Also referred to as toning shampoo or silver shampoo, purple shampoos are pigment-depositing formulas with anti-yellowing agents. They are designed to counteract brassiness in blonde dyed hair. Brassy hair color can be caused by natural elements, swimming, pollution, and excessive heat styling. While this is unavoidable to some degree, you can counteract the effect by taking good care of your hair with specially formulated shampoos and conditioners. Here is everything you need to consider when buying the best purple shampoo for healthy blonde and platinum locks.
How to Choose the Best Purple Shampoo
Hair type
When choosing any shampoo, you want to consider your hair type to ensure you get the right nourishment for your hair needs. Purple shampoo is no different. Check for extra moisturizing ingredients, protection, and also for unwanted sulfates that can strip your hair of natural nourishing oils. Consider your needs according to your hair type as follows:
- Fine Hair: If your hair is straight and silky without frizz, look for a shampoo that will add volume. Volumizing shampoos are light and won’t add extra weight which would make your hair hang limp.
- Thick Hair: Moisturizing shampoos and hydrating conditioners are great for adding shine, and smoothness to thick hair lacking in moisture.
- Wavy Hair: Light-weight balancing shampoos are best for wavy hair. Wavy hair can sometimes be frizzy or limp, depending on environmental factors. A light, yet nourishing product is your best option here.
- Curly Hair: Look for highly moisturizing formulas that contain ingredients to reduce frizz and deeply nourish your hair. Curly hair can often be dry and needs a little extra nourishment.
Ingredients
Since your hair has already been color-treated and requires extra nourishment, it is best to avoid shampoos containing certain ingredients that will further strip natural nourishing oils and throw off your scalp’s natural pH balance. Avoid shampoos containing:
- Sodium Chloride: This is essentially salt, and draws moisture from your scalp, drying it out.
- Synthetic Fragrances: The alcohol used in synthetic fragrance products can dry out your scalp. Opt for a shampoo with a natural fragrance where possible.
- Parabens and Sulfates: Sulfates can damage your hair and strip it of color. Using sulfate-free products gently cleanses without stripping away color or moisture.
Shampoos that include natural moisturizers, amino acids, antioxidants, and vitamins are a good choice. They will generally be labeled as damage repair, hydrating, moisturizing, or strengthening shampoos.
How Does Purple Shampoo Work?
Purple shampoos contain effective violet pigments that counteract the appearance of unwanted brassy hues. Since violet and purple are the exact opposite colors to yellow and orange, applying a purple pigment-depositing product neutralizes and cancels out yellow undertones in your hair. This boosts the cooler tones, making hair look brighter.
Purple shampoo is designed for bleached, lighter blonde, or silver hair, whether natural or dyed. You can also use purple shampoo on darker hair that has been dyed with highlighted sections to remove any unwanted warm tones in those sections. It will, however, not make dark hair lighter and is only effective on the highlighted areas.
Purple shampoo for bleached hair
If you have bleached hair, getting purple shampoo is a must. After a few weeks of your hair being subject to natural elements, the light shade will start turning a little dull. To counter this, incorporate purple shampoo into your usual hair care routine to keep your blonde light and bright.
Tips for using purple shampoo
Choosing the best purple shampoo for your hair is important to maintaining beautiful blonde locks. There are a few additional tips that can help improve the results you get and possibly save you some extra trips to the salon.
- Wash your hair only as often as needed since excessive washing will strip color, moisture, and natural oils that keep your scalp and hair healthy.
- Gently towel-dry your hair before applying purple shampoo if you need extra toning. Your hair should still be damp, but not dripping wet to concentrate the color.
- Purple shampoo can be diluted if the effects are too intense. For the best results mix it with a regular shampoo from the same brand or product line.
- If your hair is over-toned, use regular shampoo for a few washes until it fades out.
