Purple shampoo has been used for decades by hairdressers, mostly to help tone and neutralize blonde and gray hair, getting rid of brassy or yellow tones for an overall more cool-toned look.
Using a purple shampoo on grey hair can help to remove brassy yellow shades, leaving you with a flattering silver undertone.
Everyone's hair is different, but we recommend using it once every week or two, then building it up from there until you find your own cadence. Just know that it is possible to overdo it—especially if you have high porosity hair—which results in a (temporary!) purple tinge.
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.
DON'T use purple shampoo before your colour appointment
As Anneliese said, it's important not to use purple shampoo in the run-up to your colouring appointment. “Stop using purple shampoo a week or so before you have your colour done,” advises Jimmy.
If you have platinum, gray, or silver hair, you can leave the purple shampoo on for up to 30 minutes, depending on how brassy or discolored your hair is.
Both silver and purple shampoo are designed to neutralise yellow and brassy tones in blonde, silver and grey hair.
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.
Purple shampoo is the best toner to use when it comes to gray hair because it neutralizes brassiness caused by heat styling, medications, product buildup, sun, salt, chlorine and environmental pollutants.
Therefore, applying purple shampoo will neutralize yellow undertones in your hair. Meanwhile, blue shampoo will neutralize orange undertones in your hair. According to color theory, brunettes should reach for a blue shampoo. Purple shampoos, on the other hand, are better for blondes, silver or grey 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.
As we mentioned, gray hair's lack of sebum can make it feel dry. To reduce further dryness, you'll want to wash it as infrequently as possible. "Washing every other day or three to four times a week can help with this," says Mazzei.
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Since baking soda is a scrubbing agent, washing your hair with it can gradually strip the dye from your locks. Baking soda can lighten all hair colors, but it might take a few washes to get your hair to the desired color.
Use a Clarifying Shampoo
This will remove impurities and surface buildup from your gray hair which will result in a nicer tone. Follow the clarifying shampoo with a violet-based shampoo and/or conditioner like Sachajuan's Silver Shampoo. The violet will counteract any dull, yellow hues in your white hair.
For best results, use a purple conditioner after rinsing with your purple shampoo. You may want to wash hair with your purple system twice to thrice a week, depending on your blonde level.
DOES PURPLE SHAMPOO DAMAGE HAIR? The cool violet pigment in purple shampoo won't damage hair, but if you leave it on strands too long, those purple pigments will take their job a little too far and could turn tresses a purple-violet colour.
Gray or white hair, which contains little or no pigment, sometimes gets yellow because it picks up pigments from the environment; for example, if you use a yellowish shampoo or conditioner, rather than a clear one, a trace of the color might be deposited on your hair.