Too much purple tone in these products can cause the hair to look dull and over toned. The more orange the hair throws off from the shampoo lightening the natural hair, the more the public use the toning shampoo to tone out the warmth, resulting in over toned, murky, green/khaki, dull looking blonde hair.
Use purple shampoo correctly
Just like clarifying shampoo, it isn't advised that you use purple shampoo after a fresh toner. Purple shampoo can actually strip the hair of the toner, which will likely leave you with a mixture of yellow, ashy and grey tones throughout your hair.
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.
Different shades of brassiness need different pigments to fight them. For example, orange brassiness needs a product with blue pigments to remove that orange brassiness. If you use a toner or colour with purple pigments in it on orange brassiness, it won't do anything.
Purple shampoo is for already bleached hair, so if you're hoping to lighten brown hair with purple shampoo, you'll be disappointed. This is all down to the fact that purple shampoo isn't lightening. Instead, it brightens blondes by canceling out yellow tones, which just happen to be opposite purple on the color wheel.
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.
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. “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.”
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.
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 gray hair care, the only time you need to use purple shampoo is if your hair has permanent yellowing. It won't remove the permanent yellowing but will reduce its appearance. What Happens If You Use It Too Often? You don't want to use it more than once a week, as it can give your hair a lilac tinge.
If you have naturally blonde hair, you'll generally let the purple shampoo sit for about 2-3 minutes before rinsing it with cool water. However, some brands may recommend leaving the purple shampoo on for 5 minutes if your hair is naturally blonde, so pay attention to the directions on the bottle.
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.
If you've used your purple shampoo correctly, you will see color-correction results instantly after you rinse. If you can't see any difference, then this means you're either using too little purple shampoo, and/or haven't left it on long enough.
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.
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.
The brightening effect caused by purple shampoo is actually illusionary. It happens because of an effect called bluing. While your hair might be very slightly darker than before, it will not look darker, because of the ways our eyes perceive color.
Too Much of a Good Thing: Purple Shampoo Left On Too Long
You can, in fact, over-tone your hair. Leaving purple shampoo in your hair for an hour or more can cause your hair to look dull and lifeless. To leave purple shampoo for more than 10 minutes is already too much.
"But if you have been in the sun or feel as if your tone is too brassy, use purple shampoo at every wash until you get the desired results, then use once every third wash," she explains. Alternate With Moisturizing Shampoo: Alternate your purple shampoo with a moisturizing shampoo," says Wiley.
Purple shampoo neutralises brassiness but enhances blonde pigmentation. To maintain a silver shade, your shampoo requires a stronger colour neutralisation. Silver shampoo is formulated with deeper purple pigments to target yellow tones in a much stronger way.
Overuse of purple shampoo can lead to a buildup of purple pigments in the hair, which can result in a dull or ashy colour.
Since purple shampoos can be strong and open the cuticle, it is better not to use any after your hair is freshly toned in a salon, as it can encourage fading of your color. Instead, just use a quality shampoo and conditioner for color-treated hair – don't attempt to fix something that isn't broken.
In sum, whether you have lightened dark hair or blonde hair, purple shampoo is an easy way to eliminate brass. Make it a part of your regular hair care routine so your hair color stays fresh and cool-toned.