” Harwood also adds that purple shampoo can be mixed with regular shampoo to add some of the violet pigment into a regular hair cleansing routine without any risk of going overboard.
What Is Purple Shampoo? Purple shampoo is a toning shampoo used for all shades of blonde hair to help preserve its color and keep locks looking healthy and vibrant. The shampoo essentially acts as a color-correcting toner for your hair without you ever having to step foot in a salon.
It's important to note that the pigment in purple shampoo isn't a lightener or hair dye but a gentle toner that works overtime. So it can't darken your hair or make it any lighter. For this reason, if your hair tone is too dark, it won't make it any brighter.
Brass usually shows up as yellow or orange tones in blonde hair and orange or red tones in brunette hair. Brassy hair is caused by an overabundance of warm pigments in your hair, usually caused by bleaching and the hair coloring process.
It's important to note that the pigment in purple shampoo isn't a lightener or hair dye but a gentle toner that works overtime. So it can't darken your hair or make it any lighter. For this reason, if your hair tone is too dark, it won't make it any brighter.
If your hair is on the yellowish, orange end of the spectrum, purple shampoo will fix it. Like blue shampoo, purple shampoo is another at-home option with color pigments that's formulated to neutralize brassy yellow and orange tones in color-treated hair.
“Purple shampoo does not cancel out orange so if the hair has any orange or yellow orange tones in it, the purple shampoo would actually make them warmer depositing red into the hair.”
OK, so what is the best way to use purple shampoo? Well, for starters, you want to apply it on completely wet hair. (Note: If you have especially dry or brittle ends, we'd also recommend putting a tiny amount of conditioner on just the tips to prevent them from absorbing too much pigment.)
The short answer: No! People have been trying this technique because your hair will absorb more of the purple pigment when it's dry.
Yes. You can use purple shampoo on brown hair. If you have highlights, a balayage, or an ombré of a lighter shade, such as blonde, platinum blonde, or any other light hair color, a purple shampoo can help maintain the highlights.
So if your hair is already light blonde, this continual lightening will cause the hair to become dry and brittle and then break. It will also lighten any natural hair, causing it to turn orange or yellow and giving highlighted hair a solid look.
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.