If you have brassy bleached hair you need to learn how to use purple shampoo. The pigments in this shampoo remove orange tones from your blondes and balayages after bleaching.
Are you naturally blonde or have recently dyed your hair blonde or any other lighter color and to your horror found your hair turning brassy, tainted with hues of yellow?
If you have blonde hair, there are a few issues that you’d need to deal with in order to maintain the vibrancy of your blonde locs. Well, purple shampoo can help you with this.
This article will let you in on all the details about purple shampoo, why you require it, how to use it and so on. So, go ahead and keep reading!
What is purple shampoo?
Purple shampoos are similar to regular shampoos, in terms of its texture and uses, but are specially meant for those people with naturally blonde or blonde/light-colored, dyed hair.
This will include colors like dark blonde, platinum, ash, silver etc. So a purple shampoo will help balance out and neutralize any unwanted brassy tones that show up in the hair.
Using a purple shampoo will cancel out these brassy tones and then make your blonde hair look salon-fresh with an improved vibrancy.
How to Use Purple Shampoo
Step 1: Wet the hair with plain water
It is important to wet your hair completely with water, as it will make the application process easier and more effective.
Using lukewarm or warm water is recommended because it will help absorb the purple shampoo better.
The heat from the lukewarm or warm water will open up the cuticles on the hair shaft, letting the shampoo penetrate deeper into the hair and work better and quicker.
Step 2: Shampoo your hair well and leave it on for some time
The best part about using a purple shampoo is that it is used very similar to how we’d use a regular shampoo to wash our hair.
Apply the shampoo all over your hair evenly and then leave it on your hair for around 10 to 15 minutes, depending on how brassy your hair is. The lesser the brassy tones, the shorter the time you will require to keep it.
Remember not to keep it on for more than 15 minutes (as it will stain your hair) in one hair washing session.
This means that if the brassiness hasn’t completely gone, you will have to repeat this process another time.
Step 3: Wash the shampoo off properly
Once you have left it on your hair for a sufficient amount of time, rinse off all the shampoo properly under running water.
Step 4: Condition your hair
Well, of course, do not forget to condition. Just like you normally would after using a regular shampoo, condition your hair like you normally would even after using the purple shampoo.
Leave it on for a few minutes and rinse off properly under running water.
Can purple shampoo stain your hair?
Well guys, if a purple shampoo isn’t used correctly, which means it has been left on your hair for way too long, then there is a possibility that it could stain your hair.
While the color will fade over time, it is hard to say when and how fast it will. So, you can consider it to be a few weeks or maybe even a few months for that matter.
There are times when people make the mistake of buying purple shampoos that are meant to dye the hair temporarily, instead of a purple shampoo to get rid of brassy tones in hair.
This aspect needs to be properly looked into while buying a purple shampoo, in order to avoid this problem.
But here’s the good news and the part that all of you have probably been looking for – purple shampoo stains on hair can be washed off!
Yes, thankfully there are multiple methods you can use to help get rid of the purple shampoo stain from your hair quicker.
Here are some of the methods you could use:
· Use baking soda: Baking soda has natural properties of hair lightening. For this hack baking soda is usually mixed with your regular shampoo (per use) in the ratio 1:2 respectively.
· Use a clarifying shampoo: Using a clarifying shampoo will help cut through the layers of the color and renew the vibrancy and color of your hair. but this method cannot be used often as it is very damaging to the hair.
· Use color removers for hair: These products are specially designed to get color off hair, but nevertheless, it could damage your existing hair color.
· Bleach wash your hair: This process is specially meant for hair lightening.
How does hair get brassy?
When I hear the word “purple shampoo”, it automatically connects to hair brassiness. So, what’s this hair brassiness then?
Well, brassiness is when unwanted yellowish tones appear in blonde or light-colored hair and there are a few reasons why hair becomes brassy. The first reason is when the warm pigments in the hair overpower the cool ones.
Now this can happen when you decide to dye your hair and bleach it before that. When darker hair shades are lightened, the natural hair color begins to lift off with the chemicals that are used.
Sometimes, the hair’s natural underlying warm pigments begin to show, that come out in shades of yellow or yellowish-orange.
The second reason could be the water you are using to wash your hair. If you use hard water especially, the water contains mineral deposits that oxidize and tend to make the hair brassy.
This is because the minerals get deposited on the hair shaft. So, each time we wash our hair, the brassiness increases, while the hair color also begins to fade (if dyed).
The third reason could be over exposure to sunlight or frequent swimming that can make your blonde or light hair color fade very quickly, further on, showing brassy tones in the hair.
Why should we use a purple shampoo?
So, to help get rid of hair brassiness, a purple shampoo will do the needful. Now you may wonder why a purple shampoo is chosen. Well, let’s talk about the color wheel for a bit.
According to the color wheel (refer to the image), we can see that the color purple is directly opposite to the color yellow.
This means that if we need to neutralize the color yellow in the hair, we’d have to use a purple shampoo in order to balance it out.
This is because yellow is a warm color and purple is a cool color, and when there is an excess of warm tones in hair, brassiness shows up, so blending it with a cool tone will even out the color.
Related: Can You Use Purple Shampoo For Naturally Blonde Hair
How to select purple shampoo for your hair
Well, selecting a good purple shampoo for your brassy hair is very important. So, check out these pointers below that can help you buy the best one.
Choose a purple shampoo that is free from harsh chemicals like sulfates, parabens etc., because bleached or dyed hair has already been damaged to a certain extent and these harsh chemicals can further contribute to the hair damage
Buy only salon-grade purple shampoos (like the ones used by professionals), which are highly rated with good user reviews.
Lower quality purple shampoos may contain excess pigments and purple dye, which may stain the hair purple. Therefore, a shampoo that has a balance of pigments and shampoo will do the trick.
Make sure that the shampoo is of a thick consistency and not too liquidy and diluted.
Look for purple shampoos that have a dark purple color and not a light, transparent or translucent color. The opacity of the shampoo has to be very high.
I tried out the Aussie Purple Shampoo as it’s one of the few purple shampoos I found that was sulfate free.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What are the best brands of purple shampoo to buy?
You can choose brands like John Frieda, L’Oreal Paris, Olaplex, Fanola etc., to buy purple shampoos. You can also look out for shampoos that are reviewed and highly rated by other custom
2. How often can purple shampoo be used?
Well, the answer to this question can solely depend on the individual and this is because each person’s level of brassiness in the hair can vary.
But using a purple shampoo around once to two times a week is recommended, until your hair is no longer brassy.
Then, you can use a purple shampoo from time to time as required, to help maintain your blonde hair and keep brassiness at bay.
3. Can purple toner be used instead of purple shampoo?
No, you cannot. The reason is because purple toners and purple shampoos are two different types of products, even though their uses might be similar. This is because purple shampoos also are used to keep brassy tones at bay.
While toners work immediately, purple shampoos may take a few washes until the effects start to show in case your hair has a lot of brassiness. Toners work more like a hair dye, while a purple shampoo works just like any other shampoo in terms of its uses.
4. Is purple shampoo the same as blue shampoo?
No, they aren’t the same. Like I mentioned earlier, neutralizing of hair brassiness is done by referring to the color wheel.
While purple is opposite to yellow, blue is opposite to orange. So, you can use a blue shampoo only if your hair has turned orange.
If your brassiness is more yellowish in color, then only a purple shampoo will do you good.
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.
Final Thoughts About Using Purple Shampoo
Maintaining the vibrancy of naturally blonde or blonde/light colored dyed hair may be a hard task, but purple shampoo can be your go-to hair product to keep your luscious locks looking fresh and radiant at all times.
Make sure you buy yourself a good quality purple shampoo that contains no sulfates or parabens in order for it to not only work well, but also maintain your hair health.
Also Read:
How To Remove Purple Hue From Purple Shampoo Out Of Hair
How To Avoid Purple Stains When Using Purple Shampoo
Can Purple Shampoo Work For Green Pool Hair
How To Use Hair Toner After Bleaching
How To Remove Brassy Tones From Blonde Hair
Can You Use Purple Shampoo For Highlights
Can You Use Purple Shampoo For Grey Hair
Can You Use Purple Shampoo For Red Hair
To Summarize