Purple Shampoo? The Big Blonde Mystery Revealed…

Why won’t my blonde hair stay… blonde?! Now that’s the million dollar question we’re all probably wondering. Is the secret weapon to prolonging salon-perfect-blonde hair purple shampoo? Time to find out…

Why does blonde go brassy?

Picture this: you’ve just walked out of the salon after getting the ultimate hair makeover. You feel fabulous. You look fabulous. Your hair is on fleek. If only that miraculous hair colour could last longer than say… a week!

If you’ve recently bleached or coloured your hair blonde – whether it’s your roots, the ends or all over – you’ve likely noticed that dull, brassy, lifeless path it has decided to take a week or two after your salon visit.

Depending on your hair pigmentation, this brassy shade that appears is caused by a number of different factors such as chlorine from the swimming pool, UV rays, washing your hair too often, excessive use of hot styling tools plus many others. So, what’s the fix?

What is purple shampoo?

Purple shampoo is a blonde toning shampoo that contains a violet dye pigment. This violet dye pigment is what cancels out and neutralises any unwanted yellow, orange or brassy tones in blonde hair.

Think of purple shampoo as your blonde saviour in between salon visits. It allows you to maintain your hair colour from home, making it a quick, easy and (sort of) affordable way to prolong your salon-perfect hair… hassle-free!

How does it work?

Coloured shampoos work in a similar way to colour-correcting makeup products. It’s all about which colours counteract each other. If you take a look at the colour wheel, you’ll see that purple and yellow appear on opposite sides. This basically means that the colour purple cancels out and neutralises yellow tones.

Who is it good for?

Purple shampoo is specifically designed for blondes or for those with lightened hair (that includes highlights). Lightened hair includes everything from platinum blonde and ash blonde to silver and grey.

If you’re a brunette with highlights or balayage/ombré, purple shampoo will also work for you by keeping your highlighted areas fresh and shiny.

There are plenty of purple shampoos in the market right now, catering to different budgets and hair types. If you’re unsure about which brand is best suited for your hair type, try asking your hairdresser for advice.