Both silver and purple shampoo are designed to neutralise yellow and brassy tones in blonde, silver and grey hair. If you've used either one, you'll have noticed that bright purple hue when you pop the lid and squeeze. Silver shampoo and purple shampoo use purple pigment to lighten and brighten.
Long story short, purple shampoo is for anyone looking to reduce brassy, yellow, or orange tones in their hair color.
Let the shampoo sit in your hair for 3-5 minutes.
This part of the process helps the silver shampoo to soak into your hair and combat any harsh, brassy tones. You can also apply silver shampoo specifically to any yellow-looking sections of hair.
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.
A purple-colored shampoo contains purple pigment to neutralize brassy and yellow tones on lighter hair.
Blonde hair goes through a lot (especially if you've recently bleached your hair!) and it can sometimes look yellow, dull or even brassy. Purple shampoo, or sometimes even silver shampoo, cools down the tone of your hair and neutralises the brassiness, keeping your blonde stronger for longer.
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.
Purple shampoo, also known as silver shampoo, is a cleansing product formulated to neutralise those unwanted brassy tones in your hair. This shampoo is made for anyone with light hair (including blonde, platinum, gray, white, pastel, or highlighted), whether your hair is naturally light or colored in a salon.
Purple shampoo doesn't remove the yellow color but is designed to tone down the yellow in gray and white hair. It tones the color in your hair from warm tones (yellow) to cool (silver). Purple shampoo is only a temporary solution for yellows in your gray hair.
Of course, a certain amount of hair lightener is required to achieve a true silver. For the clearest result on your clients, use Blondor Extra Cool Blonde Powder to pre-lighten hair to a pale yellow, then follow with two toning services: one to neutralize the yellow, and the other to add a dose of silver.
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.
If you have successfully reached pale yellow (level 9 or level 10) then you can use Ugly Duckling's no lift pearl blonde toner 10V or silver blonde toner 10B. These are intensely pigmented toners and they will cut out and neutralize yellow.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Silver shampoo is designed for those with gray or silver hair, and as silver is opposite yellow on the color wheel. This shampoo fights brassy tones of yellow that can appear in your gray locks, and take away from your color. Thirdly, purple shampoo is used for blonde hair or those with blonde highlights.
When applied to the hair, a small amount of this purple pigment is absorbed, and the violet hues neutralise brassy undertones for a cooler colour. Depending on how long it is left on the hair, a silver shampoo can help you achieve anything from a honey blonde to a cool white shade.
Apply purple shampoo to dry hair for a super glossy finish.
Let it sit for 10-15 minutes, then rinse it out with cold water. Applying the shampoo dry can leave your hair glossier and remove a persistent brassy hue.
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.
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.
The best way to combat unwanted yellow tones is by using purple shampoo. This product may be a blonde's best friend, but those with gray hair can use this too.
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.
If you have yellow, orange, or brassy tones after bleaching, cover them up with a toner or color corrector. You can also offset yellow tones with a purple shampoo or a little gentian violet. You can also brighten your hair naturally with lemon juice.