Can you use purple shampoo for brown hair? Learn what purple shampoo does to brown hair or brown highlights. Will it remove the reddish tones?
As a hairstylist I have often told my clients that even natural color needs some maintenance.
Brunettes need toning just as much as blondes do. Brassy tones are pesky intruders that occur not only on lighter colored hair but also on darker colored hair.
Purple shampoo works to neutralize the unpleasant brassy tones.
To have a better understanding of how purple shampoo works, let’s consider the color wheel. Purple and yellow are on opposite sides. We can connect this to how the violet pigments in purple shampoo neutralize the brassy and yellow tones on hair.
Can You Use Purple Shampoo For Brown Hair
While purple shampoo is generally used on light colored hair, brunettes can benefit from adding it to their hair care routine.
Purple shampoo is particularly effective when you have dark hair with highlights. The shampoo will help tone the lighter strands and maintain their color.
Incorporating purple shampoo into your hair care routine will not only get rid of unwanted orange and yellow tones but will also help keep your brown locks looking healthy and vibrant.
What does purple shampoo do for brown hair?
Your lovely brunette tresses can often fall prey to some uninvited golden hues. They often go unnoticed until all of a sudden they are all over.
This is especially noticed when you color your hair using a base that is more golden brown like caramel or chestnut.
Many trending styles that use brown hair color tend to combine shades of blonde and brown like ombre and brown balayage. This makes hair more prone to brassiness and requires toning.
Purple shampoo is your saving grace in these situations. Alternating between using your regular shampoo and purple shampoo is a great way to maintain the vibrancy of your hair color and keep brassiness at bay.
How to use purple shampoo for brown hair
Purple shampoo doesn’t lighten hair color as many believe. The violet pigment only neutralizes and tones down brassiness.
You can either swap your regular shampoo for purple shampoo or use them both alternatingly. Purple shampoo will have a similar effect on hair as regular shampoo with the added bonus of a toning effect.
You are required to leave the purple shampoo in your hair for a few minutes before rinsing so that it can work its magic. How long you leave it in depends on your hair type.
It boils down to how quickly your hair absorbs color, what your current hair color is, and if you have dyed your hair, what kind of dye is used.
Generally, if you have lighter brown hair, leaving the purple shampoo in for about 2 – 3 minutes will be more than enough. For darker shades of brown with more stubborn brassiness, you may have to leave the shampoo in for up to 10 minutes before rinsing.
This may take a few uses to figure out. It’s important to remember that purple shampoo contains purple pigments that get deposited into hair every time you use the shampoo. So this may leave a purple tint on your hair.
Another thing to remember is to not leave purple shampoo in your hair for more than 20 minutes.
While purple shampoo may not lighten hair, it most definitely can leave hair with a lilac tint if left in for too long. This is because the purple pigment in the shampoo gets deposited on the hair shaft.
It is always best to test your shampoo’s strength. You can do this by mixing the purple shampoo with your regular shampoo.
If you feel like your purple shampoo is a little too overpowering, you can use it once or twice a week while alternating with your regular shampoo.
How to choose a purple shampoo for brown hair
It is important to choose the right shampoo that is best suited for you. Here are some things to keep in mind while choosing a purple shampoo for your brown hair:
- Since purple shampoos are generally designed keeping blonde hair in mind, it is best to choose the darkest purple pigmented shampoo for brown hair.
- Pay attention to the ingredients used to formulate the shampoo. You want something that contains more natural ingredients. Stay away from products that contain sulfates as these can damage your hair and cause breakage.
- Try to pick a purple shampoo that has a moisturizing effect on hair. You don’t want to strip your hair of its natural oils and cause further damage.
- Make sure that you are choosing a shampoo that is suited for your specific hair type. What may be working magic for your friend’s hair, may be disastrous for yours because like I said before, there is no one type that fits all. Doing a small patch test is also advised to make sure that the shampoo suits you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is purple shampoo a toner?
Yes, purple shampoo works as a toner. It neutralizes brassy tones and helps keep hair color.
Can purple shampoo lighten your hair?
Purple shampoo doesn’t lighten hair because it doesn’t contain any chemical component that changes hair color. The shampoo contains violet pigments that may actually make hair temporarily darker.
What causes brassiness in brown hair?
Some of the causes for brassiness are:
Overexposure to UV rays
Use of heat styling tools
Exposure to chemicals like chlorine and bleach
Fading of hair color
Why You Should Trust Haireveryday?
The author of this article, Leah Marie Priest has a degree in Cosmetology with years of experience in dealing with hair care, scalp care, and hairstyling. As someone who extensively deals with all kinds of hair textures, products, styling methods and more, hair Leah Marie knows what kind of products and procedures suit each hair type and person. We have also tested these hair products and processes ourselves to provide you an unbiased review about every product. Each of our articles are also reviewed by a team of medical professionals so that you get the most accurate and expert-reviewed information.
Summary on Using Purple Shampoo For Brown Hair
Here’s something I find helpful to remember. If you are dealing with lighter yellowish brassiness, the purple pigment in purple shampoo will neutralize the brassy yellow tones.
Purple shampoo is ideal for lighter browns. If you have darker hair like copper or reddish brown, then blue shampoo world is great to even out the color.
Based on my personal experience, I think blue shampoo is a slightly better option when it comes to tackling brassiness on brown hair.
However, we cannot ignore that purple shampoo does have many benefits when used on brown hair.
Also Read:
Can You Use Purple Shampoo For Red Hair
Can Purple Shampoo Work For Green Pool Hair
Can You Use Purple Shampoo For Grey Hair
Can You Use Purple Shampoo For Naturally Blonde Hair
Can You Use Purple Shampoo For Purple Hair
Can You Mix Purple Shampoo With Bleach
To Summarize